This review highlights the main meetings and events in the EU institutions on a weekly basis, and alerts readers to articles of interest on EU developments. It provides a European perspective on political and policy developments within the European Union. To view EU Reviews published before July 2026, click here.  

Compiled by Aoibhín Dolan

13 – 19 July 2026

Activities in European Institutions

European Commission

The Commission Publishes the 2026 Rule of Law Report

The European Commission, on Friday, 17 July 2026, published their seventh annual Rule of Law Report, which assesses all EU Member States, as well as four candidate countries (Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia) across four key areas of the rule of law: (i) justice systems, (ii) anti-corruption frameworks, (iii) media freedom and pluralism, and (iv) other institutional issues related to checks and balances. The Report sits at the centre of the annual Rule of Law Cycle, which serves to promote the rule of law and aims to prevent the emergence or deepening of problems.

According to the Commission, the 2026 Report confirms a broadly positive trajectory. For example, several Member States have developed new anti-corruption strategies and strengthened their institutional capacity to fight corruption. Across the four pillars, the Report emphasises the impact of the rule of law for the functioning of the Single Market and the operating environment for businesses. 

Second Meeting of the Palestine Donor Group (PDG)

The European Commission convened the second meeting of the Palestine Donor Group (PDG), on Monday, 13 July 2026. Sixty-five delegations gathered in Brussels for the launch of a new initiative for early recovery in Gaza and discussed the Palestinian Authority's Reform Agenda. The meeting was co-chaired by Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, and the Palestinian Authority's (PA) Prime Minister, Mohammad Mustafa. The aim of the meeting was to deliver on two key outcomes: (i) increased financial pledges through the PEGASE mechanism and (ii) the launch of the Team Gaza Initiative. This initiative is rooted in the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment for Gaza (April 2026) released by the EU, the UN, and the World Bank.

European Parliament

Meeting of the Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights

The Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) met in Brussels on Wednesday, 15 July 2026, to debate a range of global human rights issues: (i) Members considered a draft report on the EU’s external action on AI and human rights, (ii) reviewed the worsening human rights situation in Guinea-Bissau following the 2025 coup, (iii) discussed EU support for the International Criminal Court (ICC), (iv) examined violence against women and girls in the context of surrogacy, (v) assessed the protection of civilians in the conflict in Lebanon, and (vi) followed up on efforts to combat transnational repression of human rights defenders. Moreover, members took part in a workshop dedicated to human control and AI-enabled military systems explored human rights risks, accountability, and policy options.

EU-India Cooperation on Digital Technology

The EU and India held the third meeting of their Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Brussels on Wednesday, 15 July 2026, with the aim to reaffirming the TTC as a central platform for cooperation on trade, technology, and security. First announced by the European Commission in April 2022, and launched in February 2023, it is the EU's second such endeavour after the one with the United States. In the context of the growing ambition of the EU-India strategic partnership, both sides agreed to focus on strengthening strategic value chains and deepening business engagement. Moreover, the partners committed to finalising the upgrade of the TTC by the end of 2026, as foreseen in the Joint EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda; adopted at the 16th EU-India Summit in January 2026. In this meeting, the EU and India agreed to collaborate in areas such as increased cooperation on semiconductors, high-performance computing, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, and 6G; as well as starting formal negotiations on India's association to Horizon Europe.

Council of the EU

Council Appoints New Head of Mission of EULEX Kosovo

Mr. Antero Alfarela Oliveira Lopes was appointed by the Council as Head of Mission of the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX Kosovo) on Wednesday, 15 July 2026. The initial mandate will last for a duration of 10 months, beginning on 10 August 2026. The Mission supports selected rule of law institutions in Kosovo on their path towards increased effectiveness, sustainability, multi-ethnicity and accountability, free from political interference and in full compliance with international human rights standards and European best practices. It was launched in 2008 as the largest civilian mission under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). In line with its current mandate, EULEX Kosovo carries out monitoring, mentoring, and advising activities and has limited executive responsibilities with its Formed Police Unit (FPU). 

EU Comprehensive Association Agreement with Andorra and San Marino

On Thursday, 16 July 2026, the Council authorised the signature and provisional application of the comprehensive association agreement between the EU and Andorra and San Marino. The association agreement will establish a framework to develop and promote dialogue and cooperation in areas of common interest, such as research and development, the environment, education and culture or regional cooperation. However, the key elements of the agreement include: (i) the participation of the two countries to a homogenous extended internal market under equal conditions of competition and respect for the same rules as Member States and (ii) access to the internal market in this area will be progressive and will depend on a successful audit of the robustness of the two countries' regulatory and supervisory frameworks.

Other News

State of Play on EU Support for Ukraine

There have been various developments related to the EU’s ongoing support for Ukraine this week, from the accession conference to defence and the extension of protection status. Firstly, on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, the EU held accession conferences with four candidate countries: Ukraine, Montenegro, Moldova, and Albania. At the third EU-Ukraine accession conference, the parties opened negotiations on cluster 6 (external relations), which covers two negotiating chapters: external relations (chapter 30) and foreign, security and defence policy (chapter 31). Secondly, on Wednesday, 15 July, the Commission and Ukraine signed a new defence industrial partnership, and the Commission launched the EU–Ukraine Drone Deal to deepen cooperation on drone and counter-drone technologies. Moreover, Member States agreed to extend the temporary protection status granted to those fleeing Ukraine until 4 March 2028. Finally, on Friday, 17 July, the Council decided to impose restrictive measures on one individual and five entities that form part of the Russian military-industrial complex. All five listed entities are part of the ABS Electro Group of companies, which develops and manufactures electronic and radio-electronic components needed for drone warfare.

Articles/Speeches of Interest

• Hungarian president fires himself, bowing out under pressure from Magyar (POLITICO EU)
• International flights set to pay carbon costs under EU’s carbon market review from 2029 (Euronews)
• Ukrainian soldiers criticise removal of popular defence minister (BBC)
• How can the EU rebuild Gaza while trading with illegal settlements? (Euractiv)
• Brussels warns dialogue with China ‘will not suffice’ (Euronews)

6 – 12 July 2026

Activities in European Institutions

European Commission

Meta Breaches Digital Services Act for the Addictive Design of their Social Media Apps

The Commission preliminarily found Meta in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA) for the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook. The investigation focuses on features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and the platforms' highly personalised recommender systems. Moreover, the research indicates that Meta did not adequately assess the risks of its addictive design on the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors and vulnerable adults. Moreover, it states that risk mitigation measures such as time management tools, parental controls, and awareness-raising measures have lacked in their effectiveness. Meta now has the possibility to exercise its right to defence. If the Commission's views are ultimately confirmed, the Commission may issue a non-compliance decision, which can trigger a fine proportionate to the nature, gravity, recurrence and duration of the infringement, capped at 6% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the provider.

Commission’s Guidance to Strengthen Resilience of Critical Infrastructure

On Friday, 10 July 2026, the European Commission adopted a Communication which provides non-binding guidance on technical, security, and organisational measures to strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure against natural and man-made risks The Communication offers practical guidance and recommendations to help address all hazards that could lead to disruptive incidents, including cross-sectoral or cross-border risks, accidents, natural disasters, public health emergencies, drone attacks, hybrid threats and other antagonistic threats. The guidelines are intended to support Member States in implementing the Critical Entities Resilience Directive and were identified as a key action under the EU Action Plan on Drone and Counter-Drone Security.

European Parliament

Taoiseach Sets Out Ireland’s EU Presidency Priorities at the European Parliament

On Tuesday, 7 July 2026, Roberta Metsola, European Parliament President, welcomed Taoiseach Micheál Martin to set out Ireland’s EU Presidency Priorities. These priorities are: EU Competitiveness, Values, and Security, and the Presidency will be guided by the principle of “strength with unity”. On competitiveness, Mr Martin noted that the Presidency will work to eliminate barriers, tackle unnecessary regulatory burdens, and boost internal market trade. Regarding values, the Taoiseach said that Ireland will aim to complete accession negotiations with Montenegro and make progress with other candidate countries. Moreover, The Irish Presidency will, the Taoiseach said, continue to support EU efforts toward achieving stability in Lebanon, Syria, and the wider Gulf region, as well as reaffirming the EU’s long-standing commitment to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. On security, he said the Presidency would continue its unwavering support for Ukraine. Additionally, the Presidency plans to support deep collaboration to build European resilience, particularly in the face of sophisticated hybrid threats, and to advance maritime and cyber security.

Parliament Votes on Online Privacy Rules in relation to Detecting Child Sexual Abuse

The European Parliament adopted amendments on Thursday, 9 July 2026, to a proposed temporary extension of an exemption to EU privacy rules, the ePrivacy Directive, that would allow electronic communications providers to voluntarily detect online child sexual abuse, while seeking to exempt end-to-end encrypted communications, such as WhatsApp, from the measure. At this stage in the process (EP second reading), an absolute majority of MEPs - currently 360 – was needed to reject or amend the Council position. Negotiations on a permanent legislative framework remain ongoing. Most elements of the proposed law were agreed during the Cyprus Presidency in the first half of 2026, with discussions continuing on several outstanding issues, according to the European Parliament.

Council of the EU

EU Ocean Act Conference in Wexford, Ireland

The Irish Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment organised the EU Ocean Act Conference in Wexford on 7-8 July 2026 at which delegates met with senior representatives of Government and discussed the draft European Ocean Act, a forthcoming EU law, planned for 2027, designed to unify ocean-related policies, strengthen maritime spatial planning, and promote sustainable use of marine resources. The EU Ocean Act represents a strategic opportunity for the Union to establish a comprehensive and legally binding framework for ocean governance, covering areas such as the blue economy, ocean science, transparent monitoring, and protection of marine ecosystems.

Informal Meeting of Competitiveness Ministers in Dublin, Ireland

An informal meeting of the Competitiveness (COMPET) Council (Internal Market and Industry) on 9-10 July 2026 in Dublin was chaired by Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, and was attended by EU competitiveness ministers from the other 26 Member States, as well the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Discussions focused on critical issues, including implementation of the “One Europe, One Market” agenda to accelerate EU-wide improvements and strengthen the Single Market, particularly through the removal of barriers affecting SMEs engaged in cross-border transactions and digital services.

Other News

The Parliament Adopts a Motion on Humanitarian Aid

On Thursday, 9 July 2026, the European Parliament’s Committee on Development (DEVE) adopted a motion for a resolution on the joint communication on humanitarian aid, published by the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on Wednesday, 27 May 2026, entitled “Defending values, driving reform, delivering impact: the EU’s humanitarian action in a shifting global order”. In this motion, firstly, the Parliament condemned the obstruction of humanitarian aid; the delivery of humanitarian aid to advance military agendas; and the politicisation of humanitarian aid. Moreover, MEPs said the Commission and EU Member States should unequivocally condemn the killing of humanitarian workers and invest in the investigations and prosecution of perpetrators. Finally, the resolution reflected Parliament’s concerns about the global humanitarian and development funding crisis and the need for EU leadership.

Articles/Speeches of Interest

• How Europe can win the (economic) World Cup (Euractiv)
• Europe’s economy is a mess. Its stock markets are a steal (The Economist)
• Nine European countries and Ukraine form anti-ballistic missile coalition (Euronews)
• Department of Justice accused Government of ‘knowingly under-resourcing’ EU presidency budget (The Irish Times)
• Kremlin accuses EU of canceling Russian culture after budget cuts to Venice Biennale (POLITICO EU)

29 June – 5 July 2026

Activities in European Institutions

European Commission

New Initiative for “Fairer Competition” and “Consumer Protection”: A €3 Customs Duty on Non-EU Low-Value Parcels

The EU introduced a temporary €3 customs duty on low-value parcels, up to €150, imported from outside the EU on Wednesday, 1 July 2026. These new measures are a responsibility of the seller or importer and aim to help create fairer competition for EU businesses, better protect consumers from unsafe products, tackle customs fraud, and address environmental concerns over mass shipping. The new customs duty will apply per tariff classification rather than per product quantity. For example, if two consumers each purchase five products from an e-commerce website, and the first consumer buys five T-shirts, a single €3 customs duty will apply because all items fall under the same tariff classification. However, if the second consumer buys three T-shirts and two watches, a €6 customs duty will apply because T-shirts and watches fall under two different tariff classifications.

President von der Leyen meets with Leaders from Azerbaijan and Armenia

In the context of developing the EU’s strategic engagement with the two former rivals in the South Caucasus, European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, met with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, and with the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, on Thursday, 2 July 2026, in Yerevan, Armenia.This was President von der Leyen’s first visit since Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to make peace after decades of war over Karabakh and first visit to Baku since 2022, when the EU and Azerbaijan signed their strategic energy partnership as Europe moved away from Russian energy and needed urgent alternative gas supplies. In the President’s statement in Armenia, she announced a “€200 million Global Gateway package for peace through connectivity”. She stated that with the EU’s financial partners, the Union aims to mobilise up to €2 billion for strategic transport, energy, and digital projects all across the South Caucasus.

European Parliament

EU Citizen’s Opinions towards the EU: EP Eurobarometer Survey Spring 2026

The EP published the results, on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, for the Spring 2026 Eurobarometer survey, which gauges how citizens perceive the quality of life in the EU. The survey was conducted face to face and with video interviews (CAVI) carried out between 9 April and 4 May 2026 in all 27 EU Member States. A total of 26,421 interviews were conducted, and results were weighted according to the size of the population. Firstly, 74% of Europeans view EU membership as beneficial. This is the highest result ever recorded in a Eurobarometer survey for this question since it was first asked in 1983, only matched before in 2025. However, recent global developments have heightened the pessimistic outlook Europeans have on the future of the world: 58% are pessimistic (versus 38% optimistic) and 73% want the Union to have more means to face global challenges. In this context, a large majority of Europeans would like Member States to be more united and said the EU should promote respect for international law by all countries (both 90%).

EU Law Tracker Gains EU Institutions an Ombudsman Award

EU institutions won the 2026 Ombudsman Award for Excellence in Open Administration for user-friendly EU Law Tracker on Tuesday, 30 June 2026. The EU Law Tracker, launched by the three institutions, in cooperation with the Publications Office, is a user-friendly online tool that brings together key legislative information in one place. According to the EU, the primary goal of the EU Law Tracker is transparency and traceability of laws for the general public, as it consolidates available information into one user-friendly timeline. Following technical finalisation in late 2025 / early 2026, the tool is now being rolled out broadly across all official EU languages.

Council of the EU

The Demographic Dimension of Europe’s Housing Crisis

The conclusions of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) on Monday, 29 June 2026, recognised that housing is a cross-cutting issue relating to broader societal factors such as social inclusion, family formation, environmental sustainability, and labour mobility. While acknowledging that housing is primarily a Member State competence, the Council invites the Commission to continue supporting member states’ efforts to improve access to suitable and affordable housing. In its conclusions, the Council noted that the housing crisis is having a disproportionate effect on certain groups, such as young people, older persons, persons with disabilities, families with children, low- and middle-income households, and essential workers.

Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU

On Wednesday, 1 July 2026, the Official Opening Ceremony for Ireland’s eighth term holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU took place in Dublin Castle. Ireland took on the Presidency role from Cyprus and will pass the role onto Lithuania on 1 January 2027. Members of the Irish Government, including An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, An Tánaiste, Simon Harris, Minister Helen McEntee, Minister Seán Canney and Minister Thomas Byrne welcomed the occasion. The opening ceremony included a flag raising ceremony led by the Irish Defence Forces. The Irish National Anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann, was performed by the Defence Forces band and the Dublin Youth Choir. They also performed the EU anthem, Ode to Joy, in Ukrainian, Irish, English, and German. MC Carrie Crowley, Irish actress and former broadcaster, introduced various cultural performances as well. The President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, also gave speeches at the ceremony.

Additionally, the College of Commissioners met with members of the Irish Government from the 2-3 July 2026 in County Cork. The visit’s objective was to provide an opportunity for strategic engagement between the European Commission and the Irish Presidency at the outset of the term. Discussions focus on key EU policy areas linked to the priorities of the Presidency and conclude with a plenary session chaired by An Taoiseach and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Other News

State of Play on Regulation of AI and the Digital Sphere

As part of the EU’s simplification agenda, the Council gave its final green light on a new law forming part of the Omnibus VII legislative package on Artificial Intelligence (AI). This regulation adds a new provision in the AI Act, prohibiting AI practices regarding the generation of non-consensual sexual and intimate content or child sexual abuse material (CSAM). AI systems that generate nude images of real people or edit clothes out in existing photos to reveal intimate parts are set to be banned as of December 2026.

Furthermore, the Council has approved conclusions, based on a report by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), calling on EU countries and the Commission to improve protection for girls and young women in the digital sphere. Ministers demand more effective measures to prevent and combat the various forms of online abuse, including cyberstalking, online harassment, non-consensual image sharing, and sexist hate speech. The recommended measures to combat cyber violence are available here.

Articles/Speeches of Interest

• How to navigate Ireland’s EU presidency policy agenda like a pro (POLITICO EU)
• Brussels pivots from climate mitigation to adaptation as heatwaves expose vulnerabilities (Euronews)
• Right, far right to govern Spain’s key Andalusia region (Euractiv)
• Why the EEAS is fighting for its future (POLITICO EU)
• Ryanair warns of queue chaos from new EU border system (BBC)