EU member states

France has suggested that fines imposed by the European Union on Google should be used to lower member states' contributions to the EU budget, according to Reuters. The proposal would redirect revenue from antitrust penalties against the US tech giant into the bloc's finances rather than national coffers. The idea is likely to fuel ongoing debates over how EU competition fines should be shared and spent.

The Council of Europe's anti-corruption body GRECO has published compliance summaries evaluating how Denmark, Hungary, Türkiye and Ukraine are meeting its anti-corruption recommendations. The reports assess each country's progress on issues such as judicial independence, transparency and the prevention of corruption among elected officials. Hungary and Türkiye have repeatedly drawn criticism in past evaluations, while Ukraine's compliance is closely watched amid its EU accession bid.

The European Commission has put forward a plan encouraging member states to offer citizens regular cardiovascular screenings starting at age 35, in response to heart disease remaining a leading cause of death in Europe. The proposal, discussed on French radio RMC's health programme, has sparked debate in France about prevention policies, access to free consultations, and how such exams would be organised in practice.

The European Commission has proposed new safeguards as the European Union weighs admitting new member states. The plan responds to concerns that enlargement could strain the bloc's institutions, budgets and decision-making. Details of the proposed measures remain limited, and the proposal now faces debate among member states and the European Parliament over how expansion should proceed.

Orange Business will build and operate the European Union's backbone network for trusted data exchange, a core piece of infrastructure intended to let public authorities and businesses across member states share sensitive data securely. The announcement was made by Orange, but details such as contract value, timeline and scope have not been disclosed.

The European Union has adopted new rules as part of a major customs reform, updating how goods are declared, assessed and controlled at its external borders. The changes are expected to affect importers, exporters and logistics companies across member states. Businesses and legal commentators are now assessing the compliance implications of the newly adopted framework.

Portugal, Slovakia and Norway have joined a European initiative to develop large-scale, cross-border testbeds for autonomous vehicles, bringing the number of participating countries to 22. Spain joined just last week. The expansion is formalised through a Joint Declaration of Intent, signalling growing European coordination on self-driving vehicle testing and regulation.

The Council of Europe has presented its updated Rule of Law Checklist to the European Parliament. The checklist is a practical tool used to assess the state of the rule of law in states and organisations. The presentation highlights ongoing cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European Parliament on strengthening rule of law standards across Europe.

Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg are lobbying the European Union to adopt an ambitious renewable energy target for 2040, according to a Reuters report. The three governments want the bloc to commit to a strong renewables goal as part of its next round of climate and energy legislation. The push signals member states forming coalitions ahead of formal EU negotiations on post-2030 climate policy.

Employment law firm Littler Mendelson has published guidance on short-term mobility provisions under the EU Blue Card, which now allow highly skilled non-EU workers holding the permit to travel and work in other EU member states for business purposes with fewer bureaucratic hurdles. The briefing highlights new opportunities for international companies deploying staff across Europe, and for professionals seeking cross-border assignments within the bloc.

EU enlargement policy is facing renewed scrutiny, with analysts arguing that the bloc must now make difficult decisions about admitting new members. The debate centres on whether the European Union can keep expanding without reforming its own institutions, as candidate countries in the Western Balkans, Ukraine and elsewhere wait for progress on their membership bids.

The European Union has given the green light to its first five joint defense projects designated as being of common interest. The move marks an early step in Brussels' push to get member states to cooperate more closely on military capability development, reduce duplicated national spending, and strengthen Europe's ability to act independently on security and defense.