European Commission - Daily News Daily News 02 / 03 / 2026 Brussels, 2 March 2026 EU and Switzerland sign broad package of agreements to deepen relationship Today, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin signed a broad package of agreements aiming to deepen and expand the EU-Switzerland relationship. The package establishes a modern frame...
European Commission - Daily News Daily News 02 / 03 / 2026 Brussels, 2 March 2026 EU and Switzerland sign broad package of agreements to deepen relationship Today, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin signed a broad package of agreements aiming to deepen and expand the EU-Switzerland relationship. The package establishes a modern framework for the EU and Switzerland, enabling frictionless access to a market of 460 million consumers in key sectors, delivering economic benefits to both sides. By aligning standards and rules in closely integrated areas, it will provide legal certainty, simplify trade in goods like medical devices and food products, and ease cross-border supply for businesses on both sides of the border. Additionally, it will ensure more consistent rules for individuals who live, work, or study across the EU-Swiss border. Switzerland will contribute to the development of legislation in the areas covered by the package and will have the opportunity to influence these rules as they are being designed. The signature is an important step towards completing the ratification of the broad package. It will enable both sides to advance their respective ratification processes. More information is available in the Q&A and press release . (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Kateřina Horáková - Tel.: +32 2 299 93 10) President von der Leyen launches OceanEye and calls for an international alliance to reinforce global ocean observation and protection Today, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called for an International Alliance to reinforce and expand ocean monitoring and observation. The Alliance will support OceanEye, the European Ocean observation initiative, with the aim to enhance global ocean observation efforts and collaboration. President von der Leyen has also announced the EU contribution of €50 million from Horizon Europe to the International Alliance for 2026-2027. The European Ocean observation initiative was first announced by President von der Leyen, along with Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis , during the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the European Ocean Days , President Ursula von der Leyen said: “ Today, we have presented OceanEye, a major initiative to strengthen the EU's leadership in ocean observation and unlock the full potential of our ocean. We will advance scientific knowledge, boost the blue economy's competitiveness, enhance maritime security, and crucially protect the ocean's health. Together with international partners, we will reinforce a sustainable and resilient Global Ocean Observing System.” A press release is available online. (For more information: Maciej Berestecki - Tel: +32 229-66483; Isabel Arriaga e Cunha – Tel: +32 229-52117) Commission greenlights Slovenia's fifth payment request for €266.8 million under NextGenerationEU Today, the European Commission positively assessed Slovenia's fifth payment request for €266.8 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. This is an important step in the delivery of the reforms and investments tied to this payment request, in the areas of pensions, healthcare, sustainable transport, water management as well as preparedness and response to climate-driven disasters. The Commission found that Slovenia has satisfactorily completed eight milestones and eight targets set out in the Council Implementing Decision . It has sent its preliminary assessment of Slovenia's fulfilment of the milestones and targets required for this payment to the Economic and Financial Committee (EFC) of the European Union, which has four weeks to deliver its opinion. The payment to Slovenia can take place following the EFC's opinion, and the adoption of a payment decision by the Commission. A press release is available online. (For more information: Maciej Berestecki - Tel: +32 229-66483; Isabel Arriaga e Cunha – Tel: +32 229-52117) Commission proposes €2 million from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to support 507 dismissed Liberty Steel workers in Belgium The European Commission has proposed to mobilise €2 million from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) to support 507 workers dismissed after the bankruptcy of Liberty Steel Belgium. Liberty Steel production lines in Belgium came to a halt in December 2021 due to raw material shortages. Despite efforts to restructure the entity, production never resumed, and workers were placed in short-term work schemes. After prolonged inactivity, the Liège Commercial Court declared Liberty Steel bankrupt on 22 April 2025, resulting in 507 workers losing their jobs. The EGF funding will support affected workers through measures such as career counselling and guidance, training in new professional and horizontal skills, and assistance for those wishing to start their own businesses. Together, these measures will help dismissed workers learn new skills and rejoin the labour market. Their total estimated cost amounts to €2.4 million, of which 85% (€2 million) will be covered by the Commission and 15% (€0.4 million) by the Walloon public employment services. The Belgian authorities began providing support to workers already in June 2025, shortly after the bankruptcy. The EGF can retroactively cover these costs. More information is available in the press release . (For more information: Eva Hrnčířová — Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Eirini Zarkadoula - Tel.: +32 2 295 70 65) Commission launches public consultation on private equity exits The European Commission is seeking feedback on obstacles that private equity investors face when exiting their investments and possible ways to address these obstacles. The input will support the Commission's work under the Savings and Investments Union (SIU) , in particular efforts to improve the access to finance for EU startups and scaleups. Private financing, including from private equity or venture capital funds, plays an important role in supporting young and innovative companies, who often find it difficult to access traditional bank financing. Ensuring that exit opportunities are available, such as through sales of private equity stakes or through initial public offerings (IPOs), is crucial for the availability of capital, as investors depend on realised returns to fund future investments. Despite past policy efforts, private equity investors in the EU continue to face challenges when seeking to exit their investments. For example, they may not be able to wait for an IPO to realise capital gains, or the lack of a credible valuation of private assets may hinder a transaction. Those difficulties reduce market activity, limiting the availability of growth capital and possibly prompting promising young companies to move outside the EU in search of funding. The Commission is seeking stakeholder views on possible barriers for exiting private equity investments in the EU, the merits and possible design features of a platform for secondary trading of private company shares, and the potential of an extended use of such a platform for raising new equity capital. The consultation is open until 27 April and targets a broad range of stakeholders, including companies in search of early-stage capital and private equity investors. The feedback will inform the Commission's decision on whether further action is merited in this area. (For more information: Siobhan McGarry – Tel.: +32 2 296 47 98; Saul Louis Goulding - Tel.: +32 2 296 47 35) ANNOUNCEMENTS President von der Leyen opens 2026 European Employment and Social Rights Forum Tomorrow, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen , and Executive Vice- President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu , will open the fourth edition of the European Employment and Social Rights Forum , the largest event of its kind in Europe. This year's Forum will take place in Brussels and online on 3 and 4 March . It will address the EU's responses to challenges such as quality jobs, fair labour mobility and changes in the labour market. Journalists can still register to attend . The main speakers, remotely and in person, include Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy, Vincent Kompany, Head Coach of FC Bayern München and founder of ‘BX Brussels', and Sidsel Marie Kristensen, Chief Executive Officer of the LEGO Foundation, as well as several national ministers and members of the European Parliament (full list of speakers). On Tuesday, Executive Vice-President Mînzatu will also host a Youth Policy Dialogue on the cost of living. Participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences and ideas on how to build a more affordable future for young Europeans, touching on issues related to housing, work, and the wider cost of living. The Youth Policy Dialogue is part of the Commission's commitment to empowering young voices and engaging them in EU policymaking. Key outcomes will be shared in a full report after the dialogue. Further details on the Commission's work on Employment and Social Rights can be found online . (For more information: Eva Hrnčířová — Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Eirini Zarkadoula - Tel.: +32 2 295 70 65) Commissioner Jørgensen in Azerbaijan to discuss energy security, diversification and clean energy transition Tomorrow, Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen will be in Baku to strengthen and deepen the energy partnership between the EU and Azerbaijan. He will co-chair the 12 th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial meeting and the 4 th Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial meeting with Parviz Shahbazov, Minister for Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The annual meetings gather representatives from partner governments, institutions and companies, to take stock of and make progress on the joint commitments to their strategic, mutually beneficial energy partnership. Azerbaijan plays a significant role in EU's efforts to diversify away from Russian fossil fuels. Gas imports through the Southern Gas Corridor contribute to a more diversified, reliable and secure gas supply in Europe, in line with the goals of REPowerEU . Moreover, Azerbaijan's abundant renewable energy resources present excellent opportunities for European companies and Azerbaijan's economic growth. Strengthening cooperation remains vital for the shared energy security, competitiveness and decarbonisation goals. In Baku, the Commissioner will also hold bilateral meetings with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev, the Minister for Energy, Parviz Shahbazov, as well as with the Minister for Energy of the Republic of Moldova, Dorin Junghietu. At the end of the Ministerial Meetings, Commissioner Jørgensen and Minister Shahbazov will hold a joint press point at around 14.00 CET, which you can follow online on EBS . (For more information: Anna-Kaisa Itkonen – Tel.: +32 2 295 75 01; Cristiana Marchitelli – Tel: +32 2 298 94 07) Commissioners Síkela and Brunner visit Senegal to deepen strategic partnership on investments and security Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela , and Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner , are visiting Senegal on 2 and 3 March to deepen the EU's strategic partnership which combines a strong investment agenda under Global Gateway with enhanced cooperation on security, including the fight against migrant smuggling, effective return and readmission, and strengthened border and coastal management. Senegal is a key partner in a fragile Sahel region. Strengthening investment and security cooperation with a stable and reliable partner such as Senegal is important to Europe's broader security and migration strategy. The visit takes place in the context of ongoing negotiations on a new Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership between the EU and Senegal. The proposed framework is structured around three pillars: economic transformation through Global Gateway, peace and security, and migration and mobility. Both Commissioners will meet with the President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and other key government leaders to discuss shared priorities. They will also attend the official handover of boats to the Senegalese Police and Gendarmerie and the inauguration of the Maritime Maintenance Center under the Joint Operational Programme II, strengthening operational capacity to secure borders and protect lives at sea. Commissioner Síkela will meet young entrepreneurs and private sector representatives from the EU and Senegal. He will visit the Regional Express Train site, a key project that the EU will support expanding to more regions across the country. Commissioner Brunner will engage with law enforcement actors to address joint security and migration challenges. The mission underlines the EU's integrated approach : investing in economic opportunity while strengthening security cooperation to build mutually beneficial relationships with strategic partners around the world. Responding to the aspirations of African youth, while reducing illegal migration pressure, contributes to the stability of the region and protects European interests. Audiovisual material of the mission will be available on EBS . (For more information: Markus Lammert – Tel: +32 2 29 67 533; Elettra Di Massa – Tel: +32 2 29 82 161; Jennifer Sanchez da Silva – Tel: +32 2 295 83 16) 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/26/510
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