European Commission - Daily News Daily News 03 / 03 / 2026 Brussels, 3 March 2026 Commission seeks input on revision of State aid rules on guarantees The European Commission has today launched a call for evidence on the revision of the Guarantee Notice , which describes how the Commission assesses State guarantees under EU State aid rules. Key aspects of the revision will be ensuring market-conformity of guarantee pr...
European Commission - Daily News Daily News 03 / 03 / 2026 Brussels, 3 March 2026 Commission seeks input on revision of State aid rules on guarantees The European Commission has today launched a call for evidence on the revision of the Guarantee Notice , which describes how the Commission assesses State guarantees under EU State aid rules. Key aspects of the revision will be ensuring market-conformity of guarantee premiums, establishing greater coherence with other State aid rules and reducing the administrative burden for Member States. This first revision since 2008 will address problems of effectiveness, efficiency and coherence identified in the 2022 evaluation of the Notice . The findings fed into a Staff Working Document published in October 2025. Any other issues that this call for evidence and the future targeted consultation bring to light may feed into the revision. Finally, it will look into incorporating specific safeguards into the Notice to preclude potential aid to lenders. The Commission aims to finalise the revision of the Notice by June 2027. Responsible Member States' authorities, bank and guarantee institution associations, large companies, SMEs and business associations have until 31 March 2026 to contribute to this call for evidence and share their views. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Luuk de Klein – Tel.: +32 229 94774) Commission approves new geographical indications from Finland and Slovakia The European Commission has approved the addition of ‘ Aitoo perunarieska ' from Finland and ‘ Liptovské šialence ' from Slovakia to its register of Protected Geographical Indications (PGI). The Finnish ‘Aitoo perunarieska' is a round unleavened flatbread (‘rieska') made primarily from boiled, unpeeled potatoes, wheat flour or other flour mixes, and rape or colza oil, salt and possibly sugar and/or potato flakes. It is different from other Finnish flatbreads due to its unique preparation method, texture, taste, a speckled appearance from potato peel fragments and dense consistency. ‘Aitoo perunarieska' is a distinctive bakery product as no water, yeast, eggs or dairy products are used in its production. The flatbreads are produced, prepared, and baked swiftly in south-west regions of Finland. The Slovak ‘Liptovské šialence' are unique sausages from the Liptov region in Slovakia, made using traditional methods, combining grated potatoes and spices in natural sheep intestine casings shaped like a snail. Known for their soft consistency and delicate texture, they have a smooth, moderately moist surface, light grey exterior, and greyish-yellow interior when sliced, with a distinct potato and spice aroma. Prepared and sold cooked, they are browned in a pan or oven before consumption. The entire production process occurs within the Liptov region, an area renowned for potato cultivation and self-sufficient livestock farming, where skills passed down through generations ensure the product's quality. These new designations join the more than 3,900 protected names already listed in the eAmbrosia database. More information is available on the Quality Policy pages . (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Kateřina Horáková - Tel.: +32 2 299 93 10) Commission clears acquisition of MCJ by Bain Capital The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of MCJ Co., Ltd of Japan by Bain Capital Investors, LLC (‘Bain Capital') of the US. The transaction relates primarily to the manufacture and sale of built-to-order computers in Japan and the sale of monitors under the iiyama brand in the EU. The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given that the companies are not active in the same or vertically related markets. 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.12310 . (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 AAK and KLK The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the creation of a joint venture by AAK Invest AB (‘AAK') of Sweden and Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (‘KLK') of Malaysia. The transaction relates primarily to the manufacturing and trading of fractionated palm oil products in Malaysia. The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given the limited impact on the European Economic Area and 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.12254 . (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 PennAero and TriMas Aerospace by Blackstone and Tinicum The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of PennAero and TriMas Aerospace by Blackstone Inc. and Tinicum L.P., all of the US. The transaction relates primarily to the manufacturing of aerospace components. The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given that the joint venture has negligible activities in 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.12252 . (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83) ANNOUNCEMENTS Commissioner Brunner convenes the 10th EU Internet Forum Ministerial Meeting Tomorrow, Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner , will convene the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the EU Internet Forum (EUIF) in Brussels. The meeting will bring together EU Ministers and high-level representatives of online platforms, as well as EU institutions and civil society organisations to strengthen collective action against terrorist and violent extremist threats in the digital space. Ministers and industry representatives are expected to endorse the new EU Online Crisis Response Framework , as announced in the new ProtectEU: Agenda to prevent and counter terrorism. The new framework will reinforce preparedness, with a new pre-alert system, and will strengthen swift and coordinated reaction to the online dimension of terrorist and violent extremist attacks. This will help to curb the flow of violent images which glorify acts of terrorism and radicalise new followers. The meeting will also focus on the protection of minors from terrorism and violent extremism online, a topic that is particularly relevant in today's geopolitical environment: one out of three terrorist suspects today is below the age of 20. Furthermore, participants will discuss how best to counter antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred in the digital sphere, as well as prevention, early detection, and strengthened voluntary cooperation between Member States, online platforms, civil society organisations and EU agencies. They will also discuss the findings of the new Handbook on Online Antisemitism . Established in 2015, the EU Internet Forum is a space for structured public-private cooperation to prevent the misuse of online services for terrorist and violent extremist purposes. It complements the EU's regulatory framework, including the Terrorist Content Online Regulation and the Digital Services Act . Commissioner Brunner chairs the Forum, underlining the Commission's determination to adapt the EU's counterterrorism and prevention toolkit to evolving technological and geopolitical realities, while safeguarding fundamental rights and democratic values online. (For more information: Markus Lammert – Tel.: +32 2 296 75 33; Elettra Di Massa - Tel.: +32 2 298 21 61) Executive Vice-President Ribera hosts Youth Policy Dialogue to discuss a resilient, competitive and fair EU Today, Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just, and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera, will hold a Youth Policy Dialogue in Brussels. The dialogue will focus on a resilient, competitive and fair EU. She will exchange views with the winners of DG Competition's Student Challenge on a blueprint for our future in Europe. The Student Challenge was held in the margins of the ‘ Clean, Just and Competitive — A Blueprint for Europe's Economies and Societies ' conference, hosted by Executive Vice-President Ribera on 29 January 2026. During the dialogue, the students will have the opportunity to share their perspectives on how to advance a clean, sustainable and resilient Europe. They will also discuss how to strengthen competition policy, foster better and more equal business conditions, and uphold standards and fairness both in the EU and globally. Based on the discussions held during the dialogue, a policy proposal report will be prepared. Youth Policy Dialogues are part of the European Commission's commitment to empowering young voices and engaging them in EU policymaking, as set out in President von der Leyen's Political Guidelines for 2024-2029. They offer a platform for young Europeans to discuss key EU policy initiatives and integrate youth views in the EU's political agenda. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83) 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/26/518
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