Europäische Union

Der Präsident des Europäischen Rates, António Costa, reist diese Woche zu hochrangigen Treffen nach Oslo. Der Besuch zeigt die starke Dynamik der bilateralen Beziehungen zu Norwegen, einem gleichgesinnten Land, das zu den engsten Partnern der Europäischen Union gehört.

Der Rat hat eine Richtlinie förmlich angenommen, mit der die Liste der Schadstoffe (Pestizide, Arzneimittel, PFAS u. a.), die Oberflächengewässer und Grundwasser beeinträchtigen, erweitert und aktualisiert wird.

Remarks by Eurogroup President Kyriakos Pierrakakis on the euro area recommendation, the international role of the euro, and global imbalances.

The Eurogroup reconfirmed Tuomas Saarenheimo as President of the Eurogroup working group.

Weekly schedule of President António Costa, 16-22 February 2026.

Auf der Pressekonferenz im Anschluss an die informelle Klausurtagung der EU-Führungsspitzen vom 12. Februar 2026 stellte Präsident António Costa die wichtigsten Themen der Beratungen vor.

Vor Beginn der informellen Klausurtagung der EU-Führungsspitzen am 12. Februar 2026 im Schloss Alden Biesen (Belgien) wandte sich der Präsident des Europäischen Rates António Costa an die Presse.

Written by Anna Caprile, Eric Pichon.

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has been President of the Russian Federation since 31 December 1999, except for a brief four-year interlude from 2008 to 2012 during which he held the office of prime minister but effectively maintained his political authority.

During Putin’s 26-year rule, Russia has been at war, overtly or covertly, for 21 years. Putin’s first term coincided with the launching of the Second Chechen War, intended to be brief but which lasted for 10 violent years. In 2014, during Putin’s third term, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, and the initially covert support to the separatist forces in eastern Ukraine gradually became overt, leading up to the full-scale invasion of February 2022. Overlapping with these two armed conflicts, the Russo-Georgian War took place in 2008, and since 2015 Russia has deployed military forces in Syria. Russian paramilitary groups have also expanded operations in Africa.

The transformation of Russia over these 26 years has been fundamental. A series of indicators can help measure its economic evolution, the surge in military expenditure, its demographic decline, the worsening of various freedom and governance rankings, and growing inequality. In a shift towards the east, China has become, by far, Russia’s main trading partner, providing it with a crucial economic and diplomatic lifeline since 2022.

Putin, now 73 years old, was proclaimed President of the Russian Federation for his fifth term in 2024, after obtaining over 88 % of the votes in what was broadly seen as yet another ritual electoral performance. In line with the constitutional reforms introduced in 2020, he can remain in power until 2036.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Russia under Vladimir Putin: His 26-year rule in facts and figures‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Despite being posted on Feb. 18 after news broke about the reversal to Trump’s preferred VIP livery design, the rendering is in fact identical to one that has been used by Boeing for some time.   After a U.S. Air Force C-32A broke cover with a fresh paint scheme, replacing the traditional egg-blue and white livery, […]

Claims about modifying the F-35’s software raise legitimate sovereignty questions. But cybersecurity architecture, cryptography, and sustainment realities define strict limits on what can and cannot be done. As we reported in detail in a previous story, on Feb. 15, 2026, talking to the BNR Nieuwsradio Podcast, Dutch State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman suggested that […]

The Navy has launched a Programmed Structural Sustainment Repair program for the dozens of F-16s acquired from the Air Force, which will allow them to fly through 2035. The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced last week two major milestones with its ex-U.S. Air Force F-16 jets used in the Adversary role. The Adversary […]

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2026 - EP

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2026 - EP

Il va falloir se souvenir de ce week-end de février, parce qu'il restera sans le moindre doute possible comme un moment historique. Non pas que ce qui s'y est passé soit absolument inédit — la négation de la course au fascisme sous Macron, l'accablement de l'unique formation politique réellement d'opposition. La bascule dans ce que par commodité on appelle la « trumpisation », c'est-à-dire une manière hors-norme de mentir, de déformer et de fabriquer, a saisi l'entièreté du paysage politique et médiatique, et cette bascule est totale.

- La pompe à phynance

DRAFT REPORT on the 2025 Commission report on North Macedonia
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Thomas Waitz

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

DRAFT REPORT on the 2025 Commission report on Albania
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Andreas Schieder

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

On 24 February 2026, the DROI Subcommittee will hold an exchange of views on the human rights dimension of the externalisation of migration and asylum policies worldwide. The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Michael O’Flaherty, will present his report on the topic. Speakers also include Frontex Fundamental Rights Officer Jonas Grimheden, and Samira Bouslama, Senior Human Rights Officer at the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.

The exchange will centre on the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights' report 'Externalised asylum and migration policies and human rights law', as Commissioner Michael O'Flaherty will outline the human rights implications of externalised asylum and return arrangements, including risks to core safeguards, accountability gaps and compliance with non-refoulement.

Against the background of intensifying cooperation with third countries, Jonas Grimheden, Frontex Fundamental Rights Officer, will address how fundamental rights compliance is monitored in Frontex operations and partnerships, while Samira Bouslama, Senior Human Rights Officer at the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, will present findings on the human rights consequences of interceptions and returns to Libya.

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Written by Issam Hallak.

CONTEXT

The European Union’s competitiveness and prosperity depends on an optimal allocation of resources, particularly savings, within the single market, yet EU capital markets remain fragmented. EU rules are mostly set out through directives, leaving Member States’ supervisory authorities latitude in their interpretation and application of the rules. Therefore, although rules are enacted at EU level, the resulting uneven supervisory environment is considered a major cause of fragmentation of EU capital markets. EU-level supervision and regulation thus constitute instruments to ‘de-fragment’ – i.e. ‘integrate’ – the EU’s capital markets.

On 4 December 2025, the European Commission issued a package of three proposals to address this situation (the ‘Market integration package’), as part of its savings and investments union strategy. The proposal to amend 14 regulations – entitled the ‘Master regulation’ by the Commission – would primarily transfer supervisory powers to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) in some specific markets and areas, strengthen its coordination instruments, and modify its governance. This proposal also aims at removing barriers to cross-border activities and trading.

LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL

2025/0383 (COD) – Proposal for amending Regulations (EU) No 1095/2010, No 648/2012, No 600/2014, No 909/2014, 2015/2365, 2019/1156, 2021/23, 2022/858, 2023/1114, No 1060/2009, 2016/1011, 2017/2402, 2023/2631 and 2024/3005 as regards the further development of capital market integration and supervision within the Union – COM(2025) 943, 4 December 2025.

NEXT STEPS IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

For the latest developments in this legislative procedure, see the Legislative Train Schedule: 2025/0383 (COD)

Read the complete briefing on ‘Capital markets integration and supervision: Master regulation‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.