EUROGROUP,COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT,update

 

Press material Friday, 11 September 2026

● Eurogroup   11/09/2026 12:08 | Media advisory | Press briefing - Eurogroup meeting of 18 September 2026   The press briefing ahead of the Eurogroup meeting of 18 September 2026 will take place on Wednesday, 16 September at 14.00. The briefing will be "off the record" and will be given by Tuomas Saarenheimo, President of the Eurogroup Working Group. The press briefing will take place in a hybrid format: EU accredited journalists will be able to participate and ask questions either remotely or in person at the Europa building press room. If you haven't registered for one of the previous Eurogroup press events, please use the link below to do so and have the possibility to ask questions remotely. Deadline for registration: Wednesday, 16 September 2026 at 13.00 Further instructions will be sent to all registered participants shortly after the deadline. Registration page Media accreditation for journalists   Visit the website

Press material Thursday, 10 September 2026

● General Secretariat of the Council   11/09/2026 17:15 | Press release | Forward look: 14 - 27 September 2026   Overview of the main topics and events at the Council of EU and European Council for the coming fortnight. General Affairs Council, 22 September 2026 Ministers responsible for European affairs will hold a policy debate on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034 and start preparations for the October European Council. The Commission will present a letter of intent and the Council will hold an exchange of views on EU’s legislative programming for 2027. As part of the annual rule of law dialogue, ministers will hold a horizontal discussion on general developments related to the rule of law situation in the EU and exchange views on the general trend of the rule of law situation in selected candidate countries. Read more Competitiveness Council, 24 September 2026 Internal market and industry ministers will hold debates on the chips act 2.0 and on the revision of merger control guidelines. They will be informed about current legislative proposals (the industrial accelerator act, the 28th regime, and the European competitiveness fund). Read more Other meetings Informal meeting of ministers responsible for cohesion policy, 14-15 September 2026 Eurogroup, 18 September 2026 Informal meeting of economic and financial affairs ministers, 18-19 September 2026 Informal meeting of transport ministers, 20-21 September 2026   Indicative calendar of meetings under the Irish presidency (1 July - 31 December 2026) Irish presidency   ● European Council   10/09/2026 12:57 | Statements and remarks | Press statement by President Costa following the meeting with Prime Minister of Malta, Robert Abela   Prime Minister, dear Robert. First of all, thank you very much for your kind words and for having me in Malta. It is a true pleasure to meet you in your beautiful capital. It is very important for me to engage directly with all European leaders regularly, including their home country, and to listen to and understand all perspectives. This will help the European Council to achieve unity. Because unity cannot be taken for granted, we build it every day, at every meeting. We will need it again for a decision that will define what Europe is able to do between 2028 and 2034: on our next long-term budget. We are now operating in a fundamentally different geopolitical environment from the one we faced when we last negotiated the budget in 2020. This new reality calls for a new approach to our budget, with a new structure and a new way of allocating our resources. We must be able to fund our new strategic priorities: competitiveness, defence, security and strategic resilience.  At the same time, the next budget should ensure funding for our cohesion and agriculture policies. They pull our regions upwards and support growth and jobs locally. In a nutshell, they have a direct impact on the prosperity of our citizens.  Reaching agreement by the end of the year is key. Because we need to ensure that funding keeps flowing without interruption. For our farmers and fishermen, for our students and researchers, for our businesses. So, our timeline is clear: agree in 2026, legislate and prepare in 2027, deliver in 2028. The size of the budget is of course a critical question. Like national budgets, the European Union budget must deliver on its priorities within the limits of finite resources. Most of it is financed through member states’ national contributions, which we need to keep within reasonable limits. Therefore, we need new European revenues, the so-called new own resources, in order to reduce the pressure on national budgets.  This will be a key component of an overall agreement. Beyond the next long-term budget, we touched upon the main topics of our upcoming European Council meeting, as the Prime Minister developed. We discussed developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the Middle East, which have implications for Europe’s peace and stability as a whole. They affect migration flows and have a direct impact on our energy security.We need to remain engaged in the region and I am grateful for your active role in this regard, dear Robert. The European Union will continue to work, including with regional and global partners, on the path towards a long-lasting peace, based on the two-state solution. The geopolitical developments of recent years have shown us one thing clearly: Europe needs to accelerate its path towards greater strategic autonomy. And we are on the right track. The most important condition for greater European autonomy is our own unity. And that was the main purpose of today’s meeting with the Prime Minister Robert Abela, and of the talks I will continue to have with European leaders in the next weeks – to foster unity.  Dear Robert, I look forward to our work together at the next European Council. Thank you very much.   Visit the website Press service European Parliament         Press service European Parliament   Available in       10-09-2026 Plenary session  Briefing Newsletter - 14-17 September 2026 - Strasbourg plenary session     State of the European Union: debate with Ursula von der Leyen From 9.00 on Wednesday, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and MEPs will debate the State of the European Union (SOTEU) in 2026. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Safeguarding European democracy MEPs will vote on recommendations to strengthen the EU's resilience against foreign interference and other threats in an increasingly hostile global environment. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Canada’s Prime Minister to address Parliament Addressing plenary on Thursday at 11.30, Mark Carney is set to speak about EU-Canada relations at a time of growing geopolitical tensions. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   New measures to strengthen Europe’s defence readiness On Wednesday, Parliament will hold final votes on legislation to accelerate defence investment and improve the EU’s security challenge responsiveness. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Hybrid warfare: protecting EU territory, security and infrastructure On Tuesday afternoon, MEPs will debate recent hybrid attacks orchestrated by Russia and its proxies against EU member states, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   The need for increased EU aid for Ukraine In a debate on Wednesday afternoon, MEPs are set to urge the Council and Commission to provide more support to Ukraine. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Escalation in the Middle East On Tuesday afternoon, MEPs and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas will debate the latest flare up in fighting across the Middle East. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Situation in Ceuta and protection of the EU’s external borders On Tuesday, MEPs, with the Irish Presidency and the Commission, will discuss lessons from the situation in Ceuta and the need for a coordinated EU response. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Heatwaves, wildfires and droughts: EU preparedness and response On Tuesday, MEPs, the Commission and the Irish Council Presidency will take stock of lessons learnt from a record number of extreme climate events in summer 2026. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Emissions trading: stabilising the EU carbon market and tackling carbon leakage MEPs will debate Monday and vote Tuesday on three proposals aimed at bolstering the EU's main defences against carbon leakage and steadying its carbon market. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Addressing the impact of social media on young people On Thursday, MEPs are set to call on social media platforms to ban their most harmful addictive practices and to mitigate the impact of so-called “persuasive design”. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   The glorification of war crimes in Serbia In a debate on Tuesday, MEPs and the Commission will respond to the funeral held for war criminal Ratko Mladić, and the glorification of war crimes in Serbia. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   New EU Customs Code to deal with e-commerce growth On Wednesday MEPs are set to approve an overhaul of the European Customs Code that will introduce stricter rules to manage e-commerce and establish a new Customs Authority. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Improving cardiovascular health in the EU On Wednesday, MEPs will adopt their recommendations to improve the EU’s first-ever strategy on cardiovascular diseases, the leading cause of mortality in the EU. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 In a vote on Tuesday on the EU Youth Strategy (EUYS), MEPs are set to demand young people’s priorities and perspectives are better integrated into EU policies. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   MEPs hear Council’s position on 2027 annual budget On Wednesday, the Council will present its position on the draft 2027 annual budget to MEPs, the last budget in the 2021-2027 budget cycle. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Updating the EU’s common fisheries policy MEPs are set to call on Thursday for changes to the common fisheries policy (CFP), to protect the marine environment and secure an adequate income for fishers. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Court of Auditors: vote on Austrian candidate MEPs will decide on Wednesday whether to endorse Gerald Loacker as Austria’s member of the European Court of Auditors (ECA). ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Combating narco-trafficking In a vote on Thursday, MEPs will outline their proposals for the fight against trafficking illegal drugs in Europe’s waters. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Resolutions on human rights and democracy Parliament will hold urgent debates on the following human rights, democracy, and rule of law topics on Wednesday afternoon, followed by votes on Thursday. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Other topics on the agenda Other topics on the agenda ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Further information Draft agenda Follow the plenary live Press conferences and other events EP Multimedia Centre European Parliament Press Tool Kit Press release 11-09-2026 Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee     Next week’s committee meeting highlights Monday, 14 September 2026, 20.00 – 21.30 CEST European Parliament in Strasbourg, room Weiss N1.3 Agenda | Meeting documents | Webstreaming | Committee homepage Vote Establishing the Union Customs Code and the European Union Customs Authority (Customs Code reform) – Rapporteur Dirk Gotink (EPP, NL), adoption of draft recommendation for second reading. Exchanges of views A human-centred approach to AI governance – Exchange of views with Prof. Paolo Benanti on the Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on Safeguarding the human person in the time of AI. Protecting and empowering minors in the digital world – Prof. Dr. Jörg M. Fegert, Director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at Ulm University Medical Centre and co-chair of the Special Panel on Child Safety Online, will present the panel’s findings. The special panels’ report highlights the critical challenges children face online and provides recommendations and inspiration on better protecting and empowering them, as well as on the age-appropriate use of social media and other digital services. Further information Follow the Internal Market Committee on X Follow the Internal Market Committee on Bluesky Subscribe to news and press release from the Internal Market Committee Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Webstreaming Agenda and meeting documents Newsletters of the committee Catch up via video on demand   Press service European Parliament   Press release 11-09-2026 Plenary session   EUDS Press conference: strengthening EU resilience against foreign interference     On Tuesday, EP President Roberta Metsola, rapporteur Tomas Tobé and chair Nathalie Loiseau will answer media questions after the vote on the Democracy Shield recommendations. MEPs will debate and vote on Tuesday 15 September on a report prepared by the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS), setting out practical recommendations on how to protect the EU's democratic institutions from malicious interference, hybrid attacks, and disinformation campaigns. A press conference will follow. When: Tuesday 15 September 2026, 13.30-14.00 CEST. Where: Daphne Caruana Galizia press conference room, European Parliament, Strasbourg, WEISS N-1/201 - with remote participation. Who: EP President Roberta Metsola, rapporteur Tomas Tobé (EPP, Sweden) and the chair of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield, Nathalie Loiseau (Renew, France). Interpretation will be available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese. Accredited media representatives are invited to attend the press conference in person. In addition, journalists can join the press conference and ask questions remotely via the Interactio platform. When connecting, enter your name and the media outlet you are representing in the first name / last name fields. For better sound quality, use headphones and a microphone. Interpretation is only possible for interventions with video. The press conference will also be webstreamed live and on demand on Parliament’s Multimedia Centre website. Background The European Democracy Shield (EUDS) report outlines measures to enhance the EU's capacity to identify, prevent, and respond to foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) as well as other hybrid threats, and will form Parliament’s first comprehensive political position on these topics. It addresses key areas such as election integrity, the role of independent media and civil society, digital enforcement, and civil preparedness. Further information Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield Press release following the committee vote Procedure file Findings and recommendations of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EPRS) Available in       Press release 10-09-2026 ITRE   MEPs upgrade EU energy infrastructure rules to lower energy prices       • Updating cross-border energy network rules (TEN-E)   • Streamlining planning, permitting and investment decisions   • More focus on price stability, climate adaptation and security   The update of the TEN-E regulation aims to boost security of energy supply, help lower prices for households and businesses, and contribute to the EU’s climate neutrality goals. On Thursday, MEPs from the Industry, Research and Energy Committee proposed changes to the rules governing trans-European energy infrastructure - the network of pipelines, cables, and other facilities that carry energy across borders within the EU. It should strengthen energy security by improving cross-border connections and reducing bottlenecks and help ensure energy can flow more freely across the continent. Smarter planning and less red tape The update will allow smarter planning, giving the European Commission a stronger role in developing a common energy scenario and ensuring that infrastructure decisions are based on shared and consistent data. The legislation will also bring in new tools to systematically identify gaps in the electricity and hydrogen networks, so that investment is directed where it is needed. The proposal streamlines the authorisation process for key projects, reducing administrative delays. Before approving new physical infrastructure, authorities must consider whether existing networks can be optimised or whether digital and demand-side solutions could address the identified need. Helping to bring down energy prices In their amendments, MEPs say grid infrastructure expansion should actively support market integration, in particular effects on price stability and resource adequacy, as a deeper energy market integration can help bring down prices for households and businesses. MEPs also insist on the needs for the timely deployment and integration of net-zero technologies. They expand the list of infrastructure priorities to be taken into account, including equipment and installations designed to ensure the protection and resilience of critical network elements, monitoring, control and digitalisation equipment, and projects that contribute to climate adaptation of energy infrastructure. Quote “Europe needs the right infrastructure in the right places, based on robust data and a clear assessment of what citizens and our economy actually need,” lead MEP Tsvetelina Penkova (S&D, Bulgaria) said. “The Commission will now have a stronger role in defining the strategic framework, while the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) will provide greater independent scrutiny. This is an important step towards making our infrastructure planning more democratic, transparent and accountable. The new rules should also help reduce the electricity price disparities among member states and regions, ensuring that all EU citizens can benefit from a more integrated energy market, stronger security of supply and fairer access to affordable energy, regardless of where they live.” Next steps The draft report was adopted by 56 votes to 10, with nine abstentions. Industry committee MEPs also decided, by 61 votes to six, and with eight abstentions, to launch talks with the Council on the final shape of the legislation, if their decision is endorsed at an upcoming plenary session. Background Meeting the 2030 interconnection targets is particularly important for completing the energy union and reaching European Union energy and climate goals. Given the scale of investment required, the persistent governance challenges around cross‑border projects and the need to enhance the robustness of the scenarios on which they are based, the European Commission has put forward a proposal to revise the TEN‑E regulation, as part of the European grids package published on 10 December 2025. Further information Meeting documents EP research: Guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure: Revision of the TEN‑E Regulation Legislative observatory file