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Following the Draghi and Letta reports, the Commission has published a proposal for a regulation on a European innovation act to boost investment in research and innovation in the EU by creating more opportunities for EU economic operators and facilitating the uptake of intellectual property assets for economic endeavours. The proposal centres on three main schemes: a new legal framework for research and development procurement; an EU preference within that framework; and a set of measures to improve ...

Almost one in four children in the European Union (EU) remains at risk of poverty or social exclusion (24.3 % or 19.3 million children in 2025), and this year's International Day for the Eradication of Poverty presents an opportunity to look at what the EU is doing to tackle child poverty. While responsibility for combating child poverty lies primarily with Member States, the EU supports and complements national efforts through policy coordination, legislation within its competences and financial ...

This paper examines Greece’s health system, highlighting significant progress alongside persistent challenges in healthcare access, workforce capacity, affordability and prevention. The paper also explores Greece’s emerging pharmaceutical manufacturing and innovation base, including the pharmaceutical hub and Vocational Training Academy in Tripoli, as an opportunity to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in critical medicines. This document was prepared by the Policy Department for Transformation ...

During the October II session, question time with the Commission will focus on new merger guidelines, expected to be published later this year to reflect recent trends, such as digitalisation, globalisation and decarbonisation, notably by making it easier for companies to scale up and by fostering innovation. The guidelines will mark another step in the recent evolution of competition policy to make it more compatible with EU goals on competitiveness, climate change, innovation and strategic autonomy ...

This briefing explains the difference between directives, regulations and decisions and which legal bases in the EU Treaties require which type of legal act. It identifies legal bases that mandate directives, regulations or decisions, as well as those which give the law-maker freedom of choice. It also addresses the criteria for choosing between the possible options.

As Israelis head to the polls on 27 October 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting political and legal pressures, including domestic corruption charges and an International Criminal Court arrest warrant. His coalition of right-wing and religious parties confronts a fragmented opposition, whose leading challenger is former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.Polls predict another parliamentary stalemate short of the required 61-seat majority, while mainstream Jewish opposition parties still ...

The original full study examines the substantive issues at stake at the UN Climate Change Conference COP31, hosted by Türkiye in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026, with Australia serving as President of Negotiations. It covers five flagship negotiation issues: climate finance, the fossil-fuel transition, Loss and Damage, the Paris Agreement Article 6 carbon markets and climate governance, and the sectoral frontier towards clean transition (shipping, aviation, hydrogen, carbon dioxide removal and ...

Europe’s defence build-up raises questions about its economic effects, the pressure it puts on public finances, and how it should be funded. Using annual data for the EU27 over 1995–2025, we study how economies respond to changes in defence spending and how these effects spill across borders. The boost to output is moderate and short-lived, while there is little evidence of lasting gains in productivity, innovation, or productive capacity. If past financing patterns continue, a permanent increase ...

The state of EU-US defence cooperation is evolving amid growing uncertainty over Washington's long-term security commitments to Europe. It examines how the Trump administration's 2025 National Security Strategy and 2026 National Defense Strategy prioritise allied burden‑sharing, strategic competition with China, and a reduced US conventional role in Europe. There are persistent asymmetries in transatlantic defence industrial relations, including Europe's reliance on US military capabilities and equipment ...