Last November 19, the member states’ representatives (Coreper) approved the Council’s negotiating mandate for an EU law that will allow for the launch of an EU digital travel application. The regulation establishes rules on the (voluntary) creation of digital travel credentials and how to use them when crossing external borders. The EU digital travel application […]
2026 EU budget deal: EP boosts research, competitiveness and security
MEPs achieved increases for the 2026 EU budget and secured funds for Horizon Europe, transport and energy networks, civil protection and agriculture. On Saturday morning, negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on the 2026 EU Budget, before the deadline of the conciliation period. Negotiators agreed to set the overall […]
MEPs warn of growing repression of activists abroad
On Thursday, the plenary urged the EU to respond to coercion and manoeuvres by authoritarian regimes to silence opponents and dissidents abroad. Human rights defenders are a fundamental pillar of democracy and the rule of law and are not sufficiently protected, say MEPs in an own-initiative report adopted by 512 votes in favour, 76 against […]
Joint press release: EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs
The Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs of Denmark, representing the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, together with the European Commission, represented by the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, met on 30 October 2025 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with their counterparts from the Western Balkans at the annual EU-Western Balkans Ministerial […]
Commission preliminarily finds TikTok and Meta in breach of their transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act
On October 24th, the European Commission preliminarily found both TikTok and Meta in breach of their obligation to grant researchers adequate access to public data under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission also preliminarily found Meta, for both Instagram and Facebook, in breach of its obligations to provide users simple mechanisms to notify illegal content, as well as […]
EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific: Council approves conclusions
On Monday 20th, the Council approved conclusions on the implementation of the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific stressing that the EU should further intensify its strategic focus, presence, visibility and actions in the Indo-Pacific with the aim of contributing to our joint stability, security, prosperity and sustainable development, underpinned by the promotion of democracy, […]
Fighting cybercrime: EU to sign UN Convention on cybercrime
Last October 13th, the Council adopted a decision authorising the European Commission and member states to sign a United Nations Convention against cybercrime. The Convention is an international treaty which puts in place common rules at global level to enhance cooperation on cybercrime and the exchange of evidence in electronic form for the purpose of […]
Five central suspects arrested in whole-sale cocaine trafficking case
Between 1 and 2 October, the Colombian Police (Policia Nacional de Colombia) and the Spanish Guardia Civil, supported by Europol, targeted four key suspects, linked to the so-called Clan del Golfo, allegedly responsible for whole-sale cocaine trafficking operations from South America to Europe. In particular, the criminal network oversaw first-hand the production, transportation and distribution […]
EU backs reinforced Europol role on migrant smuggling and trafficking
The European Commission welcomes the provisional political agreement reached today between the European Parliament and the Council to reinforce Europol’s role and inter-agency cooperation in the fight against migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings. This regulation was proposed by the Commission in November 2023. The fight against migrant smuggling is a Commission priority, as President von der […]