Following recent drone incidents along the EU eastern border, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is travelling to Vilnius, Lithuania on 26th May, 2026.
Follow the press conference with her, the Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, Estonian President Alar Karis, and Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs here live on YouTube.
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At the 2026 EU-Mexico Summit, Commission President von der Leyen announced a landmark trade deal that eliminates 95% of tariffs, unlocking €100M annual savings for EU exporters—especially in agri-food, dairy, wine, and meat.
🔹 Key Highlights: ✅ Zero-Tariff Trade: EU businesses gain unprecedented access to Mexico’s €100Bn+ market—Europe’s 2nd-largest Latin American trade partner. ✅ €5Bn Global Gateway Investment: Funding 13 solar/wind projects, Mexico City cable cars, pharmaceuticals, and digital networks. ✅ 568 EU Geographical Indications Protected (e.g., Gouda, Feta, Prosciutto di Parma, Tiroler Speck, Tequila). ✅ Gender Equality & Social Impact: €4M (80M pesos) for women’s rights projects + Joint Declaration on Trade & Gender Equality. ✅ Sustainable & Fair Trade: Aligned with Paris Climate Agreement, banning unfair export pricing and promoting circular economy (e.g., sargassum cleanup). ✅ New Security & Migration Dialogue to tackle transnational challenges.
🔹 Why This Matters for EU Businesses? 📈 More jobs (5.5M+ already supported by EU firms in Mexico). 💰 Cost savings (no tariffs = cheaper exports). 🌍 Sustainable growth with clean energy & digital trade opportunities.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction: A Historic EU-Mexico Partnership
01:20 – Gender Equality & €4M Investment in Women’s Rights
02:45 – The Modernised EU-Mexico Agreement: Trade, Climate & Fairness
04:10 – Zero Tariffs: Boosting EU-Mexico Agri-Food & Business Exports
06:30 – €5Bn Global Gateway Investment: Clean Energy, Digital & Health
08:50 – Protecting EU Geographical Indications (Gouda, Feta, Tequila & More!)
10:20 – New Security & Migration Dialogue
12:00 – Cultural Ties: Football, Art & Shared History
13:30 – Conclusion: A Stronger EU-Mexico Future.
Watch on the Audiovisual Portal of the European Commission:
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This week in the EU (18-22 May): two major trade deals got sealed — one with Mexico, one with the United States.
Europe also announced plans to build its own AI gigafactories and a new Fertilisers Action Plan to secure food production with European alternatives.
Links to the full details below. Follow for your weekly EU news recap.
🔹 EU–Mexico: a historic trade deal sealed this week, https://link.europa.eu/rkgypbkd
🔹 EU–US: after intensive negotiations, a transatlantic agreement, https://link.europa.eu/rkdnyvxk
🔹 AI Gigafactories: Europe opens calls for its first AI giga factories this summer, https://youtu.be/8pW1mhm09Fs?t=185
🔹 Fertilisers Action Plan: securing Europe’s food production with European alternatives, https://youtube.com/shorts/VZzEIujGWaM?si=udnxpOIgQDNwF-Rn
The European Commission is allocating €15 million in emergency assistance to support people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda affected by the Ebola outbreak. The EU has also invested over €80 million in research and development for vaccines against filoviruses, which cause Ebola, while supporting treatments and clinical trials to strengthen preparedness before a crisis hit. For people in Europe, the Commission says there is no cause for broader concern.
Tariffs, rising energy prices, and global uncertainty are putting pressure on Europe’s economy.
The European Commission projects weaker EU growth, with GDP expected to slow to 1.1% in 2026, while inflation is forecast to rise to 3.1% due to renewed energy pressures.
But investment in energy resilience, supply diversification, decarbonisation, and lower energy consumption may help Europe absorb the shock.
As Europe adapts to weaker demand, cautious businesses, and higher prices, one question remains:
Can Europe turn today’s uncertainty into tomorrow’s strength?
The European Commission has presented a new Fertiliser Action Plan to support farmers, strengthen Europe’s food security and reduce dependency on imports.
The plan includes immediate financial support for farmers, measures to reinforce domestic fertiliser production, and investment in sustainable and bio-based alternatives to improve Europe’s resilience and strategic autonomy.
The risk of Ebola infection in the European Union is very low, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), even for people travelling to affected regions in Africa.
The EU is following the situation closely and coordinating with Member States, experts and international partners. At this stage, no specific measures beyond normal public health advice are needed for people in Europe.
"Our Single Market is one of Europe’s greatest success stories." – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
On 20 May 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participated in the European Parliament Plenary Session in Strasbourg, France.
In her speech, President von der Leyen hailed the Single Market as Europe’s backbone—driving prosperity, setting global standards, and uniting 450 million people—but warned it must evolve to meet modern challenges.
She outlined six priorities: completing the market by cutting red tape, making it digital-first with AI and semiconductor investments (like the Chips Act 2.0), embedding sustainability to spur green innovation, boosting strategic independence through secure supply chains and trade deals, ensuring inclusion via smoother labour mobility, and strengthening the social dimension with an anti-poverty strategy, childcare support, and a Quality Jobs Act.
Urging action on the "One Europe, One Market" plan, she framed the Single Market’s future as vital to Europe’s competitiveness and resilience.
For the full speech of the President, see here: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_26_1110
Watch on the Audiovisual Portal of the European Commission: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/media/video/I-289505
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In a landmark address from Gothenburg, Sweden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen joins Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to unveil the "mother of all deals"—a historic EU-India trade agreement covering 2 billion people (25% of global GDP) with 90% tariff cuts.
This $2 trillion market deal will boost trade, create jobs, and strengthen supply chains, while paving the way for deeper investment, security, and tech cooperation—including AI, semiconductors, and space exploration.
🔹 Key Highlights: ✅ Trade: 90% tariff cuts, record-speed implementation by end of 2026 ✅ Investment: Next phase to de-risk supply chains and diversify economic ties ✅ Security & Defence: Joint naval exercises, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure protection ✅ Tech & Space: AI governance, semiconductor collaboration, and EU-India space missions ✅ Sweden-India Partnership: Commitment to double bilateral trade in 5 years
📌 Why This Matters: This deal marks a new era in EU-India relations, countering global instability with economic resilience, strategic autonomy, and shared prosperity.
Chapters
0:00 – Introduction: Gothenburg as a Trade Hub
0:25 – "Mother of All Deals": $2T Market & 90% Tariff Cuts
1:10 – From Gothenburg to Gujarat: Jobs & Prosperity
1:45 – Fast-Tracking the Deal: Business Event & Day-One Benefits
2:20 – Next Step: Investment Agreement to De-Risk Supply Chains
3:00 – Sweden-India Strategic Partnership: Doubling Trade in 5 Years
3:40 – Security & Defence: Naval Exercises & Cybersecurity
4:30 – Tech & AI: Semiconductors, Digital Systems & Supply Chain Resilience
5:10 – "Shooting for the Stars": EU-India Space Cooperation
6:00 – Conclusion: A New Era in EU-India Relations
Watch on the Audiovisual Portal of the European Commission:
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