EU Deploys Record Emergency Resources Amid Rising Wildfire Threats

This week, farm ministers try to agree post-2027 rules for the common agricultural policy (CAP), while energy ministers discuss the proposed regulation on network charges, aimed at future-proofing electricity bills in the EU; the Commission holds the Annual Conference on Regulatory Scrutiny, an implementation dialogue on digital finance, the EU-Central Asia Innovation Forum 2026, and a Workshop on Digitalisation and AI in the energy sector; and MEPs on delegations investigate working conditions at Amazon warehouses in Poland and Germany, visit Hungary to assess developments in light of the new government’s pledges to restore the rule of law, monitor Serbia’s early parliamentary elections and engage in talks with Chinese counterparts on fair competition and trade. The week’s events in the European Union including EU Council, Commission and Parliament meetings from 25 to 30 October 2026.

Monday 26 October

European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs

European Parliament delegations

Poland and Germany/Amazon: Employment and Social Affairs committee MEPs will investigate working conditions at Amazon warehouses in Dortmund (Germany) and Katowice (Poland). They will visit robotic and manual operation sites, and meet with workers and their representatives, who have described their working environment as excessively intense, with monitoring, deteriorating health conditions, and union-busting practices. (Monday to Tuesday)

Hungary/EU values: a Civil Liberties committee delegation will visit Hungary to assess developments in light of the new government’s pledges to restore the rule of law and bring the country back into conformity with EU and international standards. (Monday to Wednesday)

Serbia/election observation: a delegation of seven MEPs has joined the international election observation mission to Serbia, to monitor the country’s early parliamentary elections, taking place on 25 October. (Friday to Monday)

India/foreign affairs: a Foreign Affairs committee delegation will be in India to meet with Indian counterparts, government representatives and non-governmental organisations to discuss the EU-India strategic agenda and geopolitical challenges. (Monday to Wednesday)

Weekly agenda

Monday 26 October

Council of the EU | Political meetings | CAP | Fish quotas

Agriculture and Fisheries Council

Luxembourg

Agriculture ministers will seek to agree on a partial negotiating position on the post-2027 rules for the common agricultural policy (CAP). They will also discuss trade-related agricultural issues, a recurring item on the agenda of the AGRIFISH Council. Fisheries ministers will aim to reach a political agreement on the fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2027. They will also prepare the ground for the EU’s position for the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

Agenda and briefing

Tuesday 27 October

European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs

European Parliament delegations

China/trade: after an eight year gap, an International Trade committee delegation will travel to Beijing and Shanghai for talks with Chinese counterparts on fair competition and trade, better market access for European companies, industrial subsidies, secure supply chains, and critical raw materials. (Tuesday to Thursday)

Spain/EuroLat: around 40 MEPs and parliamentarians from Latin America and the Caribbean will assess the state of EU-Latin America relations, geopolitical challenges, and prospects for the future during the 17th plenary session of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EuroLat) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain). (Tuesday to Thursday)

Japan/defence and health: MEPs from Security and Defence and Public Health committees will visit Japan. The Defence committee MEPs will be exploring closer EU-Japan defence-industrial cooperation, joint procurements and technology transfer, while the Public Health committee MEPs will look into EU-Japan cooperation on pharmaceuticals, biotech and healthy aging, and discuss ways to address mental health issues. (Tuesday to Thursday)

Weekly agenda

Tuesday 27 – Wednesday 28 October

Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Defence policy

ENDR Conference “European Young Professionals Defence Summit 2026”

Malmö, Sweden

In the framework of the European Network of Defence-related Regions – ENDR, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space – DG DEFIS, together with ENDR member Säkerhets- och försvarsföretagen (SOFF)/Swedish Security & Defence Industry Association – will host the ENDR conference “European Young Professionals Defence Summit”.

The “European Young Professionals Defence Summit” brings together early-career professionals from across Europe to discuss the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of European defence.

More information on the event

Tuesday 27 October

Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | EU law

Eighth Annual Conference on Regulatory Scrutiny

Brussels

As usual, the Conference on Regulatory Scrutiny will be dedicated to exploring the findings of the RSB’s Annual Report and to bringing together different stakeholders – representatives of EU institutions as well as national public administrations and non-governmental sector – to reflect on regulatory scrutiny work in the European Commission.

More information on the event

Tuesday 27 October

Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Financial services | Digital finance strategy

Implementation dialogue on digital finance with Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque

Brussels

The European Commission has pledged to reduce administrative burdens and simplify legislation.It has launched a series of dialogues to engage directly with stakeholders on how to achieve policy objectives in a way that minimises compliance burdens.

Maria Luís Albuquerque, Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union, will host an implementation dialogue on digital finance. As the digital transformation continues to reshape financial services, this dialogue will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to share practical experiences with the implementation of key EU regulatory frameworks in the digital sphere and identify possible areas and measures for simplification.

More information on the event

Wednesday 28 October

European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs

European Parliament delegations

Netherlands/international justice: MEPs on the Legal Affairs committee will travel to The Hague to express their solidarity with the International Criminal Court. The Court and its members have been awarded the 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

Weekly agenda

Wednesday 28 October

Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | International cooperation

EU-Central Asia Innovation Forum 2026

Tashkent, Uzbekistan | Live streaming available

On 28 October in Tashkent, researchers, innovators, companies and public institutions from Europe and Central Asia will meet to discuss new opportunities for cooperation.

More information on the event

Wednesday 28 – Friday 30 October

Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Research

EURAXESS biennial conference 2026

Sofia, Bulgaria | Live streaming available

“EURAXESS – Researchers in Motion” is an initiative of the European Research Area (ERA), with origins dating back to 2004. It aims to facilitate researcher mobility, support career development, create conditions for open and transparent recruitment, promote cooperation between research-performing organisations and make research careers more attractive across Europe and beyond.

Under the theme “Evolving EURAXESS in a Changing World,” the Conference will explore how EURAXESS can adapt to a research environment increasingly shaped by geopolitical uncertainty, global competition for talent, changing researcher career paths, new mobility and integration needs, research security and the need for more inclusive and resilient research ecosystems.

More information on the event

Thursday 29 October

Council of the EU | Political meetings | Energy

Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council

Luxembourg

Energy ministers meet to discuss the proposed regulation on network charges, aimed at future-proofing electricity bills in the EU. They will also exchange views on energy security in the immediate and longer term, as well as potential energy targets for the post-2030 framework.

Agenda and briefing

Thursday 29 October

Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Energy policy

Workshop: Digitalisation and AI in the energy sector

Online only

The Energy Transition Expertise Centre – ENTEC2 is organising a series of 3 online workshops from October to December 2026, to present and discuss the findings of the recent ENTEC2 studies.

The series with the study Support for the preparations of a strategic roadmap for digitalisation and AI in the energy sector. The study assesses where AI and digital technologies can bring the most value to Europe’s energy system, from grid operation to the role of data centres.

More information on the event

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