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 […]
A Commission report highlights the achievements of EU animal health standards
Ten years after its adoption, the European Commission has published an evaluation of EU legislation on animal health. The evaluation and the accompanying report highlight the positive impact the legislation has had on combating animal diseases, whilst also identifying areas for improvement. Animal diseases can have devastating consequences for livestock farmers and rural communities, and […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Commission has approved Spain’s sixth payment request, worth EUR 5,700 million, under the NextGenerationEU programme
On 2 July, the European Commission gave partial approval to Spain’s sixth payment request, worth EUR 5,700 million, under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. At the same time, it has approved a payment for two milestones that had previously been suspended under the fifth payment request. This is an important step […]
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 […]
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 Commission clarifies the rules on the recycling of plastic bottles
The European Commission has today adopted new rules on the recycling of single-use plastic beverage bottles, made mainly from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These rules establish, for the first time, a methodology for calculating, verifying and reporting on chemically recycled content. This forms part ofthe Commission’s December 2025 plastics package. The new rules will ensure transparency […]
The Commission approves €402 million in Spanish state aid for road haulage companies
The Commission has approved Spanish state aid worth 402 million euros for road haulage companies affected by rising fuel prices due to the crisis in the Middle East. The scheme has been approved under the Temporary Framework for Aid in Response to the Crisis in the Middle East (METSAF), which the Commission adopted on 29 […]