European Council

The Council of the European Union has identified the first five projects of common interest for the European defence industry. The move is part of EU efforts to strengthen European defence capabilities and industrial cooperation, encouraging member states to jointly develop and procure key military equipment.

The Council of the European Union has adopted the so-called pharma package, a major revision of the bloc's pharmaceutical legislation aimed at making the sector fairer and more competitive. The reform is intended to modernise rules on medicines' authorisation, availability and affordability across EU member states, and now forms part of the Union's wider health policy agenda.

Greece has announced plans to establish a European deportation centre in Africa during its EU Council presidency, which begins in summer 2027. The government says preparations are reportedly already underway. The proposal revives long-debated plans to process returns and deportations outside Europe, a highly contentious idea among EU member states, human rights groups and migration experts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has delivered a speech to the UN Security Council during the General Assembly, with footage of the address now circulating widely. The speech covers Russia's war against Ukraine and is drawing attention alongside related debates on NATO, European security and Poland's role in the conflict.

The Council of the European Union has announced measures to strengthen the EU's architecture for responding to threats in space. The move reinforces how the bloc detects, assesses and reacts to hazards to its space assets and services, reflecting growing concern among member states over the security of satellites and space infrastructure that underpin communications, navigation and other critical systems.

The Council of the European Union has decided to extend the mandate of EUBAM Rafah, the EU Border Assistance Mission at the Rafah crossing point, until 30 June 2027. The announcement was made by the European External Action Service. The mission concerns the monitoring of the crossing between Gaza and Egypt, and the extension signals continued EU commitment to a border presence in the region.

A Council of Europe delegation is visiting Warsaw for talks with Polish authorities on the execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments, focusing on the rule of law and on abortion. The discussions concern how Poland implements court rulings, including the near-total abortion ban and judgments related to judicial independence. The visit highlights continued international pressure on Poland to comply with Strasbourg's decisions.

Boris Vujcic, a member of the European Central Bank's governing council and Croatia's central bank governor, said energy prices will remain elevated for an extended period, warning of persistent pressure on inflation and the eurozone economy. His remarks come as policymakers weigh how long to keep interest rates restrictive amid uncertain energy costs and uneven growth across the region.

Iran has called on the UN Security Council to examine the role of European countries in the ongoing war. The appeal, reported by Iranian state media, frames European involvement as a matter requiring international scrutiny. The specifics of what role Iran attributes to European powers remain unclear, and there has been no immediate public response from the European governments concerned or from the Security Council itself.

The Council of the EU is raising the question of whether Europe needs its own payment system, prompting discussion about reducing reliance on foreign card networks and payment providers. The debate touches on European strategic autonomy, the future of the euro in digital payments, and initiatives such as a potential European payment solution that could compete with dominant international schemes.

Boris Vujcic, a governor of Croatia's central bank and member of the European Central Bank's governing council, has warned that rising diesel prices could feed through into broader inflation. The comments come as energy costs remain a sensitive input for eurozone price pressures. Beyond the Reuters headline, the posts collected do not show detailed discussion, so the fuller reasoning behind the warning is not clear from the available evidence.

The Council of Europe's anti-corruption body GRECO has published summaries of compliance reports evaluating how Denmark, Hungary, Türkiye and Ukraine have implemented its anti-corruption recommendations. The assessments cover areas such as judicial independence, prevention of corruption among public officials, and transparency, offering the latest picture of each country's progress in meeting the group's standards.

Prince Albert II of Monaco and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, alongside Martins Seguro of Portugal, are set to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The two heads of state will deliver speeches to assembled parliamentarians in Strasbourg, an honour reserved for prominent European leaders on matters of shared concern.

The Council of the European Union has given its final approval to updated rules on social security coordination, which determine how workers' pension, unemployment and other benefits are handled when people move between EU member states. The update modernises a framework that affects millions of cross-border workers, students and families across the union, aligning it with current employment patterns.

The Council of the EU has appointed new prosecutors for Germany and Slovenia to serve at the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the body that investigates and prosecutes crimes against the EU's financial interests such as fraud and corruption affecting EU funds. The appointments fill key national posts within the office, which operates across participating member states.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran says its supporters mobilized during the UN General Assembly in New York and held demonstrations across several European cities, as part of its ongoing campaign against the Iranian government. The group frames the rallies as showing international backing for its opposition movement.