The winning cities of the 2028 European Green Capital Awards were announced on 8 October 2026 at a ceremony held in Guimarães (Portugal), the 2026 winner of the award. Zaragoza (Spain) has been named European Green Capital 2028, whilst Benidorm (Spain) and Estarreja (Portugal) will share the European Green Leaf 2028 award, which recognises the […]
The Commission grants €134.8 million to Spain and Romania following fires and floods
The European Commission has decided to allocate 134.8 million euros from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to support recovery efforts in Spain and Romania following the major natural disasters of 2025. Spain will receive €120.5 million following a devastating summer marked by a prolonged drought, extreme heatwaves and three waves of major wildfires. The […]
The committee’s report highlights devastating changes in the Arctic and unprecedented marine heatwaves
The ocean is changing at an alarming rate, with direct consequences for marine life, coastlines and communities around the world. This is the main conclusion of the tenth report on the state of the ocean, published by the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service, the EU’s Earth observation programme. The report goes back to 1960 and […]
The EU and Canada secure nearly 220 million euros in pledges for Global Ocean Observation
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, launched the OceanEye International Alliance for the Global Ocean Observing System at a high-level event held in New York. Held during the High-Level Week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, the event brought together heads of […]
Debate on the State of the EU: the economy, security, climate change, AI and social media
MEPs discussed the Commission’s work over the past year and the most pressing challenges with President von der Leyen during the annual State of the European Union debate. At the start of the debate, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said: ‘Our Union has always moved forward because there were people willing to […]
A new strategic vision for the outermost regions, strengthening the EU’s global reach
The European Commission adopted a Communication setting out a new strategic vision for the EU’s outermost regions – French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint-Martin (France), the Azores, Madeira (Portugal), and the Canary Islands (Spain). From the Atlantic to the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and South America, the outermost regions are a unique part of […]
The Commission presents the EU’s first strategies for island and coastal communities
The European Commission has adopted two specific strategies, one for the EU’s islands and the other for the EU’s coastal communities, establishing for the first time a coordinated European approach to support both types of territories and unlock their long-term potential. The two initiatives introduce a targeted approach, tailored to the specific needs and unique […]
The Commission announces new global health commitments at the ‘One Health’ Summit
The European Commission plans to allocate €700 million to the Global Fund to fight HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. It will also invest €46.5 million to strengthen public health security in Africa and Europe, with a particular focus on combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and €50 million in research and development to tackle AMR and neglected tropical […]
The Commission is launching a call for contributions to a specific review of European water legislation
The aim is to promote the circular economy and access to critical raw materials in the EU, whilst protecting the environment and human health. The European Commission has launched a four-week public consultation to gather information to inform a review and targeted amendment of the Water Framework Directive(WFD), the EU’s main piece of legislation for […]