European Union

Bervidi
Social policy
Discrimination at work: the rights of persons with disabilities to protection against indirect discrimination extend to parents of children with disabilities

MSIG
Principle ne bis in idem: a person cannot be prosecuted in one Member State for an act of terrorism for which he or she has already been convicted in another Member State, even though the offence has a different classification in each of those Member States

Banco Santander
Freedom of movement for persons
Banco Popular: the rights arising from actions for a declaration of nullity and for damages brought before the resolution of that bank are enforceable against Banco Santander

Austria v Commission
State aid
The Court of Justice annuls the Commission’s decision to approve aid from Hungary for the Paks II nuclear power station

In today's edition: UTPs, young fishers, forests

Written by Pieter Baert.

CONTEXT

On 16 July 2025, the European Commission proposed a revision to the Tobacco Taxation Directive, alongside modifications to the general Excise Duty Directive. The aim is to restore the effectiveness of EU-wide minimum tax rates on tobacco products and extend their scope to cover new product types. The initiative aims to support the EU’s goal of a tobacco-free generation by 2040, recognising taxation as a key tool in reducing tobacco use.

LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL

2025/580 (CNS) – Proposal for a Council Directive on the structure and rates of excise duty applied to tobacco and tobacco related products (recast) – COM(2025) 580, 16.07.2025

2025/0581(CNS) – Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive (EU) 2020/262 as regards the general arrangements for excise duty in respect of tobacco and tobacco related products – COM(2025) 581, 16.07.2025

NEXT STEPS IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

For the latest developments in this legislative procedure, see the Legislative Train Schedule:

• 2025/0581(CNS)
• 2025/580(CNS)

Read the complete briefing on ‘Revision of the Tobacco Taxation Directive‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

In today's edition: State of the Union, obesity, Novo Nordisk job cuts

Thursday 11 September

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Thursday 11 September

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Writtten by Anna Caprile and Tim Peters with Ana Luisa Melo Almeida.

One of the first, and boldest, measures taken by Western countries as a response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was the immobilisation of the Russian central bank assets held under their jurisdictions, the value of which could be around €300 billion worldwide, according to recent estimations.

As the war is well into its fourth year, the debate on how to use the immobilised assets to sustain Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts – a cost estimated at US$524 billion – has evolved. A growing number of international legal experts and prominent political figures have defended the lawfulness of confiscating Russian central bank assets to sustain Ukraine, both for financing reconstruction efforts and military expenses, despite these assets being protected by state immunity. However, opinions among legal scholars differ significantly, as do the positions of the governments in whose countries these assets are held.

G7 countries reached an agreement in October 2024 on using the extraordinary revenues generated by those assets to service and repay a US$50 billion G7 loan to Ukraine, while the complex debate on the legality and related risks on the use of the principal capital continues. In the absence of a clear precedent or an uncontested legal basis, political considerations, such as US policy shifts, and calculations over the economic and financial risks incurred will play a decisive role in this debate. Notably, this subject was on the agenda, for the first time, of the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen on 29-30 August 2025.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Confiscation of immobilised Russian sovereign assets: State of play, arguments and scenarios‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Frozen Russian Assets

MEPs want a bigger stand-alone post-2027 agriculture budget, with less red tape for farmers and incentives to achieve environmental and social objectives.
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

MEPs want a bigger stand-alone post-2027 agriculture budget, with less red tape for farmers and incentives to achieve environmental and social objectives.
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On Wednesday, Parliament has given its final green light to changes in EU cohesion and social funding in response to new challenges and EU priorities.
Committee on Regional Development

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On Wednesday, Parliament has given its final green light to changes in EU cohesion and social funding in response to new challenges and EU priorities.
Committee on Regional Development

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

In the annual State of the European Union debate, MEPs quizzed President von der Leyen on the Commission’s work since the beginning of its new mandate and its upcoming plans.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

In the annual State of the European Union debate, MEPs quizzed President von der Leyen on the Commission’s work since the beginning of its new mandate and its upcoming plans.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The changes to the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) are part of simplification efforts to reduce the administrative burden for SMEs and occasional importers.
Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The changes to the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) are part of simplification efforts to reduce the administrative burden for SMEs and occasional importers.
Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

L'Éthiopie s'apprête a inauguré un méga barrage qui a attisé les tensions avec l'Égypte.

Positive Group v Council
Common foreign and security policy
War in Ukraine: the General Court upholds the restrictive measures against Positive Group PAO, an entity operating in the Russian IT sector with a license issued by Russia’s domestic intelligence services