This week, foreign affairs ministers exchange views on Russia’s war on Ukraine and on the Middle East; the Competitiveness Council will discuss the European competitiveness fund, the 2026 single market report and the emergency plans for industrial resilience; in an extraordinary plenary session, the European Parliament will vote on the European contributions to a just peace and sustained security for Ukraine; and in committee will debate customs duties on imports from the US, and also the actions of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The week’s events in the European Union including EU Council, Commission and Parliament meetings from 23 – 28 February 2026.
Monday 23 February
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
Extraordinary plenary session and committee meetings
Brussels
The next European Chief Prosecutor: the Civil Liberties Committee will hold a final vote on the appointment of Andrés Ritter from Germany as new European Chief Prosecutor, starting from November 2026. The EU Chief Prosecutor is responsible for directing the work of the European Public Prosecutor Office and is appointed jointly by Parliament and Council.
European Parliamentary Week 2026: this year’s conference will gather MEPs and parliamentarians from EU member states, candidate and observer countries, to debate on EU economic direction, budgetary choices and social priorities. The event will be opened by EP President Roberta Metsola and Cyprus’ House of Representatives President Annita Demetriou (Monday and Tuesday).
Monday 23 February
Council of the EU | Political meetings | Agriculture | Trade
Agriculture and Fisheries Council
Brussels
Ministers will exchange views on the post-2027 common agricultural policy proposals and on the report on the evaluation of the unfair trading practices Directive.
Monday 23 February
Council of the EU | Political meetings | Ukraine | Middle East
Foreign Affairs Council
Brussels
The Council will exchange views on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and on the situation in the Middle East, in light of the latest developments in the region, including in Gaza and the West Bank.
Monday 23 February
Other bodies and agencies | Expert meetings | European citizenship
Meeting of the organisers of the European citizens’ initiative “Stop Destroying Videogames” with the European Commission
Brussels
The organisers of the fourteenth successful European citizens’ initiative ‘Stop Destroying Videogames’ are meeting the representatives of the European Commission, to present their ideas in more depth.
This meeting is not public.
Monday 23 – Wednesday 25 February
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | The EU’s international role | International cooperation | Global Gateway
Liberia-EU Business Forum 2026
Brussels
Join the Liberia-EU Business Forum in Brussels (24-25 February, 2026) to explore investment opportunities in Liberia. Engage with government leaders, EU investors, and entrepreneurs through panel discussions, networking events, and deal-making sessions.
Tuesday 24 February
Council of the EU | Political meetings | Democracy
General Affairs Council
Brussels
Ministers responsible for European affairs meet to start preparations for the March European Council by discussing an annotated draft agenda. The Council will also hold an exchange of views on the European Centre for Democratic Resilience.
Tuesday 24 February
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
Extraordinary plenary session and committee meetings
Brussels
Four years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine: in an extraordinary plenary session, Parliament will debate and vote on the European contributions to a just peace and sustained security for Ukraine, on the day that marks four years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
EU-US trade deal: the International Trade Committee will vote its position on two legislative proposals aimed at implementing certain aspects of the EU-US Framework Agreement (Turnberry Deal), particularly on the customs duties on goods imports from the US.
Human Rights/ICE: the actions of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and EU’s role in upholding human rights in its external action will be debated by MEPs of the Human Rights Subcommittee and the Delegation for Relations with the US.
Tuesday 24 February
Other bodies and agencies | Public debates | Poverty | Working conditions | Employment policy | Social policy | Child protection
Implementation dialogue on measures to combat poverty
Brussels
The main objective of this implementation dialogue is to bring together key stakeholders to examine how EU and national policies tackle poverty through minimum income schemes along the active inclusion approach and the European Child Guarantee.
Tuesday 24 February
Other bodies and agencies | Training and workshops | Translation | Machine translation | Multilingualism | Language industry | Language skills | Artificial intelligence
Echoes of the 2025 Translating Europe Forum
Online only
The 2025 Translating Europe Forum brought together over 70 speakers, who discussed quality in translation from various angles over 3 days. Join us for ‘Echoes of TEF’: a compact and insightful overview of the Forum highlights. Topics include clear language, AI bias, human creation value, multi-modal quality evaluation, and standards.
This will be followed by an engaging presentation on Creativity and Innovation in Translation by Marina Pantcheva from RWS.
Wednesday 25 February
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
Extraordinary plenary session and committee meetings
Brussels
Competitiveness/Omnibus IV: two proposals to reduce administrative burdens for so-called small-caps companies (SMCs), part of the Omnibus IV package, will be up for a vote. The proposals will be dealt in two separate votes by the Economics, Environment and Civil Liberties committees and the Economics and Civil Liberties committees.
US sanctions against Thierry Breton and EU citizens: the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee will debate, with former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton and other EU advocates for user rights and EU digital laws, the recent visa sanctions imposed on them by the United States. MEPs will discuss these measures and their broader implications for Europe’s digital sovereignty.
EU-wide definition of rape: MEPs in the Women’s Rights and Civil Liberties committee will vote on whether to ask for legislation establishing an EU-wide definition of rape based on the absence of consent, recognising gender-based violence as a new EU crime and ensuring rape survivors’ full access to medical services, including abortion.
Thursday 26 February
Council of the EU | Political meetings | Internal market and Industry
Competitiveness Council
Brussels
Internal market and industry ministers will approve conclusions on the consumer agenda 2025-2030 and will discuss the European competitiveness fund, the 2026 single market report and the emergency plans for industrial resilience.
Thursday 26 February
Council of the EU | Political meetings | Cohesion | Cities
General Affairs Council
Brussels
Ministers responsible for cohesion policies will meet in Brussels to approve conclusions on the EU agenda for cities. The Council will also hold an exchange of views on the mid-term review of cohesion policy 2021-2027 and lessons learnt for the future.
Thursday 26 February
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
Extraordinary plenary session and committee meetings
Brussels
ECB President Lagarde: the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee will hold its first “monetary dialogue” of the year with Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB). Among the topics likely to be raised by MEPs: the recent decision to keep key interest rates unchanged, monetary policy communication and the gap between actual and perceived inflation.
Thursday 26 – Friday 27 February
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Common security and defence policy
Battlefield redefined 2026: Modern technologies with dual-use potential for enhancing security, defence and space resilience
Nicosia, Cyprus
In the framework of the European Network of Defence-related Regions (ENDR), DG DEFIS – together with ENDR member CARIE and the Cyprus Defence & Space Industry Cluster – invites you to Nicosia for a high-level European hybrid event dedicated to the future of dual-use innovation across Defence, Security, and Space.
Bringing together a conference and a static exhibition featuring Cypriot and European manufacturers, this forum offers a unique opportunity for industry leaders, researchers, policymakers, and innovators to shape the future of European defence and dual-use technology.
Thursday 26 – Sunday 31 May
Other bodies and agencies | Campaign launches | Health | Preparedness
Prepared, Not Panicked: The Health Crisis Podcast
DG HERA’s podcast series “Prepared, Not Panicked: The Health Crisis Podcast” brings together experts, policymakers and partners to exchange perspectives on key aspects of public health preparedness and response. Across four episodes, the series explores how Europe can better anticipate, prepare for and respond to future health crises.
Friday 27 February
Council of the EU | Political meetings | Research
Competitiveness Council
Brussels
Research ministers will approve the Council position on the research fund for coal and steel and will discuss on the Horizon Europe program, and on international cooperation on R&D.
