On 9 July, the EU and South Africa held their first intergovernmental dialogue at senior official level to take forward the implementation of their Clean Trade and Investment Partnership. Collaboration between the two regions will strengthen clean and resilient supply chains, support local strategic industries and accelerate investment in green hydrogen and critical raw materials. […]
Enlargement: Parliament commends Ukraine’s progress despite the war
On 8 July, MEPs called for a constructive debate on how to take Ukraine’s European integration forward, taking into account the European Union’s strategic interests. In its annual assessment of Ukraine’s progress on reforms related to the EU accession process, the European Parliament welcomed the opening, in June 2026, of the first chapter in the […]
The Commission presents the EU Action Plan on Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence
The European Commission has presented an Action Plan to provide a structured response to address the risks and capitalise on the opportunities presented by advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models in the field of cybersecurity. New advanced AI models are redefining cybersecurity. AI can be misused to identify vulnerabilities, automate attacks and increase the scale and […]
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, […]
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 […]
The Commission presents a financial package for Montenegro’s accession to the EU
The European Commission has approved a financial package setting out the budgetary arrangements that will apply to Montenegro following its accession to the European Union. Montenegro is making progress in the accession process, and this proposal represents a significant step on its path towards integration into the Union, following the recent agreement reached by the […]