Thanks to the EU coordinated investigation by Europol and Eurojust, a very large criminal network of telephone fraud has been dismantled in Albania. The criminal network has operated several call centres in Tirana, Albania, and caused at least EUR 50 million in financial losses. These call centres were professionally set up and organised, closely resembling legitimate businesses. Fraudsters contacted people under false […]
The committee has made a preliminary finding that TikTok breached the Digital Services Act by failing to ensure that accounts were safe for minors
On 24 July, the European Commission sent TikTok some preliminary findings indicating that TikTok accounts held by minors do not meet the safety standards required by the Digital Services Act (DSA). On TikTok, minors can set their account to public. This means that any user, even those without a TikTok account, will be able to […]
EU countries have approved the UK’s involvement to help meet Ukraine’s urgent defence needs
On 22 July, EU countries approved the UK’s participation in the loan to support Ukraine, a €90 billion package to help meet Ukraine’s most pressing needs in 2026 and 2027 as it continues to face Russia’s war of aggression. “The EU’s solidarity with Ukraine is a key priority of the Irish Presidency. Today’s approval reflects […]
The Commission fines AliExpress €550 million for breaching the Digital Services Act
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 is launching the EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance with the aim of promoting drone and anti-drone technology
The European Commission officially launched the EU-Ukraine Alliance for Drone Development during the third EU-Ukraine Defence Industry Forum, held in Kyiv. This Alliance will enable the EU and Ukraine to collaborate more closely on the development and use of drones and systems to intercept hostile drones. It forms part of the EU’s wider efforts to […]
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 EU begins accession negotiations with Ukraine on foreign policy
The EU and Ukraine took another important step in the accession process by launching negotiations on the so-called ‘external relations’ thematic group (Group 6). This is a key thematic group within the EU’s accession negotiation framework, which sets out the parameters for how candidate countries must align their international, trade and defence policies with those […]
The Commission and the High Representative are proposing a new sanctions regime to combat the smuggling of migrants, human trafficking and other forms of violence
The European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy have today proposed a new EU sanctions regime to combat the smuggling of migrants, human trafficking and other serious forms of organised crime, including trafficking in firearms and illicit drugs, as well as money laundering. The President of the […]
MEPs back the EU’s new defence innovation programme
The bill aims to respond to the new security environment brought about by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, in which rapid, low-cost cycles of defence innovation are essential. On Thursday,the Committee on Industry, Research and Energyand theCommittee on Security and Defenceadopted their position on the establishment of the Agile and Rapid Defence Innovation Programme […]