EU institutions, Brussels, Strasbourg, common policies
MEPs voted in plenary in late April 2026 on the European Parliament’s negotiating position for the 2028-2034 EU long-term budget, demanding higher resources for defence, climate and competitiveness.
The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism began charging fees in January 2026. The Commission’s review proposes expansion to downstream products and impacts global carbon pricing adoption.
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and South Korean Minister Yeo Han-koo deepened cooperation on semiconductors, batteries, critical raw materials and digital trust in April 2026 talks.
The General Data Protection Regulation marked its 10th anniversary on 27 April 2026. A decade of enforcement has reshaped global privacy norms but exposed persistent gaps.
The European Commission found Meta’s Instagram and Facebook in preliminary breach of the Digital Services Act on 29 April 2026 for failing to prevent under-13s from accessing their platforms.
The EU-Mercosur trade agreement begins provisional application on 1 May 2026, opening tariff cuts on cars, pharmaceuticals and agri-food across Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum becomes fully operational on 12 June 2026. Member states must contribute through 21,000 relocations, €420 million in payments or operational support. Italy, Greece, Spain and Cyprus get priority.
Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos confirmed in late April 2026 that Montenegro and Albania are the frontrunners for the next EU accession wave. Montenegro targets 2028 membership; Albania aims to finish negotiations by 2027.
MEPs voted on 30 April 2026 in favour of a draft report calling on the Commission to propose EU-wide legislation defining rape based on the absence of freely given consent.
The REPowerEU regulation banning Russian gas imports took its first hard effect on 25 April 2026: short-term LNG contracts prohibited. Pipeline gas follows on 17 June. Full LNG ban end-2026, pipeline ban autumn 2027.