Commission greenlights Bulgaria’s fourth payment request under NextGenerationEU

European Commission issues €11 billion in its 2nd syndicated transaction of 2026This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission greenlighted Bulgaria’s fourth payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. The Commission found that Bulgaria has satisfactorily completed 23 out of 26 milestones and targets set out in the Council Implementing Decision. The reforms and investments tied to this payment request […]

US makes $1 billion contribution to UN child rights and food agencies

© WFP/Htet Oo Linn Families in Myanmar have been hit hard by rising prices, with the most vulnerable struggling to meet their daily needs.This article is published in association with United Nations. Two United Nations agencies have together welcomed more than $1 billion in assistance from the United States to support their operations targeting millions of children and hungry families in more than 40 countries. This week the US State Department announced a more than $800 million contribution to the […]

Teen scientists are tracking plastic pollution across Europe’s rivers

The spread of antibiotic resistance through plastic pathwaysThis article was published in association with the Horizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine. Along a small stream in Spain, groups of teenagers are at work. One hovers around a black tarpaulin covered in wet pieces of plastic. Another stands on a small bridge, fishing with a net. Others sort small pieces of plastic, […]

The hidden biodiversity battle to save Europe’s forests

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article was published in association with the Horizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine. In the village of Suonenjoki, the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) stands surrounded by a forest of pine trees. The local soils are not fertile and pine is pretty much the only species that can grow there. But in a […]

Georgia and Türkiye: No EU accession progress without reforms 

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. MEPs warn of continued democratic backsliding in both countries and call for reforms and a stronger EU response. Georgia With serious continued democratic backsliding in Georgia, MEPs regret that the ruling Georgian Dream party has not taken any steps to reverse the negative trends. […]

2026 State of the Digital Decade report shows progress but urges closing structural gaps to reach 2030 goals

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission published the fourth State of the Digital Decade report, showing thatEurope has made progress on its 2030 digital transformation targets, such as secure and sustainable digital infrastructures and the digitalisation of public services – but the challenge now is delivering results […]

Commission will engage with industry following European Citizens’ Initiative on the disabling of videogames by publishers

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission will engage with consumers and publishers by the end of 2026 to explore ways to improve industry standards, as a response to the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) ‘Stop Destroying Videogames’.    Modern video games often rely on publishers’ servers to function. Publishers may stop supporting […]

Deal on air passenger rights: MEPs secure improved traveller protection 

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. MEPs have secured an air passenger rules deal that maintains compensation for three-hour delays, ensures faster reimbursement, fee-free child seating and flight price transparency. On Monday evening, a provisional agreement on a review of air passenger rights rules reached by Parliament and Council negotiators […]

June plenary session opening: Metsola presents procedural reforms 

EU must respond decisively to any form of coercion against EU member states This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. President Metsola opened the 15-19 June plenary session in Strasbourg by announcing several changes to plenary procedural rules. Roberta Metsola opened the session by reminding MEPs that, as agreed by the Conference of Presidents on 21 May, certain innovative measures would be put to […]

Instability, war and closed borders: How aid workers get emergency food to hungry Afghan children

© WFP/Danijela Milic A WFP truck delivers essential food supplies to thousands of people in Parwan Province, Afghanistan (file)This article is published in association with United Nations. The odyssey begins in Indonesia and ends, 15,000 kilometres later, in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Along the way, critical food aid destined for young Afghan students crosses nine countries, over land and sea, skirting geopolitical unrest and conflict zones. Hundreds of thousands of people in Afghanistan […]

Refugee turned peacemaker: The young woman leader transforming communities in the Central African Republic

© WFP/Aurore Vinot The Central African Republic, one of the poorest countries in Africa has a history of conflict.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. In the heart of the Central African Republic (CAR), a nation long marked by conflict, Nina Mireille Yankinon stands as a symbol of resilience, leadership, and hope, dedicating her life to helping communities torn apart by war.  CAR has faced recurrent cycles of conflict […]

EU and Brazil deepen ties through Digital Partnership

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Union and Brazil will sign a Digital Partnership in Brasilia today, bringing their digital cooperation to a new strategic level. Building on more than two decades of close collaboration, the partnership will strengthen EU-Brazil cooperation on shared digital priorities, including data governance, […]

Commission proposes €540 million in financial relief and other supports for farmers facing fertiliser crisis

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission presents measures to help farmers facing sharply rising fertiliser costs and to support Europe’s food security, delivering on the recently announced Fertiliser Action Plan. In recent months, geopolitical tensions and supply disruptions have pushed prices of fertilisers up across Europe. […]

EU and Brazil deepen ties through Digital Partnership

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Union and Brazil will sign a Digital Partnership in Brasilia today, bringing their digital cooperation to a new strategic level. Building on more than two decades of close collaboration, the partnership will strengthen EU-Brazil cooperation on shared digital priorities, including data governance, […]

Commission presents first-ever EU strategies for islands and coastal communities

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission adopted two dedicated strategies, one for EU islands and one for EU coastal communities, setting out for the first time a coordinated European approach to support both types of territories and unlock their long-term potential. The two initiatives introduce a […]

Refugee numbers drop for first time in a decade, but millions remain trapped

© UNICEF/Royena Rasnat A group of Rohingya refugee children attend an activity centre in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.This article is published in association with United Nations. Global forced displacement has decreased for the first time in a decade, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported on Thursday, though the figure remains unacceptably high and tens of millions of people are still trapped in prolonged exile with little prospect of rebuilding their lives. UNHCR‘s flagship […]

One Europe, One Market: from strategy to delivery – EESC, CoR and EP discuss the EU’s new roadmap for a truly unified market

EU long-term budget: MEPs want a 10% increase to support EU priorities This article is brought to you in association with the European Economic and Social Committee. Insufficient enforcement of common EU rules, threats to consumer confidence, excessive complexity for SMEs and a loss of competitiveness in the digital sector are among the greatest challenges facing the Single Market. The EU has a duty to protect it in […]

Countries urged to ‘go further, faster’ and deliver on climate commitments

© Practical Action Bolivia A woman in rural Bolivia operates a solar power-driven irrigation system.This article is published in association with United Nations. The United Nations climate chief called on Monday for countries to step up action to implement existing commitments, warning that fossil fuel dependency is deepening economic instability and exposing vulnerable communities to worsening climate impacts.  Simon Stiell addressed the opening of the UN June Climate Meetings in Bonn, Germany – an important step ahead of […]

Children are dying as US sanctions push Cuba to the brink, warns UN human rights chief

© UNICEF A child is vaccinated against multiple diseases at a health centre in Cuba.This article is published in association with United Nations. Children are dying because doctors cannot access essential medicines, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said in a stark warning on Monday, calling for the immediate lifting of United States sanctions against the Caribbean nation that were causing “widespread harm”. “The fuel restrictions imposed since early 2026 and recent tightening of […]

World News in Brief: Millions displaced in South Sudan, global meat supply quadruples, Middle East crisis deepens global hunger

© UNOCHA/Adedeji Ademigbuji Children displaced by the recent violence in Jonglei State, South Sudan, sit outside a church, home to thousands of displaced people.This article is published in association with United Nations. Months of fighting and insecurity have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes in South Sudan’s eastern Jonglei State, triggering “one of the most severe conflict-related displacement emergencies in recent years”, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.  Tweet URL Fighting between the […]

Humanity’s future depends on protecting the rapidly changing ocean

This article is published in association with United Nations.This article is published in association with United Nations. When US and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran on 28 February, triggering one of the most serious geopolitical crises in years, the Strait of Hormuz – a narrow channel just 34 kilometres wide at its narrowest point – became a global flashpoint overnight. Iran closed the waterway […]

Humanity’s future depends on protecting the rapidly changing ocean

This article is published in association with United Nations.This article is published in association with United Nations. The ocean covers more than 70 per cent of the planetand regulates climate, sustains biodiversity, and supports economies and cultures worldwide. It’s the foundation of life on Earth. However, it has been under duress for some time and going forward faces multiple threats which not only gravely […]

EU-Western Balkans Summit highlights enlargement as a strategic investment in Europe’s peace, stability and security

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council António Costa and President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola joined leaders from Member States and the six Western Balkan partners at the EU-Western Balkans Summit. The Summit was […]

Lebanon crisis: Needs soar as UN launches new funding appeal

© WFP/Marco Frattini Aid is distributed to displaced families in northern Lebanon.This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN in Lebanon appealed for an additional $331.5 million on Friday to help 1.4 million people in crisis as already massive needs continue to grow, three months since deadly violence erupted between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces. “Humanitarian needs are soaring with each day of the […]

Italy: The EIB and Roma Capitale sign an advisory agreement to develop affordable housing

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.This article is published in association with European Investment Bank. The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Roma Capitale have signed an advisory agreement to support the development of the city’s Social Residential Housing Plan (ERS). The agreement was signed at the Campidoglio by EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti and the Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri. The EIB’s […]

Developing countries get more support for climate action as EIB reaches first agreement with UN Green Climate Fund

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.This article is published in association with European Investment Bank. Climate action in emerging markets will get a boost as a result of the first financing agreement between the United Nations Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). The accord enables the GCF to commit €200 million to a new flagship European Union […]

Commission decides to refer France to the Court of Justice of the European Union over restrictions on veterinary companies and vets that violate EU law

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission decided to refer France to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to comply with the rules on the freedom of establishment and the free movement of services, as set out in the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union (TFEU) […]

Commission decides to refer Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to comply with the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive regarding peat cutting projects  

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission decided to refer Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to comply with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive (Directive 2011/92/EU as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU). Under the Directive, Member States are required to carry out an […]

Commission adopts temporary adjustments to Basel III Market Risk Rules to safeguard EU banks’ competitiveness

European Commission issues €11 billion in its 2nd syndicated transaction of 2026This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. To ensure that the EU banking sector benefits from a level playing field with international competitors, the European Commission has today introduced targeted, time-limited amendments to its implementation of the new market risk capital framework for banks. The measures will apply for three years […]

June infringements package: key decisions

This article is brought to you in association with the European Economic and Social Committee.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Overview by policy area In its regular package of infringement decisions, the European Commission takes legal action against Member States that fail to comply with their obligations under EU law. These decisions, covering various EU policy areas, aim to ensure the proper application of […]

Undeclared chemical weapons found in Syria, including type used in notorious Ghouta massacre

© UNICEF/Amer Almohibany Destroyed buildings in Harasta, Ghouta. A suburb of Damascus, Ghouta was the site of a deadly chemical weapons attack in August 2013.This article is published in association with United Nations. Chemical weapons inspectors have uncovered a significant cache of previously undeclared chemical weapons in Syria – including rockets of the same type used in the notorious 2013 Ghouta attack – in what the UN’s top disarmament official called a “momentous discovery” for international security. Izumi Nakamitsu briefed […]

Ukraine: MEPs welcome reform efforts amid ongoing war 

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. MEPs are encouraged by the EU accession-related reforms carried out by Ukraine’s government, and insist Ukrainians should determine the conditions for peace with Russia. On Wednesday, the Foreign Affairs Committee adopted, by 54 votes in favour, 17 against, and with 5 abstentions, a report […]

2026 Justice Scoreboard highlights importance of effective justice systems for EU competitiveness and Single Market

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission published the fourteenth edition of the EU Justice Scoreboard, an annual report providing comparative data on the efficiency, quality, and independence of the justice systems among EU Member States. The 2026 edition shows an improved perception of the independence and […]
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