European Union

Belgium was one of the first countries in the world to introduce a legal gender quota for boards of directors in 2011

The guarantees are expected to give Ukraine a clear picture of long-term support

Taking a European perspective on this issue is important to ensure a level playing field for platforms, a spokesperson said

Europe must take charge of Ukraine’s security instead of leaving it to Donald Trump and US forces, he said

Ein Mann erstickte während eines Weihnachtsessens in der italienischen Stadt Turin an einem Stück Panettone und Mandarine. Die Rettungskräfte konnten den Mann nicht mehr retten.

Topsharing, Wahrheitsbefehl oder Swissair-Revival – es gibt nichts, das für das Parlament kein Thema ist. Auch 2025 wurden wieder viele eigenwillige Forderungen aufgestellt.

Ihr Alltag hat nur eine Gangart: Presto. Wenn Wirtschaftsführer zur Geige oder in die Tasten greifen, dann ändert sich mehr als das Tempo.

The decision will tighten manure-spreading limits across the country

Mehrere Personen hatten im Kanton SG am Weihnachtstag zu viel Sitzleder und weigerten sich, den Heimweg anzutreten.

Zum Jahreswechsel warnen Experten vor den Gefahren von Feuerwerkskörpern. Jedes Jahr führen Böller zu schweren Verletzungen wie Verbrennungen oder Knalltrauma. Was du beachten solltest.

High-altitude wind power was an engineer's dream

Eigentlich wollte Bill Kaulitz nur ganz gemütlich in die Karibik jetten. Weil eine Angestellte offenbar ein Problem mit seinem Hund hatte, beleidigte er sie auf Instagram.

Vor drei Jahren war Connor Hughes’ Spengler-Cup-Gastspiel eine Hauruck-Aktion. Diesmal wurde der Lausanne-Goalie offiziell angefragt und konnte sich darauf vorbereiten und freuen.

His remarks come as European allies await Washington’s upcoming Global Posture Review, expected to shift resources away from Europe

«Nahe an der Magie» – so fasst der Satiriker, Autor und KI-Dozent Patrick «Karpi» Karpiczenko die technologischen Sprünge von 2025 zusammen. Das Jahr war wild. Im Special von «Prompt Zero» drehen wir mit Karpi am KI-Glücksrad.

Claudio Del Principe zieht eine kulinarische Bilanz des Jahres 2025. In seinem Rückblick erzählt er von Wildpflanzen, einfachen Gerichten und einem veränderten Blick auf das Kochen – und schlägt damit den Bogen ins kommende Jahr.

Auf der Autobahn nahe Teano in Italien kommt es zu einer grossen Explosion. Nach einem Auffahrunfall gerät ein mit Flüssiggas beladener Tanklastwagen in Brand. Kurz darauf explodiert er.

The plan would freeze the front line and drop any demand that Kyiv renounce NATO membership

Written by Anna Flynn.

On 18 December 2025, International Migrants Day was marked, honouring the contribution and value of migrants.

This commemoration follows a year of notable reforms.

For example, in November 2025, the Commission adopted the EU’s first annual Asylum and Migration Report. The report outlined that there has been a 35 % reduction in illegal border crossings between July 2024 and June 2025 – but challenges remain.

In parallel, the Council agreed on the proposed Annual Solidarity Pool for migration. The pool ensures that Member States that are under migratory pressure may be assisted by other Member States, for example, through financial aid and facilitating relocation. This will be evaluated based on population size and GDP. Parliament has no formal role in its implementation, but has nevertheless supported the scheme.

In the same month, Parliament voted in favour of a law establishing the European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling within the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol). This will protect victims by increasing information sharing and providing a range of support to Member States.

Underpinning all of this is the new pact for migration and asylum – this became law at the end of 2024, and will apply in full from June 2026. The pact has 10 separate but interconnected legislative acts.

Some of the Commission’s proposals that complement the pact have been criticised.

In April 2025, the first, formal EU list outlining safe countries of origin was announced. This means that asylum applicants from countries that are deemed safe (according to this list) will generally not be considered eligible for international protection. It is mandatory for Member States to abide by this list, but they are also permitted to keep or create their own national lists.

Various human rights organisations, civil society, and other stakeholders condemn this. There are questions about the transparency of how these lists are compiled, as well as the repercussions for individuals who are migrating from a safe country of origin but do need protection. However, Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee endorsed this list on 3 December 2025 as a way to better manage migration.

In March 2025, to further build upon the migration and asylum pact, the Commission proposed a common approach to returns for citizens illegally residing in a Member State. Part of this is the creation of return hubs – centres in safe non-EU countries that people may be sent to if they cannot legally reside in the EU. A mutual recognition of returns is also proposed, allowing Member States to recognise and apply return decisions made by another Member State.

The Council’s position on the regulation was finalised on 8 December 2025, so this will now be negotiated with Parliament.

Looking ahead, 2025 marked the start of decisions on how the pact will be financed over the coming years. In July, the Commission’s unveiled its proposal for the EU’s long-term budget for 2028-2034. This included information on how migration policies are to be financed during this period.

A proposed €12 billion (in 2025 prices) is to be allocated for migration policy. This is similar to the current budget for 2021-2027, where around €12.6 billion in 2025 prices has been dedicated to this.

One aspect that differs, however, is that this money will be allocated through national plans crafted by each Member State. Members of the European Parliament have highlighted their concern about how this will impact their capacity for oversight and scrutiny in this area.

Overall, the current and future budgets reflect the increasing importance of migration as a political issue.

Links to EPRS publications

• International Migrants Day: 18 December 2025
• Union support for asylum, migration and integration
• Stronger role for Europol to fight migrant smuggling and human trafficking
• European Parliament Plenary Session November I 2025
• The first annual Asylum and Migration Report and the Annual Solidarity Pool
• ‘Safe country of origin’ concept in EU asylum law
• Planned revision of the EU Return Directive
• Implementation of the EU pact on migration and asylum

From cheap toys that double as choke-hazards or contain hormone-disrupting plastics to AI-powered teddies that veer into sex chat, child safety risks are outpacing EU rules