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The European Pillar of Social Rights helps to improve people's lives through better jobs, equal opportunities, quality working conditions and strong social protection. A communication has been published that looks at its impact and highlights three areas which require urgent additional attention.

The Commission has put forward the electrification action plan as part of the EU’s wider efforts to boost Europe’s competitiveness, decarbonisation and independence. The plan introduces measures to make electricity more competitive and to incentivise the use of electricity-based technologies.

The 2026 Rule of Law report shows how well the rule of law is holding up across the EU and 4 potential EU members: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. It finds that, while some challenges persist, there is continued progress in many EU countries, with many reforms completed or underway.

The EU is providing €20 million in humanitarian funding to help the most affected communities in Venezuela, following the recent earthquakes. Half of the funding will support the search and rescue, medical and other expert teams' operations, along with in-kind assistance deployed in the country.

A new survey shows that Europeans are overwhelmingly concerned about all the risks children face on social media. Cyberbullying and harassment top the list of concerns, worrying 71% of respondents. Europeans also call for more democratic participation, defence capabilities and renewable energy.

New EU measures will help farmers address the sharp increase in fertiliser and other input costs triggered by the recent crisis in the Middle East. They will allow EU countries to provide urgent and targeted financial support to farmers facing rising production costs and liquidity pressures.

Starting on 7 July 2026, all newly registered cars and vans in the EU will be subject to more advanced safety requirements. This is the latest phase in the rollout of EU vehicle safety rules under the General Safety Regulation, and will contribute to making Europe's roads safer.

The European Commission has presented a plan to address the risks and harness the opportunities of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity. It builds on existing EU rules and aims to strengthen the EU’s cybersecurity framework.

A new EU strategy for the livestock sector sets out actions to help farmers address current economic, environmental and market challenges. Based on five priority areas, including sustainability and competitiveness, the strategy aims to make the livestock sector more prosperous and resilient overall.

Updated EU social benefits rules ensure fair and clear access to social security for EU workers who live or work in another EU country. They update criteria on receiving unemployment, family and long-term care benefits and encourage EU countries to share information to help root out benefits fraud.

Both Portugal and France requested civil protection assistance from the EU last weekend following devastating local wildfires. In response, the EU mobilised several firefighting aircraft, ground teams and vehicles from Sweden, Cyprus, Italy and Spain to help emergency crews on the ground.

A new EU study has found that plastic is the only packaging material that is on the rise, growing by 11 percent between 2011 and 2025. The study looked at the use of all packaging materials including plastic, glass, paper and metals in 19 EU countries during this period.

To raise awareness about eliminating plastic bag use worldwide and promote eco-friendly reusable alternatives, we observe International Plastic Bag Free Day every 3 July. On this occasion, take a look at how EU rules are helping to drastically reduce the consumption and use of plastics.

Over 50 energy-related projects in the EU will receive €2.5 billion from an EU fund financed by revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System. The projects focus on renewable electricity generation, the modernisation of energy networks and energy efficiency.

On 1 July 2026, Ireland took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It will steer the work of the Council for the next six months. Learn more about its priorities and activities.

From 1 July 2026, the EU will introduce a temporary €3 customs duty on low-value parcels (worth up to €150) imported from outside the EU, mainly through e-commerce. This new measure aims to protect consumers, support businesses and ensure fair competition.

The Commission is deploying rescue teams and other emergency assistance to Venezuela following the strong earthquakes on 24 June. Eight EU countries are sending assistance through the EU civil protection mechanism. The Copernicus satellite service has also been activated to support the response.

EU countries have adopted two laws eliminating tariffs on US industrial goods, providing preferential access for certain US seafood and agricultural products and extending the suspension of duties on lobster imports. These commitments were made in the EU-US Joint Statement.

The European Commission has proposed measures to strengthen the EU’s response to an evolving criminal landscape that is becoming more sophisticated, international and digital. The capacities of EU agencies Europol and Eurojust will be reinforced to better fight crime and better protect EU citizens.