This week, EU leaders discuss European competitiveness in a changing geoeconomic context, with a particular focus on strengthening the Single Market; defence ministers meet over military support for Ukraine; and MEPs in plenary session debate building a stronger European defence, EU competitiveness, and vote on 90% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, the EU-Mercosur agreement and European Central Bank priorities. The week’s events in the European Union including EU Council, Commission and Parliament meetings from 9 – 14 February 2026.
Monday 9 February
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
European Parliament plenary session and committee meetings
Strasbourg
European Central Bank/Christine Lagarde: MEPs will discuss the European Central Bank’s activities and priorities with its president, Christine Lagarde. They will vote on a report on Tuesday.
Housing crisis in the EU: MEPs from the Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the European Union will adopt their proposals to promote decent, sustainable and affordable housing.
Monday 9 February
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Bioeconomy | Biotechnology | Small and medium-sized enterprises
EU Advanced Fermentation Conference
Brussels
The Commission is organising this conference on advanced fermentation to connect stakeholders, foster collaboration and promote knowledge exchange. The conference will include a panel discussion on R&I, scaling up and financing aspects. A second panel discussion will focus on the regulatory framework and regulatory support to SMEs. Sector-specific sessions will take place during the afternoon.
Tuesday 10 February
Other bodies and agencies | Info days | Health
Horizon Europe info days – Cluster 1
Online only
Under the collaborative research pillar 2 of Horizon Europe, Cluster 1 focuses on Health and aims to deliver on the following six destinations matching the Strategic Plan. Join the Horizon Europe Health info day to learn more about the 2026 topics of the forthcoming Work Programme 2026-2027.
Tuesday 10 February
Other bodies and agencies | Training and workshops | Translation | Multilingualism
Behind the scenes of translation: working methods and procedures of DG Translation
Online only
This is the 3rd of 5 online workshops for the Czech public administration sector in the first quarter of 2026.
The workshop will present the daily work, methods and procedures of translators at DG Translation. It will also be a chance for officials from the Czech Government Office and Czech ministries with experience of working with EU translations to refresh their knowledge.
Tuesday 10 February
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
European Parliament plenary session and committee meetings
Strasbourg
European defence: Parliament will discuss efforts to strengthen European defence in light of the increasingly volatile international environment. On Wednesday, MEPs will vote on a report outlining their plans to bolster joint efforts in security and defence between the EU and key bilateral partners.
Asylum: MEPs are expected to greenlight the first ever EU list of safe countries of origin for asylum seekers, plus new rules on when a non-EU country may be considered safe. The votes will be preceded by a short debate. A press conference will take place following the votes.
EU 2040 climate target: MEPs will decide on a 90% reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 compared with 1990 levels, to achieve a climate neutral EU by 2050.
EU-Mercosur safeguard clause: MEPs are set to adopt a safeguard mechanism to prevent imports from the Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) from harming Europe’s agriculture sector.
Extreme weather events: Parliament will debate the need to strengthen EU readiness, preparedness, and solidarity mechanisms following recent extreme weather events in southern Europe.
Supporting wine producers and protecting farmers: following a debate on Monday, MEPs will vote on Tuesday on new rules to support wine producers. On Thursday, they will debate and vote on measures to protect farmers against unfair trading practices.
UN General Assembly president: Annalena Baerbock, President of the United Nations General Assembly, will speak to MEPs in a formal sitting on Tuesday at noon.
Wednesday 11 February
Council of the EU | Political meetings | Defence
Foreign Affairs Council
Brussels
The Foreign Affairs Council with defence ministers will exchange views on EU military support for Ukraine and hold an informal discussion on the security and defence outlook for 2026.
Wednesday 11 February
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
European Parliament plenary session and committee meetings
Strasbourg
EU competitiveness/Draghi report recommendations: MEPs, the Council and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will debate the urgent action required to boost EU competitiveness, deepen the single market, and reduce the cost of living.
Wednesday 11 February
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Mediterranean region
TEASIMED 2 Project Closing Conference – Connecting Grids, Securing the Future
Brussels
The conclusion of TEASIMED 2 marks a turning point. Comprehensive technical studies have delivered the proof: the Mediterranean electricity system faces an important opportunity for transformation, as evolving operational practices and investments will be essential to improve efficiency, resilience, and enable large-scale renewable integration. This conference is a summon to our institutional partners: Transmission System Operators (TSOs) have provided the blueprint; the focus now turns to providing the tools and the regulatory framework needed to bring it to life.
Wednesday 11 February
Other bodies and agencies | Campaign launches | Participatory democracy
Launch event – With Citizens for Effective Cohesion Policy
Live streaming available
The OECD and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) invite you to a webinar presenting insights from their joint project on citizen participation in Cohesion Policy. Since 2020, this partnership has supported innovative participatory approaches across 16 pilot territories in nine EU Member States, showing how citizens can move from passive beneficiaries to active contributors to policy design and delivery.
The event will share preliminary findings from Phase 2 (2022–2025), feature testimonies from pilot territories, and mark the launch of a new call for expression of interest for Managing Authorities and cities across the EU Member States. Join us to explore how meaningful citizen participation can strengthen the effectiveness, legitimacy and impact of Cohesion Policy.
Wednesday 11 February
Other bodies and agencies | Training and workshops | Critical raw materials | Mineral resources | Natural resources | Raw material | Trade policy
Online Webinar: EU Raw Materials Mechanism
Online only
The Mechanism aims to support industry in finding immediate options to diversify supply chains and to support the development of new strategic raw materials projects. It provides a structured platform that connects industrial off-takers with global suppliers, financial institutions and storage solutions, while enabling demand aggregation and joint purchasing.
This webinar will focus on the key features, the registration process and the first diversification round under the Raw Materials Mechanism. Itwill also include a technical session providing an in-depth demonstration and practical guidance on registration and the first round. It is open to industry, financial institutions, and other interested stakeholders.
Thursday 12 February
Other bodies and agencies | Training and workshops | Urban habitat | Award
2028 Online Applicant City Workshop: How to make a good application to become European Green Capital or Green Leaf
Online only
The Directorate-General for the Environment at the European Commission, together with the European Green Cities Secretariat, organises the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards annually. These prestigious awards recognise European cities that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability, environmental innovation and better quality of life for their residents bringing together a growing network of frontrunning green cities that collaborate and inspire others.
Cities interested in applying for the 2028 awards are invited to join this online workshop, which will guide cities through the application process.
Thursday 12 February
Other bodies and agencies | Training and workshops | Public health | Medical research
Biomedical Models Hub for evidence-based decisions
Online only
This webinar hosted by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) focuses on the Biomedical Models Hub (BimmoH), a comprehensive dataset of scientific articles utilising human biology-based models, such as organ-on-a-chip technologies, 3D cell cultures, and computational models, aimed at facilitating more human-relevant biomedical research.
Thursday 12 February – Thursday 26 March
Other bodies and agencies | Training and workshops | Climate change policy | Transport policy | Energy policy | Economy
Sustainable mobility and transport perspectives from UTM cities
Online
The Urban Transitions Mission (UTM) and the Driving Urban Transitions Partnership (DUT) will host a four-part webinar series from February to March 2026 on sustainable mobility and transport. City representatives and experts from around the world will share practical solutions for decarbonising transport, promoting active and inclusive mobility, and leveraging digital tools for smarter, more connected urban travel.
Thursday 12 February
European Council | Political meetings | Single market | The global geoeconomic context
Informal EU leaders’ retreat
Bilzen, Belgium
EU leaders will hold an informal retreat chaired by António Costa, President of the European Council.
Leaders will discuss European competitiveness in a changing geoeconomic context, with a particular focus on strengthening the Single Market, reducing barriers to growth and enhancing Europe’s strategic autonomy.
Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta are invited to contribute to the discussions by sharing their perspectives on European competitiveness and the future of the Single Market.
