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The EU has agreed to apply a fixed customs duty of €3 on small parcels valued at less than €150 entering the EU from 1 July 2026. This temporary measure addresses the fact that small parcels currently enter the EU duty free, leading to unfair competition for EU sellers and health and safety risks.

The European Parliament and Council have agreed on new EU circularity rules to cover the entire vehicle lifecycle, from design to end-of-life treatment. The new measures would mean that all new cars will be designed to allow the easy removal of as many parts and components as possible.

The European Parliament and Council have agreed on a complete revamp of EU pharmaceutical rules. The new measures will encourage innovation, increase access to medicines across the EU and help manage medicine shortages. The EU will also step up the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

An SME in Spain and a company in Germany have won gold in the EU Product Safety Awards. Deep Detection SL won for their PhotonAi Cameras in the SME category and allnex Germany GmbH won the large company award for its coating additives and resins that eliminate PFAS from their additives.

The Commission has proposed new initiatives to ensure affordable and clean energy across the EU. The so-called energy highways will address the most urgent infrastructure needs and improve connectivity in the Iberian Peninsula, Cyprus, the Baltic states, the Balkans, and South-East Europe.

In 2024, Listeria caused the highest proportion of hospitalisations among all foodborne infections reported in the EU. A new EU report warns this upward trend in infections can be attributed to Europe’s ageing population, increased consumption of ready-to-eat foods and improper food handling.

The European Commission will reinforce checks on food, animal and plant products entering the EU. Through increased checks at EU borders and in third countries, Europeans will continue to benefit from the highest levels of food safety.

On 7 December, we mark 25 years of the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. It guarantees fundamental rights for everyone in the EU, including fair working conditions, freedom of movement and speech, the right to vote, personal data protection, and access to education and healthcare.

The Council and European Parliament have reached a deal to postpone the application of the EU deforestation law and introduce further simplification measures. These will focus on reducing administrative burdens while preserving the objectives of the existing rules on deforestation-free products.

Zaragoza (Spain) has won the 2026 Access City Award, for its outstanding efforts to making the city accessible for persons with disabilities. Initiatives include accessible homes, a fully accessible tram network, extensive step-free pedestrian routes, and certified accessible websites and apps.

A deal has been reached to update protection rules for package holidaymakers. The updates will clarify the definition of a travel package, conditions for cancelling a trip and travellers’ rights to information, help and refund when their travel organiser goes bankrupt.

A deal has been struck on rules to phase out Russian gas imports to ensure an independent EU energy market. The rules introduce a gradual ban on both liquefied natural gas and pipeline gas imports from Russia, with a full ban from the end of 2026 and autumn 2027 respectively.

Around 87 million people in the EU have some form of disability. On International day of persons with disabilities, we speak to Donata Lerda, who lives with tetraplegia. She tells us how she lives with her condition and what she would like to see change for persons with disabilities.

The new Energy tracker app quantifies your carbon emissions from heating, electricity use and transport, and provides tailored recommendations on how to reduce your energy consumption. The EU-funded project, AURORA, developed the app which is available for Android and iOS systems.

The EU is to invest in 235 cross-border energy projects to strengthen energy connectivity across the continent. More than 100 projects focus on electricity, offshore and smart electricity grids, another hundred on hydrogen and electrolysers and the remainder on carbon capture and smart gas grids.

From today, Europe's glassblowers, potters, jewellers and other makers can register their product names under the EU's new geographical indication scheme for craft and industrial goods. This protection will safeguard traditional skills and help you recognise genuine, high-quality European products.

A deal has been struck to enable a more open and competitive EU payment services sector. The new rules will see payment service users better protected from online fraud and misuse of their data; more transparent fees and charges for payment services and better access to cash in remote areas.

Fake toys are poisoning, deafening and injuring children across Europe, while causing major losses to the EU economy. Twenty-six countries, coordinated by Europol, have taken down the producers and importers of more than 16 million counterfeit toys on EU markets in the last two years.

Europe is failing to test and treat HIV early, with over half (54%) of all diagnoses in 2024 being made too late for optimal treatment. A late diagnosis increases the risk of developing AIDS. Health authorities warn that this could jeopardise the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.