Europe’s lawmakers set out competing priorities on humanitarian aid and fisheries, backed a pro-competitiveness push to simplify cross‑border business, and sparred over the design and legal footing of a potential digital euro. They also weighed privacy and child‑protection trade‑offs in ePrivacy rules and paused work on updates to the Critical Raw Materials Act.

Humanitarian aid: three pillars amid a funding squeeze

Commissioner Hadja Lahbib outlined a humanitarian strategy built on three pillars—protect, perform and partner—and warned that 300 million people depend on aid as global funding hits a low 1. MEPs cited the UN’s 2026 appeal of $33 billion and argued that a little over 1% of global military spending could cover it 2. The budget split was stark: Greens/EFA pressed to ring‑fence EU funds and rejected proposed cuts 3, while some on the right argued there is “no reason to increase the budget” and called for reductions 4. Beyond money, speakers pushed localisation, stronger oversight and better field access to keep aid neutral and effective.

Fisheries: tweak the rules or enforce them better?

The Commission’s review of the Common Fisheries Policy reported progress on curbing overfishing, but stock abundance has not rebounded as expected; the landing obligation “has fallen short of expectations” on selectivity 5. Centre‑right voices flagged sector strain—fleet capacity and per‑capita consumption down, prices up—as Europe produces less and imports more 6. Centre‑left speakers warned that a two‑thirds funding cut would undercut any transition 7, while ECR members said bluntly the landing obligation “has failed” and must be revised 8. The debate circled familiar trade‑offs: simplification versus safeguards, modernisation and decarbonisation versus capacity rules, and how to support small‑scale and outermost‑region fishers without weakening sustainability aims.

A voluntary 28th tax regime to scale EU firms

Rapporteur Ľudovít Ódor argued that Europe’s startup scale‑up problem is measurable: only one of the world’s 50 largest firms by market cap is European; the EU had 331 unicorns in 2025 versus almost 2,000 in the U.S., with many relocating, and far less venture capital 9. The Commission stressed that its “EU Inc.” corporate‑law plan carries just two targeted tax elements—once‑only data sharing for automatic tax IDs and deferral of tax on employee stock options until share sale—to cut red tape and retain talent 10. Backers pointed to the economic cost of internal barriers, likening them to a 44% tariff on goods and 110% on services 11. To assuage sovereignty worries, Ódor underlined the regime’s voluntary nature for both companies and Member States 12. Greens and the Left sought robust anti‑avoidance checks and worker protections; conservatives warned against back‑door harmonisation.

Digital euro: privacy promises meet cost and legal doubts

Supporters from the centre‑right, social democrats and liberals framed the digital euro as a voluntary public option that strengthens privacy and protects cash, not a replacement for it 13. Critics questioned the price tag—ECB estimates of €4–6 billion were cited 14—and objected to draft provisions, including KYC treatment for unidentified asylum seekers and choices on offline/online functionality 15. Others raised doubts that Article 133 TFEU alone provides a solid legal base for mandatory acceptance rules and deeper changes to payment markets 16.

ePrivacy derogation: civil liberties vs child safety

The Left requested a final rejection vote on extending a temporary ePrivacy derogation, calling it a “mass‑surveillance system” that needs proper democratic oversight 17. The EPP urged colleagues to proceed, framing support around protecting children from online predators 18. A procedural query sought clarity on whether the request targeted the original or plenary‑amended text 19.

Critical raw materials: back to committee

Seeking to reflect “recent developments,” rapporteur Mohammed Chahim asked to refer the ITRE Committee’s mandate on CRMA amendments back for further discussion under Rule 204(2) to ensure a complete and legally sound approach 20.

Overall, the day’s exchanges underscored a Parliament balancing urgency—on aid, competitiveness and safety—with caution about costs, oversight and legal footing. The coming negotiations will test whether broad ambitions can be translated into workable, rights‑proof designs.