Your Daily European Union Briefing

Parliament Advances Digital Euro, Proposes New Sanctions Regime, and Criticizes Ukraine

• The European Parliament voted on July 9, 2026, to open negotiations with the Council of the EU on a digital euro proposal, aiming to provide citizens with a secure electronic currency and reduce reliance on non-EU providers. This move, approved with 416 votes in favor, seeks to establish a new form of money issued by the European Central Bank (ECB) that would function both online and offline, incorporating privacy safeguards and requiring most businesses to accept it.

  Sofiaglobe

• The European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy proposed a new EU sanctions regime on July 9, 2026, to combat migrant smuggling, human trafficking, and other serious forms of organized crime, including illicit drug and firearms trafficking, and money laundering. This initiative, announced by President Ursula von der Leyen, aims to disrupt criminal business models through asset freezes and travel bans for identified individuals and entities.

  Europa Eu

• On July 8, 2026, the General Court of the European Union rejected Apple's challenge to its "gatekeeper" designation under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), preserving the EU's efforts to regulate large digital platforms. The ruling upholds Apple's designation for iOS, Safari, and the App Store, requiring the company to gradually open parts of its ecosystem to rivals and preventing it from treating its various App Stores as separate services.

  Courthousenews

• In a notable development, the European Parliament on July 8, 2026, criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for naming a military unit after a group associated with the massacre of Poles during World War Two, calling it an "unprovoked escalation" that disregards Polish sensitivities. This resolution, passed by a majority of MEPs, highlights a diplomatic strain amidst broader support for Ukraine's reform efforts and EU accession process.

  Notesfrompoland