On 11 February, the 3rd European Industrial Summit was held in Antwerp, Belgium, attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever. They called for a more competitive Europe in the face of global economic giants, urging the removal of internal regulatory barriers and the acceleration of single market integration in order to strengthen industrial capacity, investment and access to global markets. The Commission emphasised the importance of a Clean Industrial Deal to support decarbonisation and concrete measures to reduce energy costs and stimulate European industrial growth.

On 11 February, ministers approved new rules on customs duties for small parcels entering the European Union, largely through e-commerce. EU Member States agreed to temporarily introduce a flat-rate customs duty of €3 on items entering in small parcels worth less than €150, shipped directly to consumers in the EU. From 1 July 2026, the duty will be levied on each of the different categories of items contained in a parcel.

Until 31 May, the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza is presenting the first retrospective dedicated to Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershøi in Spain, offering a comprehensive and exhaustive overview of his work through around 100 pieces on display. The ambiguity of his paintings allows for numerous interpretations, which have been further enriched in recent decades by attempts to establish links with other European artists and contextualise him in relation to his Danish contemporaries.

On 13 February, the European Commission published the results of a Eurobarometer survey on EU citizens' sense of security. The survey reveals that nearly two-thirds of Europeans (68%) believe their country is exposed to growing threats, and 52% trust the European Union to strengthen collective security and defence. This Eurobarometer survey is a key indicator of public opinion, highlighting growing concern about geopolitical risks and contemporary security challenges, as well as majority support for increased investment in European defence and cross-border cooperation on security.

On 12 February, European leaders met in Belgium to discuss competitiveness. They renewed their commitment to transforming the single market into a fully integrated area by 2027 and agreed on the importance of moving forward with a "28th regime" to ensure that European businesses can operate smoothly across borders. They want consolidation in strategic sectors, such as artificial intelligence and defence, as well as a diversification strategy to reduce critical dependencies. Finally, they call for a pragmatic energy transition and the targeted use of a 'European preference' to guarantee the Union's strategic autonomy.

On 13 February, the French government published the new edition of the Multi-Year Energy Programme to address energy consumption and production challenges for the period 2026-2035. This update is part of a comprehensive transition strategy, the French Energy and Climate Strategy, which aims to ensure the availability of energy at a controlled cost, achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and adapt France to climate change. Among other things, the new programme aims to accelerate electrification and strengthen France's energy independence, in particular through renewed investment in nuclear power.

On 13 February, the 62nd Munich Security Conference was held in Munich. Against a backdrop of declining international standards, discussions focused on the crisis in the world order, transatlantic relations, European security, collective defence, and tensions in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. Speakers emphasised the need for enhanced cooperation between allies, greater European strategic autonomy and a renewed commitment to collective stability, while stressing the importance of dialogue in addressing emerging rivalries and threats. The international order is 'being destroyed' is the title of the report published at this 62nd edition.

On 11 February, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the launch of a new initiative called Arctic Sentry, which aims to strengthen security in the Arctic and the Far North. It comes in response to Russia's military activity in the region, China's growing interest and Donald Trump's threats against Greenland. The initiative initially combines the Arctic Endurance exercises, led by Denmark, and Cold Response, led by Norway, which mobilise tens of thousands of military personnel equipped to operate in Arctic conditions.

On 10 February, MEPs approved a new list of safe countries of origin. This will speed up the processing of asylum applications from nationals of the following countries: Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Kosovo, India, Morocco and Tunisia. Countries that are candidates for EU membership will also be considered safe countries of origin, unless relevant circumstances indicate otherwise, such as violence in the context of armed conflict.

On 13 February, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Centre in Florida, propelling the Dragon capsule and its four astronauts towards the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the NASA-SpaceX Crew-12 mission. On board are French European Space Agency astronaut (ESA) Sophie Adenot, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of the Roscosmos agency, who joined the ISS on 14 February for a nine-month scientific mission focused on biomedical and technological research to support human exploration beyond low Earth orbit.

On 10 February, Moldovan Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu visited Ukraine, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The meeting focused on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine and Moldova, particularly the consequences of Russian strikes, which also caused power outages in several Moldovan cities. The two men discussed the response to Russian threats and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. Finally, the Moldovan head of government pledged his continued support and announced the provision of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including generators and medicines.