On 20 July, the European Commission fined AliExpress €550 million for failing to fulfil its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to diligently assess and mitigate risks associated with the sale of illegal, unsafe or counterfeit products on its e-commerce platform. The Commission has ordered the platform to take action in this regard. Failure […]
The Commission publishes guidelines on transparency obligations for providers and operators of certain AI systems
On 20 July, the European Commission published guidelines to help providers and those implementing artificial intelligence (AI) systems to comply with the transparency obligations under the AI Act, which will come into force on 2 August 2026. The transparency obligations will help people recognise when they are interacting with AI or when content has been […]
2026 Rule of Law Report strengthens Europe’s prosperity, security and democratic resilience
Last July 17, the European Commission published its seventh annual Rule of Law Report, assessing the state of the rule of law across all EU Member States, as well as four candidate countries: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. The rule of law underpins Europe’s prosperity, democracy and security. Independent justice systems, effective anti-corruption frameworks, […]
The Commission has approved X’s action plan to comply with the Digital Services Regulation
The European Commission has accepted X’s action plan to comply with transparency obligations and ensure researchers’ access to data, in accordance with the Digital Services Regulation. The approved measures represent an important step towards providing researchers, civil society and the general public with greater transparency regarding X’s systems, in particular to monitor X’s systemic risks […]
The EU’s trade relations with developing countries continue to drive sustainable economic growth
On 16 July, the European Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy published anew joint report on the implementation of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), the EU’s main trade policy instrument for supporting exports from developing countries to the bloc. The report confirms that the scheme continues to contribute to […]
The EU is stepping up its international support for the Palestinians through an initiative for the swift recovery of Gaza and greater international coordination
On 13 July, the European Commission held the second meeting of the Donors’ Group for Palestine, co-chaired by the Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, and the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammad Mustafa. Sixty-five delegations gathered in Brussels to launch a new early recovery initiative in Gaza and discuss the Palestinian Authority’s reform […]
The Commission has registered the European Citizens’ Initiative calling for an unconditional basic income
On 7 July, the European Commission registered a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘Introduction of an unconditional basic income (UBI) across the EU’. The organisers of the initiative believe that,“with rapid advances in artificial intelligence and robotics, there is an urgent need to decouple our livelihoods from our ability to sell our labour, as we […]
The EU is deploying aid to help fight forest fires and tackle the numerous blazes ravaging Portugal and France
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 […]
The Commission is proposing five joint defence projects to strengthen Europe’s industrial capabilities
The European Commission has proposed five new large-scale projects, known as European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCI),to help EU countries strengthen their defence capabilities through the joint development of key military systems. The industrial projects focus on five priority areas: drones and anti-drone systems; maritime and seabed defence; space; air and missile defence; and […]