Weekly report
Council adopts 21st sanctions package against Russia — the biggest listing round in four years · Commission fines Google €890 million in its first Digital Markets Act penalty · Reserve lists published for Lawyer-Linguists / Legal Revisers (EPSO/AD/423/25) · EPSO schedules maintenance of its online contact forms
On 23 July the Council adopted its 21st package of sanctions against Russia, with 218 new designations targeting energy, financial services, crypto, trade and the military. Measures include freezing the oil price cap, sanctioning 41 additional shadow-fleet vessels and extending a transaction ban to 14 crypto-related platforms.
Council of the EUOn 23 July the European Commission fined Google €890 million for breaching the Digital Markets Act — €460 million for self-preferencing in Search and €430 million over Play Store steering restrictions. Google must end the practices within 60 days or face periodic penalty payments of up to 5% of worldwide daily turnover.
European CommissionOn 24 July the Council listed an additional six individuals responsible for serious human-rights violations in Iran, including five judges of regional Revolutionary Courts who presided over trials targeting religious minorities and political dissidents. The move also referenced Iran's continued support for Russia's war against Ukraine.
Council of the EUIn step with the 21st Russia package, the EU adopted a parallel set of restrictive measures against Belarus, tightening trade and financial provisions to prevent circumvention. The coordinated approach aims to close loopholes exploited via Belarusian territory and entities.
Council of the EUOn 17 July the European Commission launched the EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance during the third EU-Ukraine Defence Industry Forum in Kyiv. The initiative deepens industrial cooperation on drone technology, pooling European and Ukrainian expertise to scale up production.
European CommissionNew EU energy rules moved forward on 24 July, aimed at cleaner and more secure energy supplies together with stronger protections for consumers. The measures form part of the bloc's push to reinforce energy resilience and shield households from price volatility.
Council of the EUOn 23 July the Council appointed a new EU Special Representative for the Sahel, reaffirming the bloc's engagement in a region facing security, governance and humanitarian challenges. The envoy will coordinate EU diplomacy and support across the region.
Council of the EUCommission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement on the 21st sanctions package, calling it a hard-hitting response that further constrains Russia's ability to finance its war. She underlined continued EU unity on pressuring Moscow's energy and financial revenues.
European CommissionIn its late-July agenda, the Council addressed the competitiveness of Europe's banking sector and new defence-industry collaboration with Ukraine, part of the drive to strengthen both financial resilience and security capacity. The work feeds into the autumn simplification and budget debates.
Council of the EUBeyond the €890 million fine, the Commission's DMA decision requires Google to bring its Search and Play Store practices into compliance within 60 days. Failure to do so could trigger periodic penalty payments, marking the first concrete enforcement test of the landmark digital-competition law.
European CommissionOn 17 July EPSO published the reserve lists for the Lawyer-Linguists and Legal Revisers competition EPSO/AD/423/25, covering eight language profiles (Danish, German, English, Estonian, Croatian, Dutch, Romanian and Slovenian). Institutions can now recruit successful candidates from the lists.
EU CareersIn a notice on 24 July, EPSO announced that its online contact forms would be unavailable on 27 July between 08:00 and 10:00 for technical maintenance. Candidates were advised to plan any queries around the short outage.
EU CareersFollowing the split of the AD5 Graduates procedure into two stages, EPSO's timeline continues to point to Part 1 — the verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning tests — taking place as of October/November 2026. Candidates who pass will later be invited to the EU-knowledge MCQ, digital-skills test and EUFTE essay. The competition drew a record 174,727 applicants.
EU CareersEPSO's planning indicates that several selection procedures originally foreseen for 2026 — including IT experts (AD and AST), data-management experts, additional Lawyer-Linguists and Translators — are now most likely to be published in 2027 as the office manages the load under its new testing arrangements.
EU CareersWith no new open competition on the eu-careers portal this week, CAST Permanent remains the standing route for contract-agent profiles. Candidates can register at any time across administrative, financial, communication, IT and other function-group profiles, with recruiting services searching the database as needs arise.
EU CareersDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified that the ongoing US war on Iran has cost $37.5 billion, as Iran retaliated by striking American bases across the region. The escalation kept oil markets and regional diplomacy on edge through the week.
Democracy NowRussia struck the Ukrainian capital with a heavy ballistic-missile barrage that killed at least six people, one of several intensified assaults on Ukrainian cities. The attacks sharpened European calls for further support and sanctions.
EuronewsAndy Burnham took over as UK Prime Minister, succeeding Keir Starmer, in a leadership transition that reshapes Britain's political landscape. The change came amid domestic pressure and shifting Labour dynamics.
Democracy NowHouthi rebels warned international shipping companies against using Saudi ports and closed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-flagged vessels in retaliation for blockades. The move threatened a fresh disruption to one of the world's key maritime chokepoints.
Democracy NowIsrael is rapidly constructing a 23-kilometre barrier to separate the territory it controls from the rest of Gaza, even as airstrikes continue to kill Palestinians. Three southern Lebanese villages, meanwhile, began implementing an Israeli withdrawal framework.
Democracy NowPresident Trump threatened Canada with new tariffs even as hazardous wildfire smoke affected millions of people across North America. The threat added to trade tensions with several US partners during the week.
Democracy NowThe Trump administration greenlit a nuclear fuel-enrichment agreement with Saudi Arabia amid broader Middle East tensions. The decision drew scrutiny over non-proliferation implications in an already volatile region.
Democracy NowIndian police detained opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi during demonstrations against a government crackdown on student protesters. The detention intensified the confrontation between the opposition and the government.
Democracy NowThe Trump administration arrested more than 43,000 immigrants in June, the highest monthly total since returning to office. The figure underscored the scale of the intensified enforcement drive.
Democracy Now'Manosphere' influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested and face UK rape and sexual-assault charges. The arrests marked a significant development in the long-running legal case against the brothers.
Democracy NowFollowing a Coalition of the Willing meeting, allies including Germany, France and the UK agreed to work towards allocating roughly €70 billion annually to Ukraine this year and next. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the group agreed on five priority areas, starting with a ceasefire as the basis for a durable peace; the specific German contribution is to be decided by the government and the Bundestag.
BundesregierungThe Deutsche Bundesbank's latest forecast sees harmonised (HICP) inflation at about 2.2% in 2026, easing toward 2% in 2027-2028, but cautioned it is 'not yet time to sound the all-clear'. The euro area's own 2026 projection was nudged up to 1.9%, with the ECB expected to stay on hold through the year.
Deutsche BundesbankAfter several years of near-stagnation, the Bundesbank expects the German economy to recover gradually in 2026, with growth strengthening markedly from the second quarter onward. The pick-up is driven mainly by higher government spending on defence and infrastructure and a resurgence in exports.
Deutsche BundesbankBerlin expects gross domestic product to expand by roughly 1% this year and 1.3% in 2027, a subdued outlook as the economy contends with high energy costs, external competition and US tariff pressure. Higher defence and infrastructure outlays are set to lift government debt.
BundesregierungThe coalition's programme of tax relief, a pension overhaul and tighter sick-leave rules now faces parliamentary scrutiny. Business groups broadly welcome the deregulation and roughly €10 billion in annual income-tax relief from 2027, while unions and parts of the SPD base contest the pension and sick-leave changes, all against the backdrop of September's eastern state elections.
Deutscher BundestagUnder the Military Service Modernisation Act, all men turning 18 must now complete an online questionnaire covering availability, qualifications and willingness to serve. The government's aim is to grow the standing armed forces to about 260,000 personnel plus roughly 200,000 reservists amid heightened defence spending.
BundesregierungGermany's mid-year pension adjustment lifted payments by 4.24% for about 21.5 million retirees, the fourth above-4% rise in five years, reflecting strong wage growth. Separately, mini-jobbers regained the option to opt back into the statutory pension insurance to accrue full qualifying periods.
BundesregierungThe far-right Alternative für Deutschland continues to top voting-intention polls ahead of the governing CDU/CSU, with poll averages showing five parties clearing the Bundestag threshold. The polling pressure has driven the coalition's push to deliver visible reforms before the eastern state elections in September.
Euronews / Süddeutsche ZeitungThe German Foreign Ministry summoned Russia's ambassador, Sergey Nechaev, and presented him with a coordinated statement, prepared in Brussels, condemning cyber attacks. The move underlined Berlin's alignment with EU partners on responses to hybrid threats.
Auswärtiges Amt / DWThe Bundesbank noted that Germany's planned surge in defence and infrastructure expenditure will push government demand up sharply and be reflected in higher public debt. Merz has urged employers to be patient as the additional spending gradually feeds through to a broader recovery.
Deutsche BundesbankA prévia da inflação oficial (IPCA-15) veio em 0,06% em julho, segundo o IBGE, um resultado bastante contido que reforça a leitura de desaceleração dos preços no segundo semestre. O número aliviou o mercado, embora o acumulado em 12 meses siga acima do teto da meta.
IBGE / Agência BrasilA Secretaria de Política Econômica (SPE) do Ministério da Fazenda manteve, no Boletim Macrofiscal de julho, a projeção de crescimento do PIB em 2,3% para 2026, mas elevou a estimativa de IPCA de 4,5% para 5,1%, citando choques de oferta, repasse de preços e o risco de um El Niño mais intenso sobre a produção agrícola.
Ministério da Fazenda / SPEPela primeira vez, a arrecadação de impostos, taxas e contribuições superou a marca de R$ 2 trilhões antes do fim de junho, seis dias mais cedo que o recorde anterior de 2025. O crescimento real foi puxado pela Receita Federal e pela arrecadação líquida do RGPS, com destaque para IOF e tributos sobre importados.
Receita Federal / Agência BrasilApós os EUA anunciarem, em 23 de julho, uma tarifa adicional de 12,5% — sob a alegação de falhas no controle de importações de bens produzidos com trabalho forçado —, o governo Lula afirmou que abrirá imediatamente processo com base na Lei da Reciprocidade e levará a disputa à Organização Mundial do Comércio para 'marcar posição' contra a medida.
Agência Brasil / CNN BrasilO Executivo estendeu por mais 30 dias, a partir de 26 de julho, o subsídio de R$ 0,44 por litro à gasolina, enquanto o subsídio de R$ 1,12 ao diesel segue vigente até 16 de setembro. A medida busca conter o repasse de preços aos combustíveis num momento sensível para a inflação corrente.
Agência BrasilNo fechamento de 24 de julho, o Ibovespa caiu cerca de 1,44%, pressionado pela queda das ações da Petrobras e do petróleo, encerrando perto de 174,2 mil pontos. O dólar oscilou em torno de R$ 5,08, ainda próximo do menor patamar em um mês após a divulgação da inflação nos Estados Unidos.
CNN BrasilAs atenções se voltam para a próxima reunião do Comitê de Política Monetária, marcada para 4 e 5 de agosto. Com a inflação ainda acima da meta e um quadro fiscal desafiador, a mediana do mercado aposta na manutenção da taxa básica de juros, ainda que parte das casas veja espaço para cortes graduais mais à frente.
Banco CentralEm 2026, o presidente Lula tem sinalizado a intenção de reduzir confrontos públicos e construir um clima de maior cooperação com o Congresso, com o objetivo de favorecer a governabilidade e diminuir riscos de desgaste institucional às vésperas das eleições.
CNN BrasilParlamentares reagiram à atuação do governo federal em torno da Vale, com integrantes do Congresso levantando a possibilidade de abertura de uma CPI. O tema alimentou o embate entre Legislativo e Executivo ao longo da semana.
CNN BrasilAs atas e comunicados recentes do Banco Central destacam que o mercado de trabalho permanece aquecido — com desemprego baixo e rendimento real em alta — e que o setor de serviços ainda não mostra arrefecimento expressivo, fatores que sustentam a cautela da autoridade monetária com a convergência da inflação à meta.
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