Flight compensation stays at 3 hours — and your cabin bag flies free
The Council gave final clearance on 13 July to the first overhaul of the EC261 air-passenger rules since 2004. Airlines lobbied hard to move delay compensation to 4–6 hours; the final deal keeps today’s 3-hour threshold and the €250 / €400 / €600 amounts. Displayed air fares must now include an allowance for a piece of hand baggage — the end of bait prices without a bag — and the “no-show” clause that cancelled your return flight when you skipped the outbound leg is banned.
For youNothing changes yet — the new rules apply 12 months and 20 days after publication in the Official Journal, so expect late 2027. Until then today’s EC261 rights, and our claim tool, run exactly as before.
Next: Signature and publication in the Official Journal; the clock to application starts then.
Chat Control: encrypted chats stay out — for now
On 9 July the European Parliament failed to reject the revived voluntary message-scanning regime outright (314 votes to reject; 360 were needed) — but adopted an amendment that keeps end-to-end encrypted apps like WhatsApp and Signal out of its scope. The permanent “Chat Control” law (the CSA Regulation) is still being negotiated separately, and its most contested piece — mandatory detection orders — remains unresolved.
For youNo EU law currently forces apps to scan your private messages, and Parliament just drew a line around encryption. The fight over the permanent law continues in autumn.
Next: The Council has roughly three months to accept the encryption carve-out or trigger conciliation.
Temu and Shein parcels now carry a €3 duty — per item type
Since 1 July the EU levies a flat €3 customs duty per product category on parcels under €150 from non-EU sellers — the old duty-free exemption is history. Order three different kinds of products, pay €9. A separate ~€2 “handling fee” has been floated but is still under discussion, not law. Temu, Shein and AliExpress are shifting stock to EU warehouses to soften the hit.
For youUltra-cheap hauls just got less cheap — and the price you see at checkout may not include the duty. Factor it in before you click buy.
Next: This is a stopgap: a permanent customs reform (normal tariffs, no exemption at all) is meant to replace it by 2028.
Right to repair becomes enforceable law in days
From 31 July, EU member states apply the Right to Repair Directive. Manufacturers of phones, washing machines, fridges, vacuum cleaners and more must repair them at a reasonable price and within a reasonable time — even after the legal guarantee ends. Choose repair over replacement during the guarantee and the guarantee extends by one year.
For you“Buy a new one” is no longer the only answer. Ask for the European Repair Information Form to compare repair quotes like-for-like.
Next: An EU-wide repair-matching platform is planned for 2027; some countries may transpose late — the right still kicks in.
Forged deeds, frozen millions: Kushner’s Albanian resort under investigation
Albania’s anti-corruption prosecutors (SPAK) are investigating forged deeds on land sold for the Jared Kushner-backed luxury resort on the Vlorë coast, and have frozen roughly €110 million tied to the sale. No construction has started. Nightly protests — the “Flamingo Revolution” — are in their seventh week, and the European Parliament has demanded Tirana halt construction in protected areas.
For youA live test of rule-of-law in an EU candidate country: who profits from accession-era land deals, and whether protected nature stays protected, feeds directly into Albania’s 2030 membership bid.
Next: SPAK’s probe continues; Tirana has not complied with Parliament’s call for a construction moratorium.
Brussels: Instagram and Facebook are built to be addictive
The Commission’s preliminary finding under the Digital Services Act says Meta’s use of infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and engagement-driven recommender systems breaches its duty to protect users’ wellbeing on Instagram and Facebook. A final non-compliance decision could cost Meta up to 6% of global turnover. TikTok received a similar preliminary finding in February.
For youIf the finding sticks, expect calmer defaults EU-wide — screen-time breaks, less autoplay, feeds that let you go.
Next: Meta can respond before the Commission takes a final decision.
Digital euro enters final talks — but it’s years from your pocket
Parliament and Council opened final negotiations on the digital euro on 13 July, aiming for a political deal by the end of 2026. Provisionally on the table: a holding cap of around €3,000 per person and anonymity for small payments — both still being fought over. The ECB pencils in a pilot around 2027 and earliest issuance in 2029, and only after a separate ECB decision.
For youCash isn’t going anywhere. This would add a public, ECB-backed way to pay next to cards and apps — the privacy details are the part worth watching.
Next: Political deal targeted for end-2026.
Google’s €4.1 billion Android fine is final
On 2 July the EU Court of Justice dismissed Google’s final appeal against the €4.1 billion Android antitrust fine — the EU’s largest ever. After nearly a decade of litigation over Google forcing its search and browser onto Android phones, there are no appeals left.
For youThe choice screens and unbundled defaults you see on Android in Europe are now backed by a final judgment — and rivals get a green light for damages claims.
Next: Watch for follow-on damages suits from competitors.
Hand-baggage fees: the mega-fine stalls, passengers keep winning
Spain’s €179 million fines against Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet and others for charging cabin-bag fees are suspended while courts decide, and a Brussels court ruled in February that Ryanair’s bag policy complies with EU law. Yet Spanish small-claims courts keep ordering airlines to refund individual passengers — 14+ wins since 2024, built on the CJEU’s 2014 line that reasonable hand luggage should fly free.
For youCharged for a normal cabin bag? An individual small-claims case can still succeed today — and from ~2027 the new EU air-passenger law makes displayed fares include a hand-baggage allowance.
Next: Spain’s National Court has yet to rule on the underlying fines; the Commission is examining Spain’s approach.
Temu fined €200 million over unsafe products
The Commission fined Temu €200 million in May — the biggest Digital Services Act fine so far — for an inadequate risk assessment of illegal and unsafe products on its marketplace. Temu must file a remediation plan by 28 August. A formal investigation into Shein opened in February; X was fined €120 million in December.
For youThose suspiciously cheap toys, chargers and cosmetics? The EU is forcing marketplaces to actually check what they let sellers ship to you.
Next: Temu’s action plan is due 28 August 2026; the Shein probe continues.
1.3 million gamers asked the EU to stop killing games. Brussels said no.
The “Stop Killing Games” citizens’ initiative — 1.29 million verified signatures — asked the EU to stop publishers from bricking games when servers shut down. On 16 June the Commission declined to propose binding rules, citing IP and cost concerns, and offered a voluntary industry code of conduct on game end-of-life by the end of 2026 instead.
For youYour dead game stays dead — for now. It’s also a lesson in what a million-signature initiative can and can’t force Brussels to do.
Next: The campaign pivots to the upcoming Digital Fairness Act; 45 MEPs signed a supportive inquiry.
Your bank now checks the name behind the IBAN
Since 9 October 2025, banks in the euro area must check whether the recipient’s name matches the IBAN before you send a transfer, and warn you on a mismatch — free, on every euro payment. “Verification of Payee” is one of the most effective anti-scam rules the EU has shipped: fake-invoice, fake-landlord and “new bank details” fraud all rely on you not knowing who really owns the account.
For youNever wave a “no match” warning through. Pair it with our scam checker before you pay anyone new.
Next: Banks outside the euro area join by 9 July 2027.
MEPs want a 16+ age limit for social media
In November, Parliament voted 483–92 for an EU-wide digital minimum age of 16 for social media (13–16 with parental consent), bans on addictive design for minors, and personal liability for senior platform managers. It’s a resolution, not law — but it sets the agenda for the Commission’s Digital Fairness Act, and several countries are moving on their own.
For youNothing changes for your teenager yet. The direction of travel, though, is unmistakable: stricter age checks are coming.
Next: Commission follow-up expected in the Digital Fairness Act.
“Eco-friendly” and “climate neutral” labels: banned from September
From 27 September, the Empowering Consumers Directive bans generic environmental claims — “eco-friendly”, “green”, “climate friendly” — unless the company can prove them, and outlaws “carbon neutral” claims built on buying offsets. Sustainability labels must come from approved certification schemes or public authorities.
For youThat CO₂-neutral sticker on your groceries disappears unless it’s real. Fewer green fairy tales at the shelf.
Next: The stricter Green Claims Directive was shelved in 2025 — its withdrawal was announced but never formalised. Watch for a slimmed-down comeback.
The €20 EU travel pass is coming — passport stamps are already gone
The Entry/Exit System has digitally logged every non-EU visitor’s border crossing since 10 April — passport stamps are history. Next comes ETIAS: visa-free visitors (Brits, Americans and 50+ other nationalities) will need a €20 online travel authorisation before flying to Europe, expected in Q4 2026. No exact date is confirmed yet, and a 6-month grace period follows launch.
For youEU citizens: nothing to do. Your non-EU friends, family and colleagues will need one — tell them before they book.
Next: Official go-live date pending; mandatory enforcement expected around April 2027.
Klarna-style “pay later” gets real credit checks
From 20 November, buy-now-pay-later and small interest-free loans lose their regulatory free pass. Providers like Klarna and PayPal must run genuine affordability checks before approving you, show standardised cost information, and offer forbearance if you fall behind — even on tiny checkout instalments.
For youExpect a few more “declined” moments at checkout — and far fewer people sliding into invisible instalment debt.
Next: Member states are finalising national implementation ahead of the date.
