The Council of the European Union has adopted negotiating positions on two Commission proposals aimed at reinforcing passenger rights across the EU. The first proposal seeks to amend five existing sectoral regulations to improve enforcement of passenger rights, whilst the second introduces new protections for multimodal journeys. Key changes include clarifying reimbursement procedures for tickets booked through intermediaries, defining 'recognised assistance dogs' and establishing a framework for passenger rights in multimodal travel. The Council's positions aim to balance enhanced passenger protection with reduced administrative burden for operators and national authorities. These developments pave the way for upcoming trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament, potentially leading to significant updates in EU passenger rights legislation.

The Council of the EU has adopted a new Regulation on the targeting and transparency of policital advertising, with the core aim to counter information manipulation and foreign interference during elections, referendums, and legislative processes at EU or Member State level. This will create transparency and ease for the public, who will be able to easily recognise political advertisements, comprehend who is behind them and know whether they have received a targeted advertisement, so that they can make informed decisions. This Regulation also aims to provide a right to privacy and that the freedom of opinion and freedom of speech are protected. These new rules do not affect the content or aspects of political advertisements of political advertising, including the conduct of political campaigns, which are subject to national rules of Member States.

The Council of the EU has adopted the revised Directive on the legal protection of designs and the amended Regulation on community designs, with the aim of improving the protection of industrial designs in the era of digital designs and 3D printing. The two pieces of legislation will make it cheaper to register designs at the EU level, harmonise procedures between EU and national systems, and exempt from the design protection the spare parts used for repair of complex products under a new ‘repair clause’.

The Council of the European Union has given its final approval to updated rules governing the mechanism for suspending visa-free travel for third-country nationals. The revised regulation broadens the grounds for suspension to include misalignment with EU visa policy, the operation of investor citizenship schemes lacking genuine links to the issuing state, and deteriorating diplomatic relations, including those linked to human rights violations. Under the new framework, a lower threshold of 30% will now trigger consideration of suspension based on increases in entry refusals, overstays, asylum applications, or serious criminal offences. The initial suspension period has been extended from six to twelve months, with the possibility of a further 24-month extension. During this period, measures may be applied selectively, targeting specific categories such as government officials or diplomats.

The Council of the European Union has adopted a regulation streamlining EU biocides rules by extending certain data protection periods, with the aim of improving the functioning of the biocidal products market while maintaining a high level of protection for human health and the environment. The regulation forms part of the ‘Omnibus X’ legislative package, which seeks to reduce administrative costs and regulatory burdens without lowering existing food, feed, health or environmental standards. The extension of data protection periods is intended to align with the upcoming full evaluation of EU biocides rules, due to take place in 2026–27. The regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will enter into force 20 days after publication.

The Council of the European Union has adopted a directive amending EU measuring instrument requirements to support the deployment of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), compressed gas dispensers and thermal energy meters. The updated measuring instruments directive (MID) aims to advance the green transition by introducing common standards, prioritising digitalisation and enabling the use of emerging gases such as hydrogen. Member States must implement the changes within 24 months, with most requirements applying 30 months after entry into force and longer transitional periods for EVSE and compressed gas dispensers.

The Council of the EU has formally adopted a Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts to provide better information for the European Green Deal and support the EU’s progress in meeting its environmental goals by collating economic and environmental information. The revised Regulation also extends the common framework for collecting, compiling and evaluating the European environmental economic accounts, by introducing forest accounts, ecosystem accounts, and environmental subsidies accounts as new environmental account modules. A new statistical data portal has also been introduced under the amended Regulation, which will summarise key indicators and data in a manner which is easy to understand and accessible for all users. It will be operated from December 2024 and updated once a year. The new Regulation will come into force 20 days after it has been published in the Official Journal of the EU and, from 31 December 2024 and at least every two years after, Eurostat will publish data and statistics on climate change mitigation.

The Council of the EU has adopted a Regulation which aims to track and reduce methane emissions as part of the Fit for 55 package. New requirements are introduced by the Regulation in terms of measuring, reporting and verifying methane emissions in the energy sector. The Regulation requires operators to measure methane emissions at source level and compile monitoring reports to be reviewed by independent accredited verifiers. The new rules also oblige operators to detect and repair methane leaks within five days after detection, with a deadline of 30 days for full repairs. The Regulation also introduces global monitoring tools aimed at increasing methane emissions transparency in the EU. These new rules will start applying 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

The Council of the European Union has adopted its first reading position on new toy safety regulation intended to replace Directive 2009/48/EC. The regulation bans or restricts dangerous chemical substances in toys including endocrine disruptors, skin sensitisers, biocidal products, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. It introduces digital product passports containing safety information to facilitate customs control and market surveillance. The regulation requires European Parliament approval before entering into force, with full application following a 4.5-year transition period.

The Council of the EU has adopted its position on the Commission’s ‘Omnibus III’ legislative package, aimed at simplifying the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to enhance the competitiveness of European agriculture. The package amends the key CAP regulations to reduce administrative burdens, improve support for small and organic farms, and streamline compliance procedures. The Council endorsed measures expected to generate annual savings of up to €1.6bn for farmers and over €200m for national administrations, while also introducing greater flexibility for member states, enhanced risk management tools, and increased advance payments for farmers affected by crises. Negotiations with the European Parliament will follow once it adopts its position, with the initiative forming part of a broader EU strategy to reduce regulatory burdens and improve operational conditions across sectors.

The Council of the European Union has adopted its position on amendments to the EU Critical Raw Materials Act (EU CRMA), supporting the European Commission’s proposal to strengthen the security of supply and circularity of critical raw materials in the EU. The amendments transfer responsibility for identifying large companies using critical raw materials from member states to the Commission. They enhance transparency and accountability in how those companies manage supply risks and empower the Commission to propose best-efforts risk-mitigation measures in the event of potential supply disruptions. The Council requires the Commission to inform Member States and the European Critical Raw Materials Board of the companies identified as large and of their vulnerabilities. It also requires the Commission to notify and share information with member states when requesting data from companies and to present its risk assessments to the Board to ensure Member State involvement. The position clarifies the Commission’s authority and permits the use of digital product passports to meet information obligations on permanent magnets and provides a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament.

The Council of the EU has adopted its position on the Regulation for compulsory licensing for crisis management. The Regulation aims to construct an EU-wide framework which will serve as an alternative in crises (eg a pandemic or natural disaster) when voluntary agreements are not available, and will ensure an appropriate territorial reach of compulsory licensing to cover cross-border supply chains. The Union compulsory licence will be linked to crisis instruments, such as the internal market emergency and resilience act  and will only be granted after the activiation of an emergency. The Council's negotiating mandate also restructures the process of granting a compulsory licence to protect intellectual property rights-holders and ensures that a right-holder is remunerated  when a license is granted to a licensee during a crisis.