On 1 and 2 October, the ministers for justice and home affairs adopted new return rules for those who do not have the right to reside in the European Union, as well as a decision on the conclusion of the agreement on passenger name records with Switzerland. They also gave the go-ahead for the signing of an agreement with South Korea on the transfer of passenger name record data, which would help to "prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute terrorism and serious crimes". On 2 October, the ministers approved conclusions on combating racism and related forms of hatred and discrimination. They held a policy debate on the revision of the mandate of Eurojust, the European Union's judicial cooperation agency in criminal matters.

Thanks to an exchange of works between the Mauritshuis in The Hague and the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, 17th-century Dutch masterpieces will be on display in the Spanish capital until 10 January 2027. The works on loan include masterful pieces by the Dutch masters (Frans Hals, Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer) as well as "The Garden of Eden" by the Flemish artists Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens.

Until 7 February 2027, the National Museum in Oslo is hosting an exhibition celebrating female painters in Europe between 1550 and 1650. Bringing together around fifty paintings by 19 artists, including Lavinia Fontana, Artemisia Gentileschi, Michaelina Wautier and Sofonisba Anguissola, the exhibition explores the place of women in the history of painting. In particular, it addresses issues of visibility, recognition, autonomy and artistic training, whilst examining the ways in which art history has contributed to the marginalisation of certain female artists.

On 1 October, the British Government unveiled 31 new economic and financial sanctions against Russia. 23 individuals will be subject to asset freezes and travel bans, and 8 vessels will be subject to maritime and trade sanctions. London is specifically targeting individuals responsible for human rights abuses and the indoctrination of children in the occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as vessels associated with Russia's 'ghost fleet'.

On 4 October, 3.4 million voters were called to the polls to elect their representatives within a multi-tiered institutional framework designed to distribute power amongst Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs. Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided into two autonomous entities, each with its own government: the Republika Srpska and the Bosnian-Croat Federation. The whole is headed by a central government and a tripartite presidency. Two presidents (the Bosniak Denis Becirovic and the Serb Milorad Dodik) were re-elected for four years. The outgoing Croat president, Zeljko Komsic, has been replaced by a woman, Darijana Filipovic, of the HDZ party. Voters were called upon to elect more than 500 elected representatives and officials, including the members of the presidency. According to the authorities, turnout stood at 42 per cent, a fall of nearly 10 percentage points compared with the previous election in 2022.

On 5 October, the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez (PSOE-PSE), announced the dissolution of Parliament and the calling of early general elections to be held on 29 November. He has led a minority coalition government from 2023, with the term originally due to end in mid-2027. However, following Parliament's rejection of a housing bill, the Spanish Prime Minister stated that he wished to secure a larger majority "to carry out far-reaching reforms". Spaniards are therefore set to go to the polls on 29 November to elect new members to both chambers of the Cortes Generales: the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.

The Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded on 5 October to the American Karl Deisseroth and the Germans Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel "for their discoveries concerning light-activated ion channels and optogenetics".

On 29 and 30 September, the Finnish President, Alexander Stubb, paid a state visit to Luxembourg. On 30 September, he visited the University of Luxembourg and learnt about several research projects presented by their lead researchers in the fields of health, artificial intelligence and data, quantum communications, high-performance computing and quantum sciences. He then went to Betzdorf Castle, the headquarters of the European Satellite Company (SES), accompanied by Prime Minister Luc Frieden. Following a brief presentation on the company's activities and key projects of interest to Finland, the participants toured the Satellite Operations Centre and spoke with the team responsible for satellite monitoring and management.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Ukraine on 4 October, accompanied by the Minister for Economic Affairs, Katherina Reiche, and a business delegation. During his visit, he pledged a new aid package: €1 billion in military funding, plus a further €350 million earmarked for the energy sector, which has been the target of repeated Russian strikes. According to the German Chancellor, the core of this new aid package is an agreement to jointly manufacture interceptor drones, known as 'anti-jet' drones, as well as missiles capable of striking targets over 1,000 kilometres away. The agreement also covers satellite technologies, which will enable the Ukrainian army to better identify and designate its targets.

On 2 October, an extraordinary G7 meeting was held to address issues relating to the energy crisis. In particular, the Heads of State and Government announced a release, coordinated by the International Energy Agency, of 100 million barrels of oil over the next four months. Other measures designed to ensure global energy security and market stability were announced, such as the coordination of refinery maintenance programmes across the G7 countries.

On 2 October, the European Commission disbursed €2.9 billion to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility. This eighth instalment is intended, amongst other things, to support the country's financial stability and the implementation of reforms. The Commission states that Ukraine has completed ten reform milestones, relating in particular to the justice system, energy and agriculture. To date, the total support provided under the Ukraine Facility exceeds €32 billion, including contributions from partner countries and funds from the Ukraine Support Loan.

During his apostolic journey to France, Pope Leo XIV made Europe the central theme of his speech delivered in Metz on 28 September. Expressing his commitment to a just and united world, he drew on history to deliver a message of hope for the European continent, thereby echoing the declaration made by Robert Schuman on 9 May 1950.

From 30 September to 2 October, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, undertook her sixth annual tour of the Western Balkans. She visited Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia in turn. Her discussions focused on the next steps required to help the region's partners progress towards EU membership, as well as on the ongoing process of gradual integration. As part of this tour, memoranda of understanding were signed in Budva between seven industrial parks and business zones from the six Western Balkan economies (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) and partner organisations from the European Union. This signing officially launched the partnership between the region's industrial parks and those of the EU.

From 28 September to 2 October, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe met in Strasbourg. The proceedings began with the presentation of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize to the Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. Parliamentarians discussed solidarity with Ceuta, support for Ukrainian soldiers with disabilities, and the contribution of diasporas and migrants to social cohesion. On 30 September, they addressed media freedom, the pressure being exerted on the International Criminal Court, and Russia's manoeuvres. On 1 October, debates centred on climate change and the impact of artificial intelligence on employment, in conjunction with the OECD. The session concluded with a reform of the Rules of Procedure, particularly regarding the Assembly's external and inter-parliamentary relations.