Explainers

The EU customs union creates a single tariff area for all goods imported from outside the EU, allowing the goods to move freely between member states without customs.

The European Union is the world's largest trade bloc in terms of goods and services combined, accounting in 2025 for an estimated 15.9% of world trade.

The EU helps countries prepare for and respond to disasters through the EU civil protection mechanism. It coordinates assistance for emergencies such as wildfires, floods, epidemics, earthquakes and human-induced disasters, in Europe and beyond.

How the EU supports education, training, youth and sport in Europe, promotes common European values, fosters social integration and intercultural exchange.

The EU wants to strengthen EU cooperation on health technology assessment (HTA). The main purpose of HTA is to provide policy-makers with evidence-based information, so they can formulate health policies.

EU citizens are entitled to seek help from the embassy or consulate of any EU member state in a non-EU country if their own member state lacks diplomatic representation there.

Find out why critical raw materials are essential to the functioning of a wide range of industries and why securing access to these materials is becoming increasingly important for the EU's competitiveness.

Packaging waste is growing in the EU. New EU legislation aims to tackle this problem, harmonising rules across member states and boosting the circular economy.

Tackling plastic waste is crucial in order for the EU to reduce pollution and protect the environment and human health. EU measures aim to develop a circular plastics economy.

The 'Path to the Digital Decade' is a programme that establishes specific digital targets that EU countries aim to achieve by 2030.