Overview   News

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with the Youth Advisory Board in Brussels on 22 July to discuss future EU policy priorities for young people. This second meeting was attended by over 30 members, including young representatives from EU National Youth Councils, the European Youth Forum, and observer youth organisations from candidate and potential candidate countries.

The European Commission has launched the Digital Product Passport Registry. The DPP will contain information on different products, such as their origin, reuse options, use instructions or regulatory compliance; usually available through a QR code or similar digital carrier. It will increase the transparency of supply chains and help consumers make informed choices.

On 22 July, the European Commission concluded the eligibility checks for the registration requests of two European Citizens' Initiatives (ECIs) entitled: ‘Stop Killing The Internet: No Digital ID & No Age Verification' and ‘Save Europe Act'.

European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva visited a sunny Dublin on 20-21 July, where she met startups, European Research Council-funded researchers and the leadership of University College Dublin. Discussions focused on making it easier for European companies and innovators to scale up through better access to capital, talent and markets.

On 22 July, the European Commission adopted a Communication on the European Pillar of Social Rights, confirming that the Pillar remains the EU's social shield and compass for fairness in an age of fast transformation, for a Europe that protects and empowers citizens. It identifies priorities for further action, sets out a strategy for managing structural change to ensure that Europe's social model continues to deliver fairness and prosperity.

Are you a farmer, data analyst, developer, researcher, entrepreneur, student, agri-food professional or policy expert from the EU? Sign up for the first ever EU Agri-Hackathon, individually or as part of a team, and develop practical and forward-looking digital tools to support the farmers of the future. Deadline for applications: 31 August.

The conflict in the Middle East has forced the EU to compete for supplies on global oil and gas markets, which have seen a significant reduction in supply and increased prices. The European Commission is working with Member States and industry to ensure that the implementation of the EU Regulation to reduce methane emissions in the energy sector will not undermine Europe's security of supply.

How should the European Union invest in its future? European Movement Ireland is inviting members of the public to take part in a national dialogue on the EU’s next long-term budget, known as the Multiannual Financial Framework. The discussion will explore what the next EU budget should focus on and give participants the opportunity to share their views on the issues they believe should receive greater investment.

European Commissioner Michael McGrath was in Washington DC, US, on 20-21 July for a series of high-level meetings with US authorities and legislators and civil society representatives. The visit focused on EU-US cooperation, the protection of consumers and children online and offline, judicial cooperation, and EU-US cooperation on data protection

The European Commission has published guidelines to assist providers and deployers of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in meeting the AI Act's transparency obligations, which start to apply on 2 August 2026. The guidelines will clarify which providers and deployers must comply with the transparency obligations, which will help people recognise when they are interacting with AI or when content has been generated or altered by AI.

AliExpress fell short of its obligation under the DSA to diligently assess the risk of dissemination of illegal, unsafe, or counterfeit products through its services in multiple ways and it failed to take effective measures to reduce the risk of dissemination of illegal products, resulting in a €550 million fine from the European Commission. AliExpress now has until 20 October 2026 to submit an action plan to the Commission.

The Commission has presented an Electrification Action Plan to make Europe the first electro-powered continent, and a stronger carbon market to support EU's industry in the clean transition and accelerate the electrification of energy-using sectors, notably industry, transport and buildings. Electrification comes with substantial benefits for the EU economy, businesses and citizens in terms of lower energy prices and competitiveness, stronger energy security and resilience.

The European Commission has published its seventh annual Rule of Law Report, assessing the state of the rule of law across all EU Member States, as well as four candidate countries: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. This year's Report confirms a broadly positive trajectory, showing continued progress in many Member States, with significant reforms completed or underway across all areas monitored under the report.

The European Commission has published guidance to support Member States in designing State aid schemes based on carbon contracts for difference, in compliance with the Guidelines on State aid for climate, environmental protection and energy. The aim is to support Member States in setting up such aid schemes, in line with EU rules.

The European Commission has updated rules for its ‘Blue Book traineeship' programme, establishing a modernised framework that makes the scheme more inclusive. For the first time, graduates from vocational education and training will be eligible to apply to the Commission's traineeship programme.

On Sunday, 19 July, new rules banning the destruction of unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) entered into application for large companies. Medium-sized companies are expected to follow in July 2030. These rules will support a more rational use of resources, reduce environmental damage and create a level playing field for companies.

The European Commission has registered two European Citizens' Initiatives: ‘All On Board - For your right to citizenship without borders' and ‘Right to Housing! Now and Forever'. The organisers have six months to secure the minimum number of signatures in at least seven Member States for the Commission to react and decide what action, if any, it will take in response to the initiatives.

The European Commission has adopted a Communication on the competitiveness of the EU banking sector. The objective is to build a more integrated, efficient, and competitive banking sector that can strengthen Europe's economy by financing growth, innovation, and strategic priorities to allow banks to deliver better services to households and businesses while preserving financial stability and sustainable growth.

Nearly two in three of both Irish and EU citizens (63%) want EU rules restricting children's access to social media by age, the new Eurobarometer survey released on 13 July found. More Irish people are in favour of the stricter measure "no access to social media below a certain age" (44% compared to an EU average of 36%), while 19% in Ireland prefer to keep the option for "delayed access" (27% in the EU).

The European Commission has accepted X’s action plan to comply with transparency obligations and researchers’ access to data, under the Digital Services Act. The approved measures represent an important step in enabling researchers, civil society and the public in general to gain more transparency into X’s systems, in particular to monitor X’s systemic risks and to assess the platform’s broader impact on its users and European society as a whole.