At the European Council summit held on October 23, 2025, the leaders of 26 EU member states, with the exception of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, pledged to address Ukraine’s pressing financial needs for 2026 and 2027. European Council President António Costa emphasized in a statement that the EU is determined to support Ukraine, including its military and defense efforts.
The summit also focused on accelerating the digital transformation and advancing the green transition across the EU. Leaders stressed the urgency of implementing a horizontal program to simplify and improve legislation at all levels—EU, national, and regional—to maintain Europe’s competitiveness without undermining predictability, political goals, high standards, or the integrity of the single market.
In addition, the Council called on co-legislators to quickly finalize proposed simplification packages covering sustainability reporting, due diligence, agriculture, SMEs, digital readiness, and operational preparedness. The sustainability reporting package is expected to be approved by the end of 2025, with the remaining packages following early in 2026.
Further ambitious simplification packages are to be developed for sectors including the automotive industry, military mobility, digital sector, financial services, transport, environment, energy, food safety, and the revision of the REACH regulation to enhance the competitiveness of the chemical sector.
Regarding the green transition, EU leaders agreed that any fundamental transformation must be fair, impartial, realistic, economically efficient, and socially balanced, taking into account national circumstances and ensuring accessible solutions for citizens and businesses alike. The strategic discussion also included measures to support the EU’s intermediate climate target for 2040.
Greek positions were reflected in the conclusions, emphasizing the need for a review clause in the green transition strategy, considering the latest scientific evidence, technological developments, and evolving challenges and opportunities to maintain the EU’s global competitiveness.
This comprehensive summit demonstrates the EU’s commitment to supporting Ukraine while simultaneously pursuing structural reforms and the twin green and digital transitions that will define the bloc’s economic and environmental resilience for decades to come.
