EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said there was a need to explain why the EU is helping Ukraine and what a potential Russian victory would mean for Europe. The European Commission has launched an infringement procedure against Hungary over its controversial sovereignty law. Slovenia’s agriculture minister is calling for individual pesticide rules for EU member states, rather than universal ones.
Following geopolitical developments such as Russia’s war against Ukraine, the EU’s interests towards the African continent began to shift. The bloc’s foreign ministers sought to rethink their approach and interests towards their African partners.
At a special European Council summit in Brussels, EU leaders agreed on a new aid package to help Ukraine in its war with Russia. Germany’s Christian Lindner wants the EU’s new anti-money-laundering authority to be based in Frankfurt. The European Commission has asked France to explain the blocking of lorries carrying Spanish products in the wake of farmers’ protests.
The EU is one of UNRWA’s top donors. Following Israeli allegations that some staff participated in Hamas’s October 7 attack, the EU announced to review its support. While some believe this to be an urgent measure, others warn of collective punishment of the Palestinian people.