BRUSSELS, September 24 — Against the backdrop of a European Union calendar that rarely pauses, the week of 21–26 September has unfolded as one of the densest stretches of institutional activity this autumn, with the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament all pressing forward on files that will shape the bloc’s budget, its industrial base and its place in space.
In the corridors of the Council, ministers responsible for European affairs gathered in Brussels for a policy debate on the next Multiannual Financial Framework covering 2028–2034 — the long-term spending blueprint that determines what the Union can actually do, and for how long. The same session began preparations for the October European Council.
The Commission was to present a letter of intent, and ministers were set to hold an exchange of views on the EU’s legislative programming for 2027. Rule of law stayed on the agenda. As part of the annual rule of law dialogue, ministers held a horizontal discussion on general developments across the Union, and exchanged views on the broader trend in selected candidate countries.
Industrial strategy and the chips question
Separately, the Competitiveness Council took up the Chips Act 2.0 alongside the revision of merger control guidelines — two files that sit at the centre of Europe’s attempt to secure its technological base. On the Commission side, the second edition of the EU Access to Space Conference, organised by the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space, convened leaders from across the space ecosystem. Its focus was the translation of policy ambitions into actionable strategies for Europe’s sovereign, resilient and cost-effective access to space.
The Commission also held an event on the EU advanced materials ecosystem, bringing stakeholders together to discuss findings in that field, and staged the EU Organic Awards Ceremony 2026. On 21 September, the Commission launched the Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform at the headquarters of the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions in Brussels.
The platform will bring together experts from across sectors to help guide the EU’s journey towards water resilience. A webinar featuring CEA, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, demonstrated how cross-border access, simplified contracts and tailored support can drive collaboration between a leading research and technology organisation and start-ups and SMEs. The European Week of Sport runs from 23–30 September, inviting people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to take part locally, regionally, nationally or across borders — in schools, workplaces, parks, clubs and public spaces across Europe.
Parliament’s delegations fan out across four continents
European Parliament delegations travelled widely. A Foreign Affairs committee delegation visited Iceland from Monday to Wednesday for talks on foreign policy, security and the future of EU-Iceland relations in the aftermath of the 29 August referendum. An Internal Market and Consumer Protection committee delegation was in South Korea from Monday to Thursday, exploring how the country regulates new digital technologies, artificial intelligence and deepfakes and enforces online trade rules, following the recent conclusion of the EU-South Korea digital partnership.
MEPs from the Subcommittee on Tax Matters travelled to Washington DC and Delaware from Monday to Wednesday to discuss EU-US relations in the field of taxation, combating tax evasion and global progress on tax issues. They met the US Department of the Treasury, Congress, the Council of Economic Advisors, the Internal Revenue Service, private-sector stakeholders, experts and civil society.
MEPs from the Transport and Tourism and the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality committees visited Greenland from Monday to Thursday. Transport MEPs discussed EU-Greenland cooperation on transport infrastructure, maritime and air connectivity and sustainable tourism in the Arctic. Gender equality MEPs visited Ilulissat and Nuuk to learn about the situation of indigenous women and girls and to discuss gender-based violence, access to healthcare and education, and the impact of climate change on indigenous communities.
A Culture and Education committee delegation went to Oulu, Finland — the 2026 European Capital of Culture — from Monday to Wednesday to discuss sustainable development, cultural diversity and resilience, while Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs MEPs explored the Finnish model of preparedness and civil protection in Helsinki. A Petitions committee delegation visited Greece from Monday to Wednesday to review lessons learned from the 2023 passenger and freight trains crash near Tempi, which claimed 57 lives.
The MEPs met national and regional authorities for updates on steps taken to improve railway safety. What is at stake in the wider picture is whether a Union that can debate its budget through 2034 in one room can simultaneously project attention from Iceland to South Korea, from Greenland to the Aegean. The October European Council, and the legislative programme for 2027, will show how much of this week’s ambition survives contact with the calendar.
