The European Commission has proposed a draft annual budget of €199.7bn for 2025 as part of the EU’s long-term budget as adopted at the end of 2020 and as amended in February 2024. The draft budget will be allocated across different areas including the Common Agricultural Policy, European Strategic investments, security, European Space Programme and the functioning of the Single Market. The draft budget will have to be formally adopted by the Budgetary Authority before the end of 2024.

The European Commission has published a draft delegated regulation aimed at amending Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/803 to extend ESMA's procedural rules to include consolidated tape providers (CTPs). This proposal seeks to widen the regulation's scope to encompass all data reporting service providers (DRSPs) overseen by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). The initiative stems from Regulation (EU) 2024/791 which introduced amendments to Regulation (EU) 600/2014 (MiFIR) (the amending Regulation), which supports the establishment of CTPs in the EU and sets a timeline for their selection and authorisation by ESMA. The proposed amendment ensures that ESMA's procedural rules for fining powers will apply consistently across all supervised DRSPs, aligning with the upcoming CTP authorisation process. The draft regulation covers various aspects, including rights of defence, collection of fines, periodic penalty payments, and limitation periods. Responses are sought by 6 March 2025 and the feedback will be considered in finalising the initiative.

The European Commission has proposed a comprehensive framework for the future of Ukrainian refugees in the EU. The proposal would extend temporary protection for those fleeing Russia's aggression until 4 March 2027, thereby ensuring ongoing legal certainty for displaced persons and Member States. It also outlines a Council Recommendation to support a coordinated transition out of temporary protection, which includes facilitating transitions to national or EU legal statuses (which could be residence permits based on employment, education, research, or a national long-term resident status), enabling exploratory visits to Ukraine, and implementing voluntary return programmes in collaboration with Ukrainian authorities. Complementary measures, such as the establishment of Unity Hubs and enhanced information exchange protocols, further aim to support both integration within host societies and secure dignified returns to Ukraine. The next step is for the proposals to be formally adopted by the Council.

The European Commission has proposed targeted amendments to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products (CMO). These proposed amendments aim to strengthen farmers' position in the agri-food supply chain by enhancing contract rules, mandating mediation mechanisms, boosting producer organisations' bargaining power, and allowing EU financial support for crisis management initiatives. The Commission has also proposed measures to improve the definition of marketing terms and expand possibilities for sustainability initiatives with social dimensions. These changes are designed to address pressing challenges in the agricultural sector and improve farmers' income and bargaining position.

The European Commission has proposed a progressive implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES), a new digital border control mechanism for the Schengen area. The proposal allows Member States a six-month period to gradually deploy the system, starting with at least 10% of border crossings and reaching full implementation by the end's period. The Commission has included provisions for temporary suspension and biometric data collection exemptions in exceptional circumstances to address potential disruptions. This phased approach aims to facilitate smoother adoption whilst maintaining border security. The proposal now awaits adoption by the European Parliament and Council before it can take effect.

The European Commission has launched a consultation on a draft delegated regulation to incorporate consolidated tape providers (CTPs) into the supervisory fee framework of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). This initiative seeks to amend current regulations to ensure supervisory fees cover ESMA's costs for authorising and supervising CTPs. Stakeholders can submit feedback by 10 March 2025.

The European Commission has put forward a proposal to establish a single digital declaration portal for companies temporarily posting workers to other EU Member States. This voluntary system aims to reduce the administrative burden on businesses by an estimated 73%, while maintaining robust worker protections. The portal will streamline the declaration process to around 30 data points, available in all EU languages, and integrate with the existing Internal Market Information System. This initiative forms part of the Commission's broader goal to cut companies' reporting requirements by 25% and enhance fair labour mobility across the EU. The proposal builds upon similar digital solutions already implemented for posted road transport workers.

The European Commission has proposed to allow more times for companies to apply Regulation (EU) 2017/746 (In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation (IVDR)). Recent data showed that a significant number of IVDs on the market did not comply with the new rules and had not been replaced by new devices. This is crucial for high-risk IVDs, which are devices usually used to test for infections in blood and organ donations. The proposal will enhance the availability of in vitro Diagnostics (IVD) by extending the transitional period for certain IVDs, ensure patient care by enhancing the availability of essential healthcare products and will improve transparency in the medical sector, enabling the rapid roll-out of the electronic systems integrated into the European database on medical devices (EUDAMED). The Proposal will now be put forward to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU for adoption.

The European Commission has proposed to review the European Works Councils (EWCs) Directive to enhance social dialogue in the EU further. EWCs concern companies with more than 1,000 employees operating in at least two EU or European Economic Area (EEA) countries and are information and consultation bodies that make sure that employees are involved in transnational issues and decisions. The proposed revision will enhance the role of EWCs by enabling their establishment, promoting more useful information and consultation, ensuring they have the capacity and capability to carry out their work, and will boost the gender balance of EWCs

The European Commission has reported on the State of Schengen, especially on the achievements, challenges, and developments in the Schengen area during the last 2023–24 cycle. With Schengen being the most visited destination in the world in 2023, it has significantly contributed to the EU economy, as tourism provides close to 10% of the EU's GDP and provides jobs to around 22.6m people.

The European Commission has published its 2025 State of the Digital Decade report, urging renewed action on digital transformation and technological sovereignty. The report evaluates the EU's progress toward its 2030 digital transformation targets by examining four areas: digital infrastructure, business digitalisation, digital skills, and public service digitalisation. It reveals that while some progress has been made, the rollout of connectivity infrastructure such as fibre and 5G stand-alone networks remains slow. There is an increasing uptake of AI, cloud, and big data by companies, yet more rapid progress is essential. Furthermore, only just over half of Europeans have basic digital skills, and there is a shortage of advanced ICT specialists, a situation worsened by a significant gender imbalance which restricts progress in key sectors like cybersecurity and AI. Although the digitalisation of public services has made headway, a considerable portion of governmental digital infrastructure continues to rely on providers from outside the EU. Persistent challenges such as fragmented markets, complex regulations and strategic dependence call for greater public and private investment, reforms to better integrate the single market, and eased administrative burdens. These measures could potentially boost the EU's gross domestic product by an estimated 1.8% by 2030. Member States are set to review the recommendations and discuss the future course of action, with further assessments scheduled for 2026 to ensure that targets remain in line with the evolving digital landscape and the EU's broader ambitions.

The European Commission has published an impact assessment on ways to reach the EU’s climate neutrality goal by 2050. In response to the impact assessment, the Commission has recommended a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 compared to 1990 levels and has published a Communication setting out enabling policy conditions to achieve this target. These include full implementation of the existing legislation to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030, keeping fairness, solidarity and social policies at the core of the transition, maintaining a level playing field with international partners and an open dialogue with all stakeholders. The Commission believes that setting a 2040 target lay the groundwork for citizens, businesses and public authorities to make right investment and policy decisions and prevent scarce resources from being used wastefully. The Commission has also published a set of Questions and Answers in relation to the Communication.