As Europe is fighting wildfires in several Member States, the Commission is swiftly mobilising assistance via the EU civil protection mechanism (UCPM). Over the weekend, Portugal and France have activated the UCPM due to devastating wildfires, with several of them active simultaneously and burning thousands of hectares. France activated the UCPM on 5 July. The European Commission […]
EU agricultural markets remain robust despite uncertainty and rising input costs
EU agricultural markets are expected to remain strong in 2026, according to the summer 2026 edition of the report on the short-term outlook for EU agricultural markets, published today by the European Commission. It should be noted that this report does not take into account the current heatwaves, which are severely affecting farmers across Europe, […]
8th edition of the Madrid Summit, an international conference on the challenges facing the LGBTIQ community
On 3 July 2026, Madrid hosted the 8th edition of the Madrid Summit, a conference focusing on the main challenges currently facing the LGBTQIA+ community in Europe and internationally. Launched in 2017 during WorldPride Madrid, the Summit has established itself as a leading forum for analysing the challenges affecting LGBTIQA people around the world. This […]
Specialist prosecutors step up the fight against human trafficking
On 17 and 18 June, the Working Group of Prosecutors Specialising in Human Trafficking met at Eurojust’s headquarters in The Hague. The meeting was co-chaired by the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator and focused on recent developments in the fight against human trafficking. This fifth meeting of the Working Group addressed the practical challenges of applying the […]
The Climate Action Plan for the Mediterranean is launched
In light of the growing climate risks facing the Mediterranean, 43 countries have launched the development of the region’s first Climate Action Plan within the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). The initiative was announced during the UPM’s third Mediterranean Green Week, held from 30 June to 3 July 2026, and represents a […]
Energy Union: New Spain-Portugal power interconnector inaugurated
On 2 July, the European Commission celebrated the inauguration of the electricity interconnector between Spain and Portugal. The commissioning of this new infrastructure project linking northern Portugal and Galicia, in north-western Spain, marks a key milestone in the energy sector. The project increases cross-border electricity transmission capacity by 1,000 MW, bringing the total to 4,200 MW […]
The EU and Armenia are strengthening their partnership, boosting resilience, trade and connectivity
Today, 2 July, in Yerevan, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, together with Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, met with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. The visit follows the recent general elections that showed the strength of Armenia’s democracy and its commitment to continuing the path of reform and closer partnership with the EU. As the […]
The EU launches connectivity and community support programmes to promote peace in the South Caucasus
On 1 July in Baku, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, together with the Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, met with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, to discuss how to promote peace in the region through greater connectivity and support for border communities. They also discussed bilateral cooperation between the […]
The Council and the Parliament reach an agreement to strengthen the European Chemicals Agency
The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement to strengthen the management and funding of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The new rules will create an independent legal framework to help ECHA manage its growing number of responsibilities efficiently. Since its establishment in 2007, ECHA and its scientific […]