European Union

Thursday’s agreement between Parliament and Council aims to increase consumer awareness and encourage greater business participation in out-of-court dispute solutions.
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Global health equity at the heart of Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s message. WHO says vaccination is still a leading health investment.

Move by Stockholm will reduce the protected population to just 170.

The complaints follow a recent EU fact-finding mission and include allegations of irregularities across nearly all Slovak districts.

Europe should embrace the new defence spending pledges. If nothing else, the continent will have the chance to reclaim its dignity.

Written by Tim Peters and Jakub Przetacznik with Ana Luisa Melo Almeida.

In response to Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, which started in February 2022, the European Union (EU) and its Member States have provided unprecedented financial, military and humanitarian support to Ukraine. According to European Commission figures, Team Europe, consisting of the EU and its Member States, has made available around €150 billion in support to Ukraine. This support encompasses macro-financial assistance, financial support through the Ukraine Facility, humanitarian aid and military assistance from Member States and the European Peace Facility, as well as support to Ukrainian refugees in the EU.

The overall support of Team Europe for Ukraine is now greater than the support provided by the United States (US), except in terms of military support allocation. However, Team Europe has provided 83 % of the tanks and 76 % of the air defence systems given to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war.

The disbursement of EU payments under the Ukraine Facility is conditional on Ukraine implementing the Ukraine Plan – an ambitious reform and investment plan drafted by Ukraine’s government and endorsed by the EU. The Commission and the Ukrainian government publish updates on the progress of the reforms and on the disbursal of payments.

In addition to the Ukraine Facility, the G7 have agreed upon a further €45 billion loan, with €18.1 billion to be financed by the EU. For this purpose, a Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism has been established, which uses extraordinary revenues originating from Russian sovereign assets immobilised in the G7 member states to repay loans and associated interest costs. The rights, responsibilities and obligations provided for under the Ukraine Facility will apply to the G7 loan to ensure seamless management of both. The European Parliament has repeatedly called for confiscating the immobilised Russian sovereign assets to finance further support for Ukraine and the country’s reconstruction, instead of just relying on extraordinary revenues. International financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund, play a key role in addressing external financing needs and supporting the country’s macroeconomic stability.

Read the complete briefing on ‘State of Play: EU support to Ukraine‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

EU Member States’ total bilateral and EU budget contributions to Ukraine, 2022–2025, in € billion and as a % of GNI Team Europe financial, humanitarian and military support for Ukraine, February 2022 to May 2025, in € billion

The European Commission is preparing a new Bioeconomy Strategy to help bring bioeconomy innovations to market, creating new green jobs and sustainable economic development.

Bulgaria's health ministry plans to limit children's access to medicines, citing an unproven TikTok trend allegedly causing paracetamol poisonings. The unverified trend also prompted other EU agencies to act.

The ECR has distanced itself from the no confidence motion, despite it being signed by Poland’s Patryk Jaki, one of its co-chairmen. 

"We wouldn't want to be in the same community as a country at war," Viktor Orbán said.

Irish PM launched a scathing attack on the tobacco industry’s role in promoting e-cigarettes, describing vaping as a deliberate strategy ‘to get nicotine back on the agenda.’

Billionaires party in Venice – locals aren’t celebrating.

Written by Alessandro D’Alfonso, Martin Höflmayr and Giulio Sabbati.

The EU’s trade-dependent economy faces uncertainty from global trade policy shifts, prompting calls to strengthen domestic demand. Economic growth forecasts for the years ahead have been downgraded, reflecting this uncertainty. Anticipatory trade to avoid US tariffs peaked in March 2025, as EU exports to the US rose by 59 % in the first quarter of 2025, but has subsided since. The final phase of the Next Generation EU recovery instrument is expected to support public investment and economic activity, but EU countries must step up efforts – in some cases significantly – to ensure full implementation of their national recovery and resilience plans by 31 August 2026.

Read this infographic on ‘Economic Outlook Quarterly: Fragmented trade, untapped potential at home‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

RRF milestones and targets still to be assessed GDP growth in the EU
Quarterly, % change compared to same period in previous year EU-27 goods exports to the US
€ billion Cumulative growth prospects 2025-26
2024 = 100 Fiscal balance, % of GDP Government consolidated gross debt
Change Q4-2019 vs Q2-2024, percentage points of GDP EU inflation
Harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) monthly data, annual rate of change % Total unemployment rate in the EU EU/US economic and domestic demand growth
2010Q4 = 100, 4-quarter moving average Average annual contribution to economic growth
Contribution to real GDP, percentage points Next Generation EU (NGEU) Proposed 2025 CSRs on the RRF

Christophe Hansen says Ukraine’s possible EU membership would put pressure on farm payment model.

Speaking to EU leaders, Parliament President Metsola said that in a volatile world, Europe must do more for its security.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Speaking to EU leaders, Parliament President Metsola said that in a volatile world, Europe must do more for its security.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The Nato member states agreed to boost their defence spending to five percent of GDP in the medium term at this week's summit in The Hague. US President Donald Trump's clear statement on the mutual defence commitment in Article 5 of the NATO treaty came as a big relief: "I stand by it; that's why I'm here," he stressed. Relatively little was said about Russia's war against Ukraine. Europe's press takes stock.