European Council

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has delivered a speech to the UN Security Council during the General Assembly, with footage of the address now circulating widely. The speech covers Russia's war against Ukraine and is drawing attention alongside related debates on NATO, European security and Poland's role in the conflict.

Boris Vujcic, a member of the European Central Bank's governing council and Croatia's central bank governor, said energy prices will remain elevated for an extended period, warning of persistent pressure on inflation and the eurozone economy. His remarks come as policymakers weigh how long to keep interest rates restrictive amid uncertain energy costs and uneven growth across the region.

The Council of the EU is highlighting Europe's push to develop its own payment system, reducing reliance on US-dominated networks like Visa and Mastercard. The initiative, long championed by the European Central Bank, includes plans for a digital euro and greater payment sovereignty. The topic is drawing wide attention as discussions over strategic autonomy and financial independence intensify across the continent.

Boris Vujcic, a governor of Croatia's central bank and member of the European Central Bank's governing council, has warned that rising diesel prices could feed through into broader inflation. The comments come as energy costs remain a sensitive input for eurozone price pressures. Beyond the Reuters headline, the posts collected do not show detailed discussion, so the fuller reasoning behind the warning is not clear from the available evidence.

Iran has called on the UN Security Council to examine the role of European countries in the ongoing war. The appeal, reported by Iranian state media, frames European involvement as a matter requiring international scrutiny. The specifics of what role Iran attributes to European powers remain unclear, and there has been no immediate public response from the European governments concerned or from the Security Council itself.

The Council of the European Union has adopted the 'pharma package', a set of new rules intended to make the EU pharmaceutical sector fairer and more competitive. The legislation reforms how medicines are authorised, priced and supplied across the bloc, with aims including faster patient access to new treatments and stronger security of supply. It marks a major update of the EU's pharmaceutical framework.

The Council of the European Union has identified the first five projects of common European defence industry interest, a step meant to steer cooperation and funding toward capabilities member states agree to develop together. The move signals Brussels pushing to build a more integrated European defence industrial base amid heightened security concerns, with officials framing the projects as building blocks for future joint procurement and investment.

Greece's government has announced plans to establish a European deportation centre in Africa during its EU Council presidency in summer 2027. The proposal revives long-debated plans to outsource asylum processing and returns outside Europe, and is already drawing criticism from refugee advocates who question which African country would agree to host such a facility.

A Council of Europe mission travelled to Warsaw to discuss the execution of judgments from the European Court of Human Rights concerning the rule of law and abortion rights in Poland. Talks with Polish authorities focused on how the country is implementing court rulings in these areas, both of which have been sources of sustained tension between Warsaw and Strasbourg.

The Council of the European Union has decided to extend the mandate of EUBAM Rafah, its border assistance mission at the Rafah crossing, until 30 June 2027. The mission supports border management at the Gaza-Egypt crossing point, and the extension signals the EU's continued commitment to a role at the crossing amid ongoing arrangements for movement of people and aid.

The Council of the European Union has moved to strengthen the EU's architecture for responding to threats in space, according to an announcement published on its official website. The step is part of ongoing European efforts to protect space assets and improve coordination among member states as concerns grow over satellite security and hostile activity in orbit.

The Council of the European Union has given its final approval to updated rules on social security coordination, which determine how workers' pension, unemployment and other benefits are handled when people move between EU member states. The update modernises a framework that affects millions of cross-border workers, students and families across the union, aligning it with current employment patterns.

Prince Albert II of Monaco and the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (referred to as Martins Seguro), are set to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The two leaders are expected to speak to European parliamentarians in Strasbourg, joining a tradition of heads of state and senior figures addressing the assembly on matters of European concern.

The Council of the EU has appointed new prosecutors for Germany and Slovenia to serve at the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the body that investigates and prosecutes crimes against the EU's financial interests such as fraud and corruption affecting EU funds. The appointments fill key national posts within the office, which operates across participating member states.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran says its supporters mobilized during the UN General Assembly in New York and held demonstrations across several European cities, as part of its ongoing campaign against the Iranian government. The group frames the rallies as showing international backing for its opposition movement.