2023 in the European Union

Events from 2023 in the European Union.

Incumbents President of the European Council Charles Michel Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Council Presidency Sweden (Jan – Jun) Spain (July – Dec) Parliament President Roberta Metsola High Representative Josep Borrell

Events

January 1 January – Croatia adopted the euro and became the 20th member state of the eurozone. They entered the Schengen area and became the 23rd European union member to do so, and the 27th states to accede to the union overall Sweden takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. 4 January – Internet privacy regulators in Ireland fine Meta Platforms €390 million for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation on Facebook and Instagram. 10 January – the Polish town of Świdnik abolished their LGBT-free zone in response to fearing that they would stop receiving EU subsidies.

April 25 April – The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, a carbon tariff on carbon-intensive products imported to the European Union from countries lacking sufficient greenhouse gas reduction measures of their own, a key part of the Fit for 55 package, is approved.

June 15 June – In Poland, Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the Law and Justice party, says that the government might hold a referendum on EU migration policy. The referendum would be similar to the 2016 Hungarian migrant quota referendum.

July 1 July – Spain takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. 18 July – the EU decided not to restart full membership negotiations with Turkey. October 12 October – After the 2023 Slovak parliamentary election, the Party of European Socialists (PES) suspended Smer-SD and Hlas-SD over their plans to enter into coalition with SNS, which the PES views as a "radical-right party." 15 October – 2023 Polish referendum Results: 96.79% voted against the admission of thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa, 96.04% voted against the removal of the barrier on the border between Poland and Belarus.

November 28 November – The Court of Justice of the European Union rules that EU states can prohibit their employees from wearing signs of religious belief such as the Islamic headscarve. December 14 December: the European Council agree to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, as well as Moldova. Hungary long opposed talks starting accession negotiations, did not veto the move. Prime Minister Viktor Orban left the room momentarily in what officials described as a pre-agreed and constructive manner, while the other 26 leaders went ahead with the vote. December: Start of the 2023–2024 European Union farmers' protests.

2023 in the European Union

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