European news, 26 urria 2026 — European Union: Agriculture ministers negotiate new CAP rules

Agriculture

European Union: Agriculture ministers negotiate new CAP rules

EU agriculture and fisheries ministers are meeting in Luxembourg on 26 and 27 October to seek a common position on parts of the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which will apply after 2027. They are also seeking a political agreement on fishing quotas in the Baltic Sea for 2027.

CAP negotiations focus, among other things, on farm incomes, the targeting of subsidies, generational renewal in farming and the sector’s resilience.

Source : Consilium Europa

Space

Europe: €10 billion plan to strengthen space autonomy

Europe is considering investing around €10 billion over ten years to develop an independent crewed space transportation system capable of taking astronauts into orbit and bringing them back to Earth. The proposal was put forward by Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA).

According to the estimates presented, continuing to purchase crewed space transportation services from foreign operators would cost around €5 billion over the same period.

Source : Euronews

Defence

Europe: Five major military powers meet for a European defence summit

The defence ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom are meeting in Paris on Monday as part of the E5 group. Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, is also taking part in the discussions.

The talks focus, among other things, on military support for Ukraine and strengthening Europe’s defence capabilities.

Source : NATO

European Union: Brussels steps up pressure on Temu to tackle illegal products

On Monday, the European Commission accepted Temu’s action plan to address shortcomings identified under the Digital Services Act (DSA). In May, the Chinese platform had been fined €200 million for failing to prevent the sale of illegal products.

Acceptance of the plan commits the platform to implementing the proposed measures, but does not mean that all breaches have been definitively resolved.

Source : Reuters

Economy

European Union: Proposal to establish a European Critical Raw Materials Centre

MEPs have proposed the creation of a European Critical Raw Materials Centre to strengthen the EU’s access to minerals essential for defence and emerging technologies.

The proposed centre could enable the EU to take stakes in mining companies, build strategic stockpiles and monitor supplies. The European Parliament has backed its creation with a proposed allocation of €2 billion.

Source : Financial Times

Elections

Serbia: Student movement ousts Vučić from power

Serbia is entering a new political chapter following the parliamentary victory of the student movement, Student List. According to provisional results, with 99% of votes counted, the student list secured 52.7% of the vote and 139 of the 250 seats, compared with 39.2% and 97 seats for the coalition led by Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party. Vučić has conceded defeat.

European institutions have welcomed the change in power. However, the victory does not guarantee rapid EU accession: Belgrade will still need to clarify its relationship with Moscow.

Source : Reuters

Elections

Bulgaria: Close first round of the presidential election

In the first round of Bulgaria’s presidential election, held on Sunday 25 October, incumbent President Iliana Yotova came first with 34.76% of the vote, ahead of former Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, who secured 31.95%. Nationalist candidate Kostadin Kostadinov came third with 12.54%. Turnout stood at around 22%, a historically low level.

The 1 November run-off will pit Iliana Yotova, who favours dialogue with Moscow and is cautious about sanctions against Russia, against Andrey Gyurov, who takes a more firmly pro-European stance and supports continued aid to Ukraine.

Source : Le Monde