On 3 February a meeting took place at the Egmont Palace (Brussels, Belgium) between António Costa (President of the European Council), Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission), Mark Rutte (NATO Secretary General) and Keir Starmer (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom). At the event, several relevant aspects of current political affairs were […]
Read MoreInformal EU leaders’ retreat
An informal meeting of EU leaders will take place today (3 February) at the Palais d’Egmont in Brussels, chaired by the President of the European Council, António Costa, and attended by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has been invited to a lunch, and UK Prime […]
Read MoreAdvances in security and criminal investigation: get to know the SIRIUS project
Building on six years of successful support to national law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and judicial authorities (JAs) in the field of electronic evidence, Europol and Eurojust launched the third phase of the SIRIUS project in January 2025. 00 Phase 3 of the SIRIUS project will continue to assist LEAs, JAs, and service providers in navigating […]
Read MorePESCO: Switzerland invited to join ‘Military Mobility’ project
The Council adopted today a decision confirming that the participation of Switzerland in the PESCO project ‘Military Mobility’ meets the general conditions set out in Decision (CFSP) 2020/1639 of November 2020, and will bring substantial added value to the project. Today’s decision authorises the Netherlands as project coordinator to formally invite Switzerland to join this […]
Read MoreEDA seeks standardised framework for small arms ammunition
The European Defence Agency (EDA) has launched the Small Arms Ammunition Technologies (SAAT) project, a four-year initiative led by Belgian defence company FN Herstal and supported by a diverse European consortium to establish a common standard for small arms ammunition. The project, which brings together 18 partners from nine countries — including defence manufacturers, research organisations, […]
Read MoreUkraine: Council extends the mandate of the EU Military Assistance Mission for two years
On 8 November, the Council adopted a decision extending the mandate of the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) for a further two years, until 15 November 2026, with a budget allocation of nearly €409 million for the period from 14 November 2024 to 15 November 2026. EUMAM Ukraine remains a […]
Read MoreNew sanctions against extremist settlers and violent activists from Israel
The Council has approved additional restrictive measures against five persons and three entities under the European Union’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. The listed individuals and entities are responsible for serious and systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank, including abuse of the right of everyone to enjoy the highest attainable standard […]
Read MoreEU adopts 14th package of sanctions against Russia
The Commission welcomes the Council’s adoption of a 14th package of sanctions against Russia. The new package responds to the needs and findings on the ground, and tackles enforcement issues. As the Russian aggression against Ukraine continues, the EU remains determined to keep acting to further reduce Russia’s sources of revenue and capacity to wage […]
Read MoreEuropean Commission launches new EU Knowledge Centre on Preventing Radicalisation
The Commission yesterday launched the new EU Knowledge Centre on the prevention of radicalisation. The Centre builds on the success of the Radicalisation Awareness Network, which has contributed to awareness raising and information exchange among practitioners (since 2011) and with policy makers (since 2021). The Knowledge Centre will now have a broader scope of action […]
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