Zoya Sheftalovich

The European Parliament's 719 lawmakers will take a six-week summer break before returning on Aug. 31 for negotiations ahead of a midterm reshuffle. The article also discusses potential social media restrictions for children, issues with the EU's new digital border system differentiating identical twins, and a recurring segment about monkeys.

EU foreign ministers in Brussels as some countries push the European Commission to propose trade restrictions on illegal Israeli settlements, with critics accusing Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of delaying. Ukraine's Coalition of the Willing meets in Paris, and von der Leyen receives expert recommendations on protecting children from social media.

Europe’s five largest military powers (France, Germany, the U.K., Italy, and Poland) are meeting in Berlin to prepare for a NATO summit and discuss support for Ukraine. The article also covers a contentious EU agreement on migrant return laws, which would transfer individuals ordered to leave the EU to detention centers outside the bloc, and a climate analysis of Europe’s ongoing heatwave.

The European Council summit in Brussels was dominated by divisions over European Council President António Costa’s outreach to the Kremlin, overshadowing planned discussions on the EU’s trade deficit with China. Correspondents analyzed the political rifts and potential impacts of next year’s elections on negotiations with Russia.

EU leaders gather in Brussels for a summit addressing tensions with China and debates over Europe's next long-term budget. The meeting also introduces four new heads of government and highlights the EU Commission's use of a homegrown AI tool to assess compliance of aspiring members with EU laws.