Europe

On 29 April 2026, MEPs approved the first-ever EU-wide welfare standards for cats and dogs, covering breeding, housing, traceability, import and handling.

The European Commission unveiled on 17 April 2026 the first Action Plan under the Pact for the Mediterranean: 21 concrete initiatives across people, economy and security, including a Mediterranean University Initiative and a Firefighting Hub in Cyprus.

On 30 April 2026, MEPs voted a resolution calling for stronger and faster enforcement of the EU’s Digital Markets Act, with closer scrutiny of AI-driven search and cloud services from gatekeepers.

The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) became fully operational on 10 April 2026 across 29 European countries. Over 45 million border crossings have been registered, 24,000 entry refusals issued, and 600 security risks identified.

EU Parliament and Council negotiators agreed in late April 2026 to postpone certain high-risk AI Act provisions under the ‘digital omnibus’ proposal, while moving to ban ‘nudification’ apps.

Ursula von der Leyen confirmed on 29 April 2026 that the first €6 billion tranche of the EU’s €90 billion loan to Ukraine will be disbursed in Q2 and dedicated to Ukrainian-made drones.

After more than 20 years of talks, the EU-Mercosur interim trade agreement applies provisionally from 1 May 2026, creating a trade area of around 700 million consumers across both blocs.

The European Parliament voted on 28 April 2026 to set its negotiating position on the EU’s 2028-2034 long-term budget, pushing back against Commission proposals to centralise funds.

The European Parliament voted on 28 April 2026 to set its negotiating position on the EU’s 2028-2034 long-term budget, pushing back against Commission proposals to centralise funds.

What the Schengen Area is, who is in, what free movement covers, and why border-free travel keeps producing political debates across Europe.