The EU Commission has authorised a €170 million Bulgarian scheme to help farmers facing higher fuel and fertiliser prices linked to the Middle East crisis. Direct grants of up to €50,000 per company will be available under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework.
The EU Commission has granted cross-border renewable energy status to WIND, DEPLOY and ZEGA-LINNK, making them eligible for Connecting Europe Facility funding. The projects cover wind power in Ukraine, wind and solar generation in Poland, and geothermal district heating linking Austria and Germany.
G7 leaders have agreed to release 100 million barrels of oil over four months, prioritising diesel supplies in the first 20 days. Coordinated refinery operations and a commitment to avoid energy export restrictions within the G7 aim to ease price pressures. Sanctions against Russia will remain in place. The EU’s Energy Union Task Force also met to coordinate responses to high diesel prices.
Europol has established a taskforce to tackle rising cannabis smuggling from North America and Thailand, driven by oversupply in legal markets and diversion into illicit channels. A related operation in Belgium and France led to 21 arrests over cannabis and cocaine trafficking through Brussels Airport.
he EU Commission’s tenth Copernicus Ocean State Report finds Arctic ice loss and record marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Global sea levels have risen by 4.2 mm a year since 2012, while around 60% of Arctic coastal infrastructure is vulnerable to erosion and rising seas. Produced by Mercator Ocean International, the report underscores growing risks to ecosystems, fisheries and island communities, and the need for forecasting.
EU fisheries ministers agreed a partial negotiating position on future support for fleet modernisation and sustainable fisheries, with budget decisions still pending. They also urged simpler EMFAF funding rules and set priorities for 2027 fishing consultations with the UK, Norway and coastal states.
ACER finds that incomplete hydrogen planning frameworks, uneven regulatory oversight and differing methodologies limit alignment between national and EU network plans. It recommends stronger supervision, greater transparency and closer cross-border coordination to guide infrastructure investment.
EU agriculture ministers moved closer to a partial Council position on the post-2027 CAP, calling for simpler rules and greater flexibility ahead of an October agreement. They also assessed high input costs, weaker farm margins and severe drought impacts, discussed support for Ukraine’s farmers and backed priorities under the EU Commission’s fertiliser action plan.
The EU Commission has proposed EU-wide recommendations for cardiovascular health checks, targeting a disease burden responsible for 1.7 million deaths and €282bn in annual costs. The plan recommends age-based screening for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, with greater use of health data and AI tools, alongside the first EU Screening Week.
The EU Council has adopted its pharma package, overhauling rules on regulatory protection, medicine availability, generics, rare diseases and antimicrobial resistance. The reform seeks to improve access to affordable medicines, strengthen security of supply and pharmaceutical competitiveness, while rewarding innovation. The package now requires EU Parliament adoption.
A new BURDI study examines demand for U-space, the EU framework for safely integrating drones into airspace through digital and automated services. Drone operators show strong interest but remain price-sensitive, favouring pay-per-flight models while citing regulatory uncertainty and differing national requirements as barriers to wider uptake.
At UNGA 2026, European Council President António Costa set out the EU’s case for stronger multilateralism, respect for international law and a more effective UN. EU priorities ranged from ending Russia’s war against Ukraine and advancing a two-state solution in the Middle East to global AI governance, sustainable development and UN Security Council reform.
EU member states have backed Commission funding from the agricultural reserve to compensate Italian poultry, egg and pigmeat farmers affected by avian flu and African swine fever outbreaks. National authorities must distribute the aid by 31 May 2027.
The European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Management Board has elected its Hungarian member Szilvia Deim as its new chair to lead its work for the next two years. She succeeds Sofia Zisi from the Greek Independent Authority for Public Revenue.
The EU Commission has published the rules for an auction funding cleaner industrial process heat. Projects using electrification or renewable heat can bid, with nuclear technologies eligible for the first time. The auction also lowers its minimum heat threshold to 80°C and will award subsidies tied to emissions reductions.
No EU Member State has notified full transposition of the revised industrial emissions directive, prompting letters of formal notice from the European Commission. It is also pursuing 26 states over hydrogen and gas market rules, alongside gaps in electricity, anti-money laundering, anti-trafficking and consumer protection laws. Governments have two months to respond.
Romania will offer direct grants to pig farmers facing higher fuel and fertiliser costs linked to the Middle East crisis. The EU Commission found the scheme compatible with its temporary State aid framework. Support is capped at €50,000 per company.
The EU and Canada have launched an alliance to sustain the global network of ocean sensors and data systems used for weather forecasts, maritime safety and climate research. Thirty countries have joined alongside the EU. The pledges include €92 million from the EU and CA$82 million from Canada—but can the alliance secure lasting support without other large economies in the world like the USA, China, and India?
EU ambassadors want to suspend the market stability reserve’s allowance invalidation mechanism through 2030, then double the cancellation threshold to 800 million allowances from 2031. The position differs from the Commission’s proposed indefinite halt and sets up a trilogue with Parliament on future carbon market liquidity.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) expects El Niño to intensify, raising the risk of extreme heat, drought and flooding in different regions. The World Health Organization (WHO) also flags threats to food security and disease control. WMO says local forecasts must now trigger practical action to protect the most vulnerable.
A consortium of US, Japanese, South Korean and Polish companies plans to deploy GE Vernova’s BWRX-300 small modular reactor across Europe. It aims to promote more than $150 billion in reactor investment. Which projects will move forward?
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