European Union

European Council President António Costa debriefed the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg on the discussions held during the European Council meeting of 26 June 2025.

The Council today opened a new excessive deficit procedure (EDP) concerning Austria, and revised Romania’s net expenditure path, in view of its lack of effective action.

On 24-25 November 2025, the leaders of the European Union member states and the countries of the African Union will meet in Luanda, Angola for the seventh EU-African Union summit. This multilateral summit will be co-chaired by the President of Angola, João Lourenço, and the President of the European Council, António Costa. The EU will also be represented by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

The Council today approved the final three legal acts required for Bulgaria to introduce the euro on 1 January 2026.

Council extends EUTM RCA until 19 September 2026.

The Council today activated the national escape clause under the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) for 15 member states to help facilitate their transition to higher defence spending at national level while ensuring debt sustainability.

The Council adopted a first bilateral assistance measure worth €12 million under the EPF to strengthen the operational readiness of the Armed Forces of Cabo Verde.

Today, the Council adopted the 2025 country-specific recommendations for each member state.

The Council approved the Commission’s positive assessment of the amended recovery and resilience plans submitted by Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Germany and Ireland.

Council extends EUTM RCA until 19 September 2026 and the Regional Advisory and Coordination Cell (RACC) within EUCAP Sahel Mali until 31 January 2026.

The Council adopted a first bilateral assistance measure worth €10 million under the EPF to strengthen the operational readiness of the Armed Forces of Senegal.

The press briefing ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) will take place on Thursday, 10 July 2025 at 14.00.

Press briefing ahead of the upcoming Agriculture and Fisheries Council will take place on 9 July 2025 at 14.00.

Written by Polona Car (3rd edition, updated on 10.07.2025).

Russia’s war against Ukraine has revealed the extent of our dependency on digital technology and the fragility of the digital space. It has triggered a surge in cyberattacks that have been particularly disruptive when targeting critical infrastructure – such as energy, health or finance – because of the increasing reliance on information technology, rendering this infrastructure all the more vulnerable.

Against this backdrop, the Commission has proposed a regulation on a cyber solidarity act that would address the urgent need to strengthen solidarity and EU capacities to detect, prepare for and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents. The proposed regulation envisages the establishment of a framework based on three pillars. The first is a European cyber shield – a platform of national and cross-border security operations centres. The second is a cybersecurity emergency mechanism that would support – including financially – preparedness, response and mutual assistance actions among Member States by creating a European cybersecurity reserve of trusted providers. The third is a cybersecurity incident review mechanism to assess and review significant or large-scale incidents.

The Cyber Solidarity Act was published in the EU’s Official Journal on 15 January 2025. It entered into force on 4 February 2025 and became binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Complete version

• July 2025: ‘Cyber solidarity act‘ (3rd edition)

Measures to strengthen solidarity and capacities in the Union to detect, prepare for and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidentsCommittee responsible:Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)COM(2023)0209
18.4.2023Rapporteur:Lina Gálvez Muñoz (S&D, Spain)2023/0109(COD)Shadow rapporteurs:Angelika Niebler (EPP, Germany)
Bart Groothuis (Renew, The Netherlands)
Ville Niinistö (Greens/EFA, Finland)
Evžen Tošenovský (ECR, Czechia)Ordinary legislative
procedure (COD)
(Parliament and Council
on equal footing –
formerly ‘co-decision’)Next steps expected: Regulation (EU) 2025/38
OJ, 2025/38, 15.01.2025

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