Europäische Union

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

At the 7th European Union-African Union summit in Luanda (Angola) on 24-25 November 2025, the EU and African Union leaders agreed on a joint declaration.

Press briefing ahead of the upcoming Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council will take place on 26 November 2025 at 14.30.

On November 24, the President of the European Council, António Costa, participated in the European Union-African Union Summit in Luanda, Angola.

Remarks by President António Costa following the informal EU Leaders’ meeting of 24 November 2025 in Luanda

Der Rat hat heute den EU-Haushaltsplan für 2026 förmlich angenommen. Dieser Haushaltsplan ist das Ergebnis der Verhandlungen mit dem Europäischen Parlament, die am 15. November 2025 zu einer Einigung geführt haben.

Der Rat hat eine Reihe von Beschlüssen zur Einrichtung von drei Unterstützungsmaßnahmen im Rahmen der Europäischen Friedensfazilität zur Unterstützung Jordaniens, der Demokratischen Republik Kongo und Tschads angenommen. Diese Maßnahmen zielen darauf ab, die Kapazitäten der Empfängerländer in militärischen und verteidigungspolitischen Fragen zu stärken, um Widerstandsfähigkeit und Frieden innerhalb des Landes zu fördern.

Ahead of the European Union - African Union summit in Luanda, President António Costa and President Ursula von der Leyen shared their thoughts on the relationship between the EU and Africa.

President António Costa attended the G20 summit in Johannesburg. He spoke at Session III: "A fair and just future for all", on 23 November 2025.

G20 leaders met in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 22-23 November 2025 and agreed on a joint declaration.

President António Costa attended the G20 summit in Johannesburg. He spoke at Session II: "A resilient world", on 22 November 2025.

Thursday 27 November

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

La république séparatiste de Transnistrie, en Moldavie, renouvelle dimanche son Soviet suprême. Un scrutin sans suspens pour une institution essentielle du régime de Tiraspol parrainé par Moscou.

- Articles / Relations régionales, Moldavie, Transnistrie, Courrier des Balkans, Politique, Une - Diaporama, Une - Diaporama - En premier

Parliament and Council have struck a deal on a more open and competitive EU payment services sector, with strong defences against fraud and data breaches.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On 21 October 2025, the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen's second mandate adopted its work programme for 2026 (2026 CWP). In line with the Commission President's political guidelines and letter of intent and highlighting the need for full implementation of Mario Draghi's competitiveness report, the 2026 CWP places a strong emphasis on competitiveness, innovation and collective security. In parallel, the Commission commits to advancing simplification, implementation, and this year, also to strengthening enforcement. These three areas will remain key horizontal priorities for the entire Commission mandate. Just like last year's CWP, the 2026 CWP adheres to the seven headline ambitions put forward in the political guidelines. It is accompanied by a report on implementation, simplification and enforcement, the first of its kind. This new annual report is set to replace the annual burden survey. Annex I of the 2026 CWP puts forward 70 major new legislative and non-legislative initiatives, 44 % of which fall under the competitiveness headline ambition. (Up to) 48 of the new initiatives are legislative, including three sector-specific omnibus packages (on energy product legislation, taxation and citizens). Of the forthcoming legislative initiatives, 67 % are likely revisions of existing legislation, while more than half have a strong simplification dimension. Unlike previous CWPs, the 2026 CWP does not indicate whether a legislative initiative will be accompanied by an impact assessment; this lack of transparency runs counter to the spirit of the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making. Information on the Commission's 'Have your say' portal shows that, at the time of writing, two thirds of the up to 48 legislative initiatives were expected to be accompanied by an impact assessment (though the final number may be higher). The annual evaluation plan presented in Annex II of the CWP, comprising 20 evaluations, does not appear exhaustive. Finally, the communication on Better Regulation, expected in Q2 2026, may entail a revision of the Better Regulation Guidelines, the first since 2021.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

In response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the European Union (EU) has adopted 19 sanctions packages against Russia in close coordination with its Group of Seven partners. As part of these measures, the EU has immobilised around EUR 210 billion of Russia’s sovereign assets and froze around EUR 28 billion of private assets within its jurisdiction, while actively addressing possible utilisation of these funds as reparations owed to Ukraine by Russia under international law. Although significant steps have been taken in terms of private assets and windfall profits, many legal issues concerning the confiscation or management of state assets remain unaddressed. Hence, this paper aims to map current arguments and developments, in order to propose viable options for the use of these three asset types as reparations under EU and international law. At the EU level, proposals under the Common Foreign and Security Policy, especially those relating to the Central Bank of Russia’s (CBR) assets, are hindered by unanimity decision-making processes and the possible use of veto powers by Member States. At the international level, CBR assets are protected by the laws of state immunity. It therefore remains questionable under what circumstances such assets could lawfully be utilised for reparations. This paper argues that currently the most viable legal option, which addresses internal and international challenges, is the establishment of an EU Instrument (Reparations Loan). This could be achieved through carefully designated steps, allowing a qualified majority vote to prolong restrictive measures concerning immobilisation of CBR assets, ensuring temporality and reversibility while connecting this instrument to existing reparations and compensation mechanisms that adjudicate upon Russia’s violations and its obligation to pay reparations or compensation. At an international level, this paper argues that an EU Instrument can be justified in terms of central bank assets’ immunity by offering a new interpretation of the relationship between procedural rules on immunities and secondary rules on countermeasures. Such argumentation does, however, involve important legal risks highlighted throughout the paper.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On 21 October 2025, the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen's second mandate adopted its work programme for 2026 (2026 CWP). In line with the Commission President's political guidelines and letter of intent and highlighting the need for full implementation of Mario Draghi's competitiveness report, the 2026 CWP places a strong emphasis on competitiveness, innovation and collective security. In parallel, the Commission commits to advancing simplification, implementation, and this year, also to strengthening enforcement. These three areas will remain key horizontal priorities for the entire Commission mandate. Just like last year's CWP, the 2026 CWP adheres to the seven headline ambitions put forward in the political guidelines. It is accompanied by a report on implementation, simplification and enforcement, the first of its kind. This new annual report is set to replace the annual burden survey. Annex I of the 2026 CWP puts forward 70 major new legislative and non-legislative initiatives, 44 % of which fall under the competitiveness headline ambition. (Up to) 48 of the new initiatives are legislative, including three sector-specific omnibus packages (on energy product legislation, taxation and citizens). Of the forthcoming legislative initiatives, 67 % are likely revisions of existing legislation, while more than half have a strong simplification dimension. Unlike previous CWPs, the 2026 CWP does not indicate whether a legislative initiative will be accompanied by an impact assessment; this lack of transparency runs counter to the spirit of the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making. Information on the Commission's 'Have your say' portal shows that, at the time of writing, two thirds of the up to 48 legislative initiatives were expected to be accompanied by an impact assessment (though the final number may be higher). The annual evaluation plan presented in Annex II of the CWP, comprising 20 evaluations, does not appear exhaustive. Finally, the communication on Better Regulation, expected in Q2 2026, may entail a revision of the Better Regulation Guidelines, the first since 2021.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

La délivrance de Tolstoï, d'Ivan Bounine, traduit du russe par Marc Slonim, édition des Syrtes, Poche, 2025, 12 euros

- Lettres de l'Est et des Balkans • Le blog de Pierre Glachant / Blogs - Diaporama

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2025 - EP

The Western Balkans region stands at a critical crossroads for democracy, challenged by rising disinformation campaigns that exploit social divisions and fuel political polarisation, ultimately undermining democratic institutions and sowing scepticism toward European integration.

In the morning of 2 December, the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS) will hold a joint public hearing and discuss ways to effectively counter disinformation and FIMI in the Western Balkans, strengthen its democratic institutions, build public trust, and focus on the role the EU can play in this process.

Location : Brussels
Programme
Poster
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP