International Anti-Corruption Day is marked every year on 9 December, to raise awareness of the negative effects of corruption on all areas of life. While difficult to measure, corruption entails not only economic but also social and political costs. International and EU anti-corruption efforts have translated into a multi-layered policy and legal framework. The European Parliament has called repeatedly for strengthened EU anti-corruption rules. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Data centres are key to innovation in artificial intelligence (AI). Data centres are needed to access on-demand and scalable computational power and to deploy centralised digital services. Both are key in the lifecycle of large AI models, as their training and execution are intensive and centralised. Increased EU data centre capacity would benefit AI innovation, as would research and innovation to achieve resource optimisation and the decentralisation of computational tasks. Weak EU AI development could further hurt EU competitiveness across industries by slowing digitalisation. Data centre capacity in the European Union is insufficient. The lack of capacity negatively impacts EU innovation, hindering economic growth. Studies suggest that despite comparable GDP, the United States has twice Europe's share of global data centre capabilities, and just three US-based companies account for 65 % of the EU cloud services market, which relies on data centres. Excessive dependence on non-EU capacity threatens the competitiveness of EU companies. EU data centre capacity-building is also hindered by legal and financial obstacles, as well as a lack of resources. EU-based secure cloud and AI computing services are lacking for highly critical use cases. The EU's need for a sovereign digital transition is increasingly salient in the face of geopolitical shifts and growing global competition for innovation. Providers and customers lack legal clarity however, hindering enhanced availability and the use of EU-based highly secure cloud and AI offers. Member States did not manage to reach agreement in recent efforts to define the requirements for a sovereign cloud through a proposed European cybersecurity certification scheme for cloud services (EUCS). Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The European Citizens' Initiative, 'My voice, my choice: for safe and accessible abortion', seeks an EU-level financial solidarity mechanism to support access to abortion care for women who cannot obtain safe and legal abortion in their home Member State, without harmonising national abortion laws. In November 2025, the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) adopted a motion for a resolution and an oral question supporting the ECI's aims. A debate is scheduled for the December plenary session. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Amid rising geopolitical pressure, the EU seeks to reallocate current budget resources towards defence by enabling investment through five amended regulations on funding programmes, all part of a legislative package. In December, Parliament is due to vote on the provisional agreement reached with the Council on this package. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The EU has developed a differentiated system of financial supervision, distributing powers among the ECB, ESMA, SRB and AMLA. Each authority operates with distinct mandates, governance structures and accountability mechanisms. Their combined roles illustrate how the Union balances centralisation, coordination and independence to address systemic risks, cross-border challenges and financial innovation. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Migration management is one of the European Union's priorities. The geopolitical context has significantly changed, which has also affected the EU's migration and asylum management. With the support of the EU, Member States need to be able to rapidly and effectively respond to developments in migratory flows. The European Commission has proposed significantly increasing EU funding for asylum and migration policies in the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework. The aim of the proposed regulation is to contribute to the efficient management of migration flows and asylum, including by providing support for the implementation, strengthening and development of the pact on migration and asylum, and the common system of temporary protection for displaced persons in the event of a mass influx. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

As the current rules on the EU common agricultural policy (CAP) are set to expire at the end of 2027, the European Commission is proposing new CAP rules that would apply during the next multiannual financial framework (MFF). The proposal is part of the Commission's two-fold attempt to make the overall EU budget (i.e. the MFF) more flexible, with a smaller number of programmes and, at the same time, to take account of the criticism of the current CAP rules, which have been a target of farmer protests almost from the beginning of their application. According to the proposals, the CAP would no longer have a separate budget but would be integrated into the new national and regional partnerships (NRP) fund ('NRPF'). The NRPF would include a ringfenced budget only for some CAP measures, while the remainder would have to be covered from the part of the fund that Member States would have to use for other areas, as well. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

European financial assistance mechanisms are intended to preserve the financial stability of the EU and the euro area, as financial distress in one Member State can have a substantial impact on macro-financial stability in other Member States. Financial assistance is linked to macroeconomic conditionality (it is a loan rather than a fiscal transfer), to ensure that Member States receiving such assistance implement the necessary fiscal, economic, structural and supervisory reforms. The reforms are agreed and set out in specific documents (memoranda of understanding) published on the Commission website and, when relevant, on the European Stability Mechanism website. As part of the EU response to the COVID-19 crisis, a number of additional financial instruments were put forward to help the Member States recover and make their economies more resilient to shocks. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom (UK) has evolved significantly since Brexit. Following the 2024 UK general election, the new government called for a ‘reset’ in relations with the EU, launching a renewed agenda of structured political cooperation across shared priorities. The UK-EU Summit on 19 May 2025 was the first high-level meeting of its kind since Brexit, establishing a new strategic partnership. The EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly plays a key role in fostering dialogue. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

This digest provides a collection of documents prepared by academia, think tanks, other EU institutions and bodies, as well as stakeholders that could be useful for Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets to stay informed about the debate concerning the next Multiannual Financial Framework, due to start in 2028. It is one in a series produced monthly by the Budgetary Support Unit in the Directorate-General for Budgetary Affairs (DG BUDG) and the Members' Research Service in the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS). Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the period 2028-2034, proposed by the European Commission, includes a regulation establishing a National and Regional Partnership Fund (NRPF) which would pool together most of the existing EU funds, including support for agriculture and the common agricultural policy (CAP). Regulation 1308/2013 (the CMO Regulation) sets out rules for the common organisation of markets in agricultural products, including measures currently financed under the CAP. According to the proposed new MFF, financial support for these measures would be governed by the new NRPF Regulation. In view of that, certain provisions of the CMO Regulation need to be amended and updated, and some provisions currently included in other acts need to be integrated into the CMO Regulation. In the proposal presented on 16 July 2025, the Commission undertakes those alignments, and furthermore introduces other changes aimed at updating the provisions to reflect developments in some policy areas. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The European Council is an EU institution with significant influence and a key role, but its accountability remains limited. Nonetheless, democratic control over its members can be exercised by their respective national parliaments, which have progressively strengthened their role in EU affairs. This publication analyses the role of national parliaments in scrutinising the meetings of the European Council and in holding their national representative to account. It examines formal rules and practices, both for ex-ante and ex-post parliamentary oversight. It also compares the national parliaments' scrutiny activities with the European Parliament's, identifies best practice, and suggests potential areas for improvement. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Together with Parliament, the Council of the European Union is the institution that adopts EU legislation through regulations and directives and prepares decisions and non-binding recommendations. In its areas of competence, it takes its decisions by a simple majority, a qualified majority or unanimously, according to the legal basis of the act requiring its approval. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

By supporting the Member States in the fight against poverty, social exclusion and discrimination, the EU aims to reinforce the inclusiveness and cohesion of European society and to allow everyone to enjoy equal access to opportunities and resources. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

European integration has led to significant social developments over the years. An important milestone came in 2017, when Parliament, the Council and the Commission proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights and reaffirmed their commitment to improving living and working conditions throughout the EU. The related action plan, adopted in 2021, set out concrete initiatives to turn this commitment into reality. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights is a core value of the European Union (EU), and one that is promoted through its policies. The European Parliament's Sakharov Prize honours the work of people who stand up for these freedoms and rights. This year's Sakharov Prize is to be awarded to journalists Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli, both jailed for defending freedom of expression and democracy in their respective countries, Belarus and Georgia. The award ceremony will take place during the Parliament's December plenary session. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The EU has developed a differentiated system of financial supervision, distributing powers among the ECB, ESMA, SRB and AMLA. Each authority operates with distinct mandates, governance structures and accountability mechanisms. Their combined roles illustrate how the Union balances centralisation, coordination and independence to address systemic risks, cross-border challenges and financial innovation. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

This in-depth analysis, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Justice, Civil Liberties and Institutional Affairs at the request of the Committee on Legal Affairs, examines how copyright policy should respond to artificial intelligence (AI). It combines historical lessons from digital markets, insight on the economic value of data, and a formal model to study welfare effects. It assesses economic effects of various policy options, including an exception, an exception with opt-out, licencing market (“opt-out”) and statutory licencing, in a search for optimal policy. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Amid growing concerns about wealth concentration and fiscal strain, debates on the taxation of high-net-worth individuals have intensified in (international) taxation forums. The European Parliament's Subcommittee on Tax Matters (FISC) is due to hold a public hearing on this topic on 11 December 2025. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The proposal for a Global Europe instrument is included in the post-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF) package, which aims to be simpler than previous regulations and to provide additional flexibility (over and above MFF ceilings). The new instrument merges the Neighbourhood, Development, International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe; the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, humanitarian aid; the Ukraine Facility, the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans; and the Reform and Growth Facility for Moldova. The impact assessment (IA) focuses on the six corresponding regulations. It falls under the Better Regulation Tool #9 (special case of preparing a new MFF); the scope and depth of analysis are therefore different compared with a non-MFF IA. Although the IA provides an intervention logic and defines the drivers, the problem definition remains vague and unclear. Moreover, the interlinks with objectives and drivers are not detailed in the intervention logic. In accordance with the Better Regulation Requirements, the IA assesses the expected economic, social and environmental impacts for the three policy options. It also compares and rates them against the Better Regulation criteria of effectiveness, efficiency and coherence. Proportionality and subsidiarity are not assessed in the IA, not even in the policy options. In terms of monitoring and evaluation, the IA is limited on data collection methods and on how progress will be measured. The evidence from previous evaluations could have been better integrated in the IA and be used to provide quantitative estimates. The Regulatory Scrutiny Board decided to issue an opinion without qualification given the lack of fundamental elements in this IA. The legislative proposal is aligned with the IA's preferred option. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Energy drinks, widely marketed as performance-enhancing products, contain high levels of caffeine, sugar and stimulants such as taurine and guarana. Rising and excessive consumption among adolescents has raised public health concerns linked to acute cardiovascular effects, sleep disruption and gastrointestinal issues. Although the global energy drink market is expanding rapidly, these beverages still represent a small share of the EU non-alcoholic drinks market. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) consumption data indicate that adolescents are the age group with the highest consumption of energy drinks, with some of them being high chronic users. At EU level, no product-specific legislation exists. However, Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 requires a mandatory high-caffeine warning label. Industry bodies such as UNESDA (representing the non-alcoholic beverages sector) and Energy Drinks Europe apply voluntary marketing restrictions, particularly concerning children. National rules vary widely. Several EU countries – including Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria – have introduced bans on sales to minors, while others rely on voluntary retail measures. Outside the EU, diverse regulatory models exist, from strict bans to voluntary guidelines. The European Commission considers EFSA's 2015 scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine sufficient and sees no need for additional EU-level action at this stage. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

According to Eurostat, EU research and development expenditure relative to GDP stood at 2.26 % in 2023, while in comparison it stood respectively at 3.59 % in the United States, and 2.56 % in China (2022). In his 2024 report on the future of European Competitiveness, Mario Draghi identified this gap as one of the root causes of the EU's lack of competitiveness. Against this backdrop, the proposed 10th EU framework programme for research and innovation should help to preserve EU research and innovation ecosystem excellence in producing world-class scientific knowledge, while improving the capacity to exploit such knowledge, in particular by scaling-up innovative technologies and solutions. While the programme's architecture is apparently a continuation of the current 2021-2027 Horizon Europe programme, the creation of a European competitiveness fund creates a specific set of rules and governance that will apply to a substantial part of Horizon collaborative research activities. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Free movement is one of the four freedoms enjoyed by EU citizens. This includes the rights of movement and residence for workers, the rights of entry and residence for family members, and the right to work in another Member State and be treated on an equal footing with nationals of that Member State. Restrictions apply for the public service. The European Labour Authority serves as a dedicated agency for the free movement of workers, including posted workers. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The EU fisheries control system aims to ensure compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy (CFP). Its efficiency is widely recognised as a necessary condition for a successful policy. Fisheries control is a competence of Member States, which are responsible for controlling their fishing and related activities, while the Commission verifies how they fulfil their responsibilities. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The European Council, formed of the heads of state or government of the Member States, provides the necessary impetus for the development of the European Union and sets out the general political guidelines. The Commission President is also a non-voting member. The President of the European Parliament addresses the European Council at the beginning of its meetings. The Treaty of Lisbon established the European Council as an institution of the Union and endowed it with a long-term presidency. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The coordination of social security facilitates the free movement of people within the EU. After a fundamental reform of legislation in this area in 2010, the Commission included proposals in its 2016 Labour Mobility Package to further reform the system and adapt it to modern economic and social realities in the EU. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

EU regulations on maritime transport focus on the application of the principle of free movement of services and the correct application of competition rules, while ensuring a high level of safety, good working conditions and environmental standards. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

In this issue: ECB keeps the key policy rates unchanged, for the third consecutive time; Monetary Policy Expert Panel overall deems latest ECB’s decision adequate; ECB’s Financial Stability Review underscores that financial stability vulnerabilities remain elevated, given uncertainty over geoeconomic trends and tariff impacts; Bulgaria is set to join euro area on 1 January 2026, following the Council’s formal approval of the final three legal acts for its accession Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

With the adoption of the European Maritime Safety Agency Regulation on 13 November 2025, following the adoption of four directives earlier in November 2024, the European Union has concluded its maritime safety package. The five legislative acts bring several changes to maritime safety in the EU. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The international road transport sector is a cornerstone of Europe's economy and society, ensuring that citizens across the EU have access to essential goods and services. Nearly 90 % of transport workers are employed in land transport, with road transport representing the largest share. It is therefore particularly important to ensure adequate working conditions, fair wages, social protection, job security and safety, as well as comprehensive and accessible legislation for these workers. It is also essential to address demographic trends and to help workers adapt to the new digital environment and environmental requirements. At the EU level, legislation and various initiatives aim to address the challenges faced by road transport workers. The 2020 Mobility Package I covers the posting of drivers outside their home country, driving and rest time rules (including the use of tachographs), access to the profession, and market access (the latter applying specifically to goods transport). Another directive regulates driving times, breaks and rest periods in occasional passenger services. The revised Driving Licence Directive seeks to tackle driver shortages. EU initiatives focus on incentivising young people's and women's participation in the sector, on addressing the impact automation and digitalisation have on it, and on improving the provision of clear information on relevant EU legislation to drivers. The future holds new challenges and opportunities for the sector. The continued development of environmentally friendly transport modes, along with the wider deployment of intelligent transport systems and automated transport solutions, will reshape road transport and demand greater flexibility and adaptability from its workforce. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The fight against impunity remains a key challenge for the international community, as efforts to hold perpetrators of serious international crimes accountable are increasingly strained by geopolitical rivalries, fragmented enforcement and weak political will. This paper examines three accountability mechanisms – international criminal tribunals, universal jurisdiction and transitional justice – through comparative analysis and case studies. International criminal tribunals, from ad hoc tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda to the International Criminal Court, have advanced legal norms and secured landmark convictions. Yet, their legitimacy is weakened by high costs, slow trials, selective enforcement and limited cooperation from states. Universal jurisdiction allows national courts to prosecute atrocities irrespective of territorial or personal links. Its growing use in Europe, especially in cases linked to Syria and Ukraine, demonstrates potential, although inconsistent application and political frictions limit its effectiveness. Transitional justice, through truth commissions, reparations and institutional reforms, offers societies pathways to reconciliation and peace, but faces recurring challenges of political interference, resource scarcity and insufficient victim participation. Case studies from the Balkans, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia, Syria and Israel-Palestine highlight that no single mechanism is sufficient. Instead, effective accountability requires context-sensitive and context-specific combinations of tools. The paper concludes with recommendations for strengthening the European Union’s global role. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Slovakia is set to receive €6 408.5 million, solely in grants, to implement its national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP), representing 6.8 % of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019. That grant allocation includes the revised Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) grant allocation (€6 005.8 million), REPowerEU grants (€366.4 million), and a transfer of the country's remaining share from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (€36.3 million). On 8 May 2025, the European Commission adopted an implementing decision reducing Slovakia's RRF allocation by €1.23 million due to a conflict of interest. This amount was deducted from the fifth payment of €492 million received on 10 July 2025. On 13 November 2025, the Council approved Slovakia's latest (fourth) revision of the NRRP. Slovakia's plan comprises reforms and investment to help the Slovak economy recover, while advancing the green and digital transitions and addressing structural weaknesses. In the 2025 country report, the Commission found that Slovakia's NRRP is progressing but requires increased efforts for timely completion. So far, Slovakia has received €3 963.8 million (61.9 % of the total allocation), covering pre-financing (including REPowerEU pre-financing) and five grant payments. Slovakia's absorption of RRF resources sits above the EU average of 56.5 %. The European Parliament continues to ensure transparency and accountability through interinstitutional dialogues on RRF implementation, and scrutiny of the Commission's work. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States. Fifth edition. The previous editions were drafted by Magdalena Sapała and Božena Destin Bobková. The 'NGEU delivery' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the lifecycle of the plans. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

We analyse the euro area economic outlook, the European Central Bank’s monetary policy stance and its communication strategy. We offer suggestions for complementing monetary policy statements: including additional indicators, publishing scenario analyses, and being more explicit about secondary objective considerations. We indicate guidelines for future policy analysis, like how structural changes in the economy influence monetary policy, trade-offs between different roles of the ECB, the impact of rate setting on the green transition, and additional scenarios for digital euro introduction. This document was provided by the Economic Governance and EMU Scrutiny Unit at the request of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) ahead of the Monetary Dialogue with the ECB President on 3 December 2025. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Executive Vice-President Ribera, charged with the Competition portfolio, has been invited to a structured dialogue in ECON on 4 December 2025. This briefing outlines key principles of competition policy, and elaborates on the available State aid data, to illustrate its size (exceeding the EU budget) and use. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

This briefing provides background on digital assets ahead of the ECON public hearing on 3 December 2025. In addition to providing quantitative and qualitative background information on digital assets including stablecoins, the briefing also aims to clarify how the decentralized and centralized parts of crypto assets interact. It offers two main take-aways: First, since the creation of Bitcoin as the first genuine digital asset, alternatives have in general re-introduced risks by imitating business models of traditional centralized financial institutions. Second, stablecoins, as a manifestation of this trend, combine elements of decentralized and centralized finance. While they use services of decentralized public ledgers (such as Ethereum) they are (highly) centralized when it comes to corporate decisions (such as minting) or the management of reserve assets and resemble Money Market Funds (MMFs) but with increased operational and cyber risks. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP