European Union

In Wednesday’s edition: Mogherini, Séjourné’s minerals, EU-US, Russian gas

Some argue the pro-separatist Junts has toughened its stance toward Madrid because it fears losing voters to the far-right Aliança Catalana

As far-right parties hammer Brussels over corruption, the EU’s own investigators may be proving them right

MEPs are divided along fault lines that are not simply left and right

The former EU foreign-policy chief reinvented herself as the high-profile rector of Europe’s finishing school for the EU elite – until a fraud probe sent Belgian police to her Bruges doorstep

Prosecutors suspect a tender was skewed toward the College of Europe, which runs the school

Europe’s defence debate now centres on one blunt question: how many people can fight if they must?

Europe is spending billions upgrading its defences to deter Russia, but wavering public resolve risks leaving Russia undeterred by Europe’s growing military strength

The move paves the way for a Commission plan to ban Russian oil, ending the bloc's 57-year energy relationship with Moscow

Draft legislation informally agreed with the Council seeks to protect the EU’s interests from the weaponisation of energy supplies by the Russian Federation.
Committee on International Trade
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Draft legislation informally agreed with the Council seeks to protect the EU’s interests from the weaponisation of energy supplies by the Russian Federation.
Committee on International Trade
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Parliament has struck a deal with Council on updating protection rules for package holidaymakers, based on lessons learned from the pandemic and high-profile bankruptcies.
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Parliament has struck a deal with Council on updating protection rules for package holidaymakers, based on lessons learned from the pandemic and high-profile bankruptcies.
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

But there is nothing to worry about, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday

The key concern is that ACT would boost US tech influence in EU standard-setting

MEPs secured new EU measures for the more effective prevention and prosecution of corruption, including reinforced cooperation and greater transparency.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

MEPs secured new EU measures for the more effective prevention and prosecution of corruption, including reinforced cooperation and greater transparency.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Length of video : 60'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The Digital Services Act investigation will also look at whether each platform's users can report child sexual abuse material anonymously

Written by Ivana Katsarova.

Energy drinks, widely marketed as performance-enhancing products, contain high levels of caffeine, sugar and stimulants such as taurine and guarana. Rising and excessive consumption among adolescents has raised public health concerns linked to acute cardiovascular effects, sleep disruption and gastrointestinal issues. Although the global energy drink market is expanding rapidly, these beverages still represent a small share of the EU non-alcoholic drinks market. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) consumption data indicate that adolescents are the age group with the highest consumption of energy drinks, with some of them being high chronic users.

At EU level, no product-specific legislation exists. However, Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 requires a mandatory high-caffeine warning label. Industry bodies such as UNESDA (representing the non-alcoholic beverages sector) and Energy Drinks Europe apply voluntary marketing restrictions, particularly concerning children. National rules vary widely. Several EU countries – including Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria – have introduced bans on sales to minors, while others rely on voluntary retail measures.

Outside the EU, diverse regulatory models exist, from strict bans to voluntary guidelines. The European Commission considers EFSA’s 2015 scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine sufficient and sees no need for additional EU-level action at this stage.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Energy drinks consumption in minors: EU and national approaches‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.