EU chief to lay out priorities and vision for tackling the bloc's challenges in major speech

• The European Commission will publish a legislative proposal this Thursday to bar children under 15 from using social media without parental consent. • The plan includes safety-by-design rules for risky online services, specifically targeting AI chatbots and video games.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen backed the creation of a European Security Council on Wednesday to address growing threats to peace. • The proposed council would include leaders from the EU, Britain, Norway, Ukraine, and Canada, with permanent seats for large nations like Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Poland.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will deliver a major address tomorrow covering online safety, energy costs, Ukraine, Gaza, and migration. • Proposed migration measures include temporarily suspending asylum rules during large-scale arrivals and expanding the European Border and Coast Guard's role in deportations.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen invited Canada to become the first associate member of the European Union during her State of the Union address. • The proposal includes a new alliance between the EU and Ottawa focusing on energy, defense, technology, and critical raw materials.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen invited major AI labs to Brussels to discuss managing the speed of frontier AI development. • The initiative focuses on "pacing the frontier," which refers to controlling the rapid advancement of the most powerful AI models.

• European Union deputy ambassadors met this morning in a Coreper I meeting to discuss whether to relax carbon rules to support industry. • Germany joined a group of nations to block efforts by Czechia, Poland, and other members to roll back Green Deal regulations.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her State of the Union speech focusing on migration, climate change, and digital safety. • The address highlighted the threats of hybrid warfare, which involves combining conventional military force with irregular tactics like cyberattacks.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed several new initiatives during a keynote speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday. • The proposal includes a plan to identify and protect the 100 most vulnerable regions in Europe following record-breaking heatwaves and blazes in Belgium and Scotland.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is preparing a climate strategy focused on modest measures such as a new Water Act and a climate-risk plan. • The commission is currently facing strong pressure to loosen existing regulations regarding water pollution.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a new security forum for the EU and like-minded leaders during her 2026 State of the Union address. • The forum would include Canada, Ukraine, Norway, and the U.K. to counter escalating Russian hybrid attacks, which are coordinated non-military threats like cyberattacks or disinformation.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined a vision for European sovereignty in trade, energy, defense, and technology during her 2026 State of the Union address. • The Commission will identify 100 vulnerable territories and establish a Climate Insurance Alliance to address the fact that only 25% of catastrophe losses are privately insured.