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 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.
An EEA-Eionet horizon scan finds digitalisation can reduce emissions and resource use through smarter manufacturing, farming, mining and recycling. Yet AI-powered marketing may accelerate consumption and shorten product lifecycles, while data centres’ rising energy and water demand adds new environmental pressures—making adaptive EU governance decisive.
More than 50 experts will advise the EU on water efficiency, reuse, digitalisation, infrastructure and finance through a new five-year stakeholder platform. Commissioner Jessika Roswall highlighted over €3 billion in cohesion funding and €15 billion from the EIB—but said private capital must also be unlocked.
Three Horizon Europe projects are developing ways to cut energy use and emissions across steel production. GreenHeatEAF, HyTecHeat and ModHEATech are testing hydrogen, biochar, hybrid burners, electrification and heat recovery—but must also show that cleaner processes can preserve steel quality and competitiveness.
The EU Commission has assessed requests from 32 non-OECD countries seeking to import non-hazardous EU waste after new export restrictions take effect. It also identified shortcomings in Türkiye’s management of plastic waste, which accounts for 70% of EU plastic-waste exports to OECD countries.
Portugal would receive €261m, Spain €149m, Italy €74.8m and Malta €3.72m from the EU Solidarity Fund following severe storms and flooding. The aid would restore essential infrastructure and services, fund clean-up and temporary accommodation, and support measures protecting cultural heritage.
The EU Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of Baureka Baustoff-Recycling GmbH by Basalt-Actien-Gesellschaft (‘BAG’), Eurovia Industrie GmbH (‘EVI’) and REMEX GmbH, all of Germany. The transaction relates primarily to waste recovery and recycling in Germany.
The EU Commission and EU Member States (Team Europe) have launched two Global Gateway projects worth over €57.8 million to develop South Africa’s hydrogen, minerals and metals value chains. The initiatives aim to attract private investment, make green hydrogen projects bankable and help local businesses retain more value from domestic resources.
Copernicus Sentinel-3C has launched from Kourou to sustain Earth observation services tracking oceans, land and climate. Following several months of commissioning and calibration, it will provide data supporting disaster response, marine safety, agriculture and environmental monitoring.
At the European Arctic Summit in Rovaniemi, EU leaders outlined a stronger security focus for the forthcoming Arctic strategy. Russian military activity, China’s growing interest and new maritime routes are driving calls for closer partnerships and more icebreakers, alongside climate protection.
An EU Commission mid-term assessment finds all five Horizon Europe Missions advancing towards their 2030 goals. Climate adaptation measures now cover 292 regional and local authorities, exceeding the target of 150, while work on climate-neutral cities, cancer, waters and soil health progresses.
Speaking at the JRC’s Experimentation Journey event in Avesta, EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall said the forthcoming Circular Economy Act will harmonise waste definitions, reduce duplicate reporting, strengthen secondary raw-material markets and recover critical materials from waste to curb import dependence.
The EU’s first Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement with a Latin American country would reduce bureaucratic and regulatory barriers while deepening cooperation on renewable energy and raw materials. EU foreign direct investment in Ecuador stood at €9.1bn in 2024.
Clean energy technologies support 1.8 million jobs across the EU, with wind, solar PV, heat pumps and batteries driving employment growth. The EEA warns, however, that acute skill shortages, uneven regional distribution and the underrepresentation of women and young workers could slow deployment and weaken the just transition.
The EU Commission has concluded that public funding granted to three Flemish land management associations between 2003 and 2017 does not constitute State aid. Nature conservation activities were deemed non-economic, while limited commercial activities were not considered capable of affecting EU trade.
The EU Commission’s 2026 product safety sweep found better compliance across online marketplaces, with 91% registered in the Safety Gate Portal and all providing a consumer contact point. But only 58% of reviewed listings included complete manufacturer, EU responsible-person and product identification information.
The World Meteorological Organization says El Niño is firmly established and has a near-100% likelihood of persisting through February 2027. Exceptionally warm Pacific conditions are expected to intensify the event, raising risks of floods, drought, extreme heat and major shifts in rainfall worldwide.
The EU Commission will carry out 144 audits and eight fact-finding visits in 2027 across food and feed safety, animal health and welfare, plant health and import controls. The programme sharply increases onsite checks in third countries and at EU border control posts, while also covering candidate countries and One Health.
The EU Commission has approved a €30 million State aid scheme for agricultural, fishery and aquaculture companies facing increased fuel and fertiliser prices due to the Middle East crisis. The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF).
Following a visit to the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Europe’s civil protection teams and warned that crises are becoming more frequent, complex and severe. She called for faster adaptation, stronger prevention and earlier action as the EU prepares for a changing risk landscape.
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