European Union

AMENDMENTS 1 - Draft recommendation on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement in respect of Gibraltar between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Committee on International Trade
Nina Carberry, Thijs Reuten

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Alignment with the European Union’s (EU) Common Foreign and Security Policy has become a central benchmark of enlargement countries’ strategic orientation and a key indicator of the enlargement process’s credibility. Under Chapter 31 and relevant association agreements, candidates are expected to align their foreign, security and defence policies progressively with those of the EU prior to accession. This requirement has gained renewed political importance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has heightened the role of sanctions, geopolitical positioning and foreign policy coherence within enlargement. However, past experience shows that formal pre-accession alignment does not always translate into post-accession cohesion, particularly where candidate countries maintain external dependencies or pursue hedging strategies. Current EU monitoring relies heavily on quantitative indicators, such as declaration alignment rates, which often fail to capture implementation and political intent. This study evaluates the existing methodology (2020–2025) and proposes a revised framework combining quantitative and qualitative indicators to provide a more accurate and policy-relevant assessment of Common Foreign and Security Policy alignment.
Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Committee and political group meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

SEDE Opinion on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2027
Committee on Security and Defence
Mārtiņš Staķis

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Length of video : 135'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

European Council President, António Costa, had a meeting with Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, on 2 September 2026, in Zagreb, Croatia. The meeting is part of President Costa's annual "Tour des Capitales".

The Council backed Commission’s proposal to introduce temporary trade-liberalisation measures to support Armenian exports and strengthen EU-Armenia trade relations.

European Council President António Costa met the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Luc Frieden, on 2 September 2026, in Luxembourg. The meeting is part of President Costa's annual ‘Tour des Capitales’ visits to EU capital cities.

Information about accreditation requirements for the one-year badge (2026)

The European Council will take place on 15 and 16 October 2026 in the Europa building in Brussels.

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.

Weekly schedule of President António Costa, 31 August-6 September 2026.

The President of the European Council, António Costa, will continue his round of visits to EU member states to meet national leaders.

European Council President, António Costa, had a meeting with Prime Minister of Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš, on 27 August 2026, in Prague, Czech Republic. The meeting is part of President Costa's annual "Tour des Capitales".

Length of video : 75'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP