Council of the European Union

The institution representing EU member state governments, where ministers from each country meet to adopt laws and coordinate policies. - Approved legal framework for €90 billion loan

The European Union approved a €90 billion loan package for Ukraine on February 4, 2026—the largest single financial commitment in the bloc's history to a non-member state. Two-thirds of the money, €60 billion, will purchase weapons and ammunition; the remaining €30 billion covers government operations. Ukraine will only repay the loan if Russia agrees to war reparations, meaning the EU expects to carry this debt indefinitely.

Updated Feb 5

The Council gathers national ministers who must agree common positions before any EU law can pass. - Co-legislator representing member states; pushed hard on supply obligations and antibiotic incentives

After two years of trench warfare between EU governments, lawmakers and drug makers, Brussels has finally agreed a ‘pharma package’ that tears up the bloc’s 20‑year‑old drug rules. The deal locks in eight years of data protection and one year of market exclusivity for new medicines, with bonuses that can stretch protection to 11 years if companies hit public‑health goals.

Updated Jan 9

Where EU governments turn political panic into border rules. - Adopted the temporary €3 customs duty; set direction to eliminate the €150 threshold

The EU just put a price tag on the business model that turned “free shipping from China” into a daily habit. On 12 December 2025, EU governments approved a temporary €3 customs duty on low-value e-commerce parcels under €150—starting 1 July 2026.

Updated Dec 12, 2025