European Commission - Daily News Daily News 20 / 02 / 2026 Brussels, 20 February 2026 European Union endorses Leaders' Declaration at AI Summit in India The European Union will endorse the Leaders' Declaration at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, which recognises that “AI's promise is best realised only when its benefits are shared by humanity”. Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security a...
European Commission - Daily News Daily News 20 / 02 / 2026 Brussels, 20 February 2026 European Union endorses Leaders' Declaration at AI Summit in India The European Union will endorse the Leaders' Declaration at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, which recognises that “AI's promise is best realised only when its benefits are shared by humanity”. Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen will endorse the declaration on behalf of the EU, reaffirming the EU's commitment to strengthening its partnership with India, promoting AI innovation and international cooperation, and strengthening global AI governance. In India, Executive Vice-President Virkkunen launched several important initiatives, including the European Legal Gateway Office with India's Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Announced by President Ursula von der Leyen at the 16th EU–India Summit , the initiative aims to connect European companies with India's ICT talent base. The Executive Vice-President also launched the Frontier AI Grand Challenge , an EU-wide flagship competition to drive the development of sovereign, large-scale European AI models. During the summit, the Commission also launched two calls for expression of interest as part of the Commission's Apply AI Strategy to strengthen European capabilities in AI. The first call invites healthcare organisations across Europe to join the network of AI-powered advanced screening centres , aiming to advance the safe and effective use of AI in cancer and cardiovascular prevention, early detection and diagnosis. The second call invites European AI actors to participate in an expert forum on frontier AI , which will map existing efforts in frontier AI in the EU and identify related opportunities and challenges. Executive Vice-President Virkkunen , said: “Every day, Europe is getting closer to becoming an AI Continent. As well as stepping up international cooperation, this summit was also an opportunity to showcase progress in this regard. The European Legal Gateway Office in India will increase the attractiveness of the European Union for talent; new calls and grand challenges will strengthen European capabilities in AI.” Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, said: “The launch of the Legal Gateway Office marks a new level of mutually beneficial cooperation between the European Union and India on talent mobility. It will play a key role in further connecting Indian ICT talent with the EU employers and higher education institutions. It will open new pathways for students, researchers, and professionals to EU Member States, creating added value and opportunities for growth.” The declaration will be available online soon. (For more information: Thomas Regnier — Tel. + 32 2 299 10 99; Nika Blazevic - Tel.: +32 2 29 927 17) Applications for New European Bauhaus 2026 awards are open Today, the European Commission is opening applications for several awards celebrating innovation and creativity inspired by the New European Bauhaus (NEB): The sixth edition of the New European Bauhaus Prizes and the second edition of the NEB Boost for Small Municipalities invite trailblazers from across Europe and beyond to present beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive projects with the potential to bring positive change to the life of citizens, enhance innovation and participation. President Ursula von der Leyen said: “ The New European Bauhaus has grown from an idea to a vibrant movement. Projects across Europe show the possibilities for our future: sustainable, inclusive and beautiful. This is the moment to scale up; placing the NEB firmly in our competitiveness agenda to drive innovation and creative thinking. And in this, the NEB Prizes are a crucial element .” Building on the successful 2025 edition, where 22 exemplary innovative projects and concepts were awarded with NEB Prizes and 20 community-driven initiatives received the NEB Boost for Small Municipalities, the Commission is once again seeking projects that promote sustainability, inclusivity and quality of life. Applications for the NEB Prizes 2026 and the 2026 NEB Boost for Small Municipalities are open until 17 March 2026 at 19:00 CET. Applications for both should be submitted through the official New European Bauhaus Prizes platform . All the details about the application process are included in the respective Guides to Applicants available in the platform. The finalist projects of the NEB Prizes 2026 will be announced during the third edition of the New European Bauhaus Festival on 9-13 June this year, while the winners will be revealed during a dedicated NEB Award ceremony in the Autumn 2026. You can find more information in our press release . (For more information: Maciej Berestecki - Tel: +32 229-66483; Isabel Arriaga e Cunha – Tel: +32 229-52117; Maëlys Dreux – Tel.: +32 2 295 46 73) Commission invests €225 million to deliver next-generation influenza vaccines The European Union is committing €225 million to speed up the development of next-generation flu vaccines that will offer protection across a wider range of influenza variants and quickly adapted if a pandemic strain emerges. It marks the first time the Commission will be using pre-commercial procurement to advance products through clinical trials, ensuring they meet strict safety, quality and efficacy criteria, while supporting innovations that might otherwise stall without public intervention. The funding will support vaccines designed to be easier to administer via the nose, mouth or skin patches and rapidly scaled up in emergencies. Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness, and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib , said: “ With an EU investment of €225 million - the largest ever dedicated to accelerating access to innovative medical countermeasures - we are advancing the development of next-generation flu vaccines. Innovation is at the heart of preparedness. This funding will unlock cutting-edge technologies, including more accessible and diverse vaccine administration methods, ensuring that effective vaccine options reach underserved and vulnerable groups. This investment also strengthens Europe's pharmaceutical ecosystem, contributing to its competitiveness, and reinforces our resilience against future health threats. ” Through full clinical development of promising vaccine candidates, the EU aims to widen the pipeline, putting more products in development. That means new solutions can reach national vaccination programmes more quickly, providing patient friendly vaccines to help countries respond with greater speed and coordination when outbreaks intensify. The contracts signed will run for 98 months, covering clinical development through to market authorisation. A press release is available online. (For more information: Eva Hrnčířová – Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Quentin Cortès – Tel.: +32 2 296 47 35) Commission publishes summary of responses to consultation on Foreign Subsidies Regulation review Today, the European Commission published a summary of the contributions received in response to the public consultation on the ongoing review of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR). These contributions will feed into the Commission's review report, which will be presented to the European Parliament and the Council later this year as required by the FSR. The contributions generally acknowledge the importance and relevance of the FSR for the integrity and proper functioning of the EU's internal market. Respondents were also positive about the potential of enforcement tools to ensure a level playing field in the EU's internal market. At the same time, respondents highlighted areas for potential improvement such as notifications and reporting obligations in the concentration and public procurement modules, and the need for better clarity for concepts such as ‘foreign financial contributions'. The public consultation , which ran from August 2025 to November 2025, was accompanied by a parallel call for evidence to gather comprehensive market feedback. The contributions to the call for evidence are already public. The Commission welcomed the participation of 54 respondents in the public consultation, including companies, business associations, public authorities and academic institutions across the EU and beyond. On 9 January 2026, the Commission published FSR Guidelines to bring further predictability and ensure transparency for companies. They clarify several concepts, such as how the Commission concludes whether there is a distortion of competition caused by a foreign subsidy, how distortive effects are balanced against any positive effects of a foreign subsidy, and the Commission's power to request prior notification of below-threshold cases. The ongoing review focuses on the assessment of foreign subsidies that distort the internal market, the application of the balancing test, own-initiative investigations, notification thresholds, and the level of complexity of the rules. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Luuk de Klein – Tel.: +32 229 94774) Commission clears acquisition of RDG and RN R&M by BMWE The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of Rosneft Deutschland GmbH (‘RDG') and RN Refining & Marketing GmbH (‘RN R&M') by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (‘BMWE'), all of Germany. The transaction relates primarily to crude oil refining and the wholesale supply of fuels and petrochemical products. The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given the companies' limited market positions resulting from the proposed transaction. The notified transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.12072 . (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83) Commission clears creation of joint venture by HOCHTIEF, KfW and Vulcan The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the creation of a joint venture by HOCHTIEF AG, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (‘KfW'), the national promotional bank acting on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, all of Germany, and Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (‘Vulcan') of Australia. The transaction relates primarily to the market for the production and supply of lithium hydroxide. The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given the companies' limited combined market position resulting from the proposed transaction. The notified transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.12251 . (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83) Commission clears acquisition of Ascend Commerce by ADCG and NDG The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of Ascend Commerce Company Limited (‘Ascend Commerce') by Ascend Digital Commerce Group Co., Ltd. (‘ADCG'), both of Thailand, and NTT DOCOMO GLOBAL, Inc. (‘NDG') of Japan. The transaction relates primarily to the development and provision of e-commerce and marketplace platforms, customer loyalty programs and technology solution services. The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given the limited impact on the European Economic Area. The notified transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.12336 . (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83) STATEMENTS Statement by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen and Commissioner McGrath ahead of the European Day for Victims of Crime Ahead of European Day for Victims of Crime, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, and Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath reaffirmed the EU's unwavering commitment to ensuring justice, dignity and support for all victims of crime with the following statement: “The essential tasks of Justice are to repair the intolerable affront inflicted on victims of crimes and to uphold their fundamental right to human dignity. Crime can have profound and long-lasting effects on victims of crime. They must be heard, supported, and treated with respect, compassion and fairness throughout their experience and interactions with the criminal justice system. The recent political agreement on the revised Victims' Rights Directive is a major step forward and will make it easier and less stressful for victims to report crimes and to participate in criminal proceedings. The new rules aim to usher in a justice system that places victim protection front and centre across the Union. They are mindful of the victims' needs at every step of the justice process, from the moment they come forward to the aftermath of the proceedings. ” The full statement can be found online . (For more information: Guillaume Mercier - Tel: +32 2 298 05 64 ; Antoine Lomba – Tel: +32 2 299 32 33 ) Tentative agendas for forthcoming Commission meetings Note that these items can be subject to changes. Upcoming events of the European Commission Eurostat press releases Calendar items of the President and Commissioners Individual calendars of the President and Commissioners MEX/26/447
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