European Commission - Daily News Daily News 31 / 03 / 2026 Brussels, 31 March 2026 Commission allocates €21.5 million in emergency support to farmers in Bulgaria, Estonia and Hungary Yesterday, Member States endorsed the Commission's proposal to mobilise €21.5 million from the agricultural reserve to support farmers in Bulgaria, Estonia and Hungary affected by adverse weather events during the 2025 growing season. Th...
European Commission - Daily News Daily News 31 / 03 / 2026 Brussels, 31 March 2026 Commission allocates €21.5 million in emergency support to farmers in Bulgaria, Estonia and Hungary Yesterday, Member States endorsed the Commission's proposal to mobilise €21.5 million from the agricultural reserve to support farmers in Bulgaria, Estonia and Hungary affected by adverse weather events during the 2025 growing season. They will respectively receive €7.4 million, €3.3 million and €10.8 million of exceptional support, which can be complemented by up to 200% of national funds. Throughout 2025, farmers in Bulgaria, Estonia and Hungary witnessed significant damages and suffered economic losses due to adverse climatic events and natural disasters. Bulgaria faced severe drought and heatwaves, which significantly reduced sunflower and maize production. In Estonia, spring frost followed by a cold, wet and unstable growing season harmed crops such as spring wheat, barley, peas, rapeseed, potatoes and fruit and vegetables. Finally, in Hungary, extreme heat and water shortages caused major heat stress, affecting crops including sweetcorn, melons, sorghum and maize. Commissioner Hansen said: “When droughts trouble the soil in Bulgaria and Hungary, or frost and rain ruin crops in Estonia, it's not just fields that suffer. It's families and the very future of our farming communities. The Commissions stands by farmers' side in times of crises. This is why we allocate €21.5 million to three countries as support to their agricultural community. Investing in risk management and insurances is essential to deal with more frequent extreme events induced by climate change. We must act now to build a future where extreme weather doesn't mean ruined harvests.” More information is available in the press release . (For more information: Louise Bogey – Tel.: +32 2 296 97 76; Kateřina Horáková - Tel.: +32 2 299 93 10) Commission calls on Member States to coordinate measures to ensure oil security of supply amid Middle East energy disruption Considering the market volatility stemming from the conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the European Commission is calling on Member States to make timely and coordinated preparations to secure the supply of oil and refined petroleum products in the EU. The European Union is well prepared, thanks to the obligation on Member States to maintain oil stocks and to have contingency plans in response to security of supply incidents. EU Member States are also contributing - for approximately 20% - to the release of over 400 million barrels of emergency oil stocks coordinated by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen said: “The European Union's security of supply remains guaranteed. But we must be ready for a potentially prolonged disruption of international energy trade. This is why we need to act already now. And we need to act together, as a true Union. It is only by working together that we can be stronger and we can protect our citizens and businesses more effectively." In a letter addressed to all EU Energy Ministers, the Commissioner urged the Member States to make full use of the meetings under the Oil Coordination Group and Energy Union Task Force Security to ensure good coordination, as well as to consider the promotion of demand saving measures, with particular attention to the transport sector, as advised by the IEA in its 10-points plan to cut oil use. Robust monitoring, rapid information-sharing mechanisms and coordination remain essential. Any emergency risks or material changes in oil supply and industry conditions, including commercial stocks, should be tracked and notified to the Commission to ensure continuous assessment and coordinated action. In the same spirit, Member States should refrain from taking measures that may increase fuel consumption, limit the free flow of petroleum products or disincentivize EU refinery output. They should also consult with their neighbouring Member States and the Commission to preserve EU-wide coherence and the functioning of the internal market. To safeguard the availability of petroleum products on the EU market, any non-emergency refinery maintenance should be deferred. At the same time, increasing the uptake of biofuels could help substitute for fossil petroleum products and alleviate pressure on the market. (For more information: Eva Hrnčířová – Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Ana Crespo Parrondo - Tel.: +32 2 298 13 25) Commission issues guidance for pragmatic and proportionate rules on protecting wild birds Today, the European Commission published guidelines for a pragmatic and proportionate implementation of the Birds Directive on the ground, while protecting Europe's wild birds . This guidance document provides practical advice to support Member States and stakeholders in implementing existing rules and Court of Justice of the EU case-law on the protection of wild birds, while reducing administrative burden. Today's guidance document is a step to make the existing rules work better in practice. It will also contribute to a more consistent implementation of the rules across the EU, for instance by setting clear and standardised measures for recurring activities, such as forestry. This includes, for example, clarity on the use of flyway derogations, which will allow Member States to better coordinate action along recurring migratory routes as many bird populations move across borders. The Commission guidance document will be translated into all EU official languages before being formally adopted. More information is available online in the press release . (For more information: Eva Hrnčířová – Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Maëlys Dreux - Tel.: +32 2 295 46 73) EU and Australia open negotiations on association to multibillion European research programme Today, the European Union and Australia took a major step forward in their research and innovation partnership by formally launching negotiations for Australia's association to Horizon Europe , the EU's €93.5 billion flagship programme for scientific excellence and innovation. The announcement follows Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's recent visit to Australia and marks a new chapter in EU-Australia relations by deepening cooperation in cutting-edge technologies, climate solutions, health research and resilient supply chains. By pooling expertise and resources, the EU and Australia aim to turn scientific excellence into real-world impact, driving progress that will benefit people, businesses, and the planet. Australia already plays an active role in Horizon Europe, with researchers and organisations contributing to over 200 projects across fields like critical raw materials, clean energy, digital innovation, and health. On top of this, full association would allow Australian entities to access EU funding directly, participate on similar terms with EU members, and engage in long-term, large-scale collaborations with reduced administrative hurdles. Ekaterina Zaharieva , Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, said: "With the EU– Australia agreements last week, we are moving quickly to bring our innovation ecosystems closer together. This will add to the growing list of likeminded countries that have chosen to join Horizon Europe, the world's largest and most prestigious research programme.” To date, there are 22 countries associated to Horizon: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Egypt, the Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Korea, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Türkiye, Tunisia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. For the next long-term EU budget (2028-2034), the Commission is proposing to double Horizon's budget to €175 billion. (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Isabel Arriaga e Cunha – Tel: +32 229- 52117) Record number of wildfires in 2025 calls for stronger EU action The European Union experienced its most devastating wildfire season on record in 2025, with over one million hectares of land burnt – an area roughly the size of Cyprus – according to new data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), managed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre . EFFIS satellite monitoring revealed that 7,783 wildfires swept across 25 EU countries. The season began unusually early, with more than 100,000 hectares already destroyed by the end of March. The situation worsened dramatically over the summer, particularly in the Mediterranean, where a prolonged August heatwave sparked 22 major fires in Portugal and Spain alone, burning 460,585 hectares – nearly half of the EU's total burnt area. Beyond the EU, wildfires ravaged 2.2 million hectares across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, with Ukraine suffering the most severe impact, accounting for 30% of the total burnt area and 39% of all fires tracked by EFFIS. The 2025 wildfire season underscored worrying new patterns: earlier and longer fire seasons, with blazes starting as early as March; more frequent and intense heatwaves, fuelling extreme fire behaviour; and wildfires spreading to higher latitudes, affecting regions previously considered low risk. This record-breaking season is not an outlier, but a call for a stronger, more coordinated European response. On 25 March 2026, the European Commission adopted a new strategy to tackle rising wildfire threat covering the full disaster risk cycle – prevention, preparedness, response and recovery – and setting out concrete actions at both EU and national levels. The strategy promotes fire-resilient landscapes through sustainable land management and nature restoration, strengthens early warning and monitoring through EFFIS and Copernicus, and boosts firefighting capacity through an EU firefighting aircraft fleet, the pre-positioning of firefighters, and a new European firefighting hub in Cyprus. It also addresses population preparedness, post-fire recovery, and the integration of wildfire risk into EU funding frameworks. With this strategy, Europe is adapting to a wildfire risk that is no longer seasonal, but structural. (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Isabel Arriaga e Cunha – Tel: +32 229- 52117) Commission opens formal State aid assessment of French support to new nuclear programme The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether public support that France plans to grant for the construction and operation of six new nuclear reactors is in line with EU State aid rules. The six new reactors will be built in pairs at sites of existing nuclear power plants, namely Penly, Gravelines and Bugey. The new units are planned for commissioning between 2038 and 2044, and to have a lifetime of 60 years each. The total construction costs are currently estimated at €72.8 billion. The project aims to increase the security of electricity supply for France and for neighbouring countries, as well as to contribute to the Union's decarbonisation targets. The beneficiary of the support is Électricité de France S.A. (‘EDF'), the owner and operator of the entire nuclear power fleet in France. France plans to support this project through three measures: a subsidised loan at a preferential rate, a two-way contract for difference running for 40 years, and a risk-sharing mechanism with a specific list of events. At this stage, based on its preliminary assessment, the Commission has found the project necessary and considers that the aid facilitates the development of an economic activity. The Commission also recognises the potential contribution of the project to security of supply and decarbonisation. Nevertheless, the Commission considers it necessary to assess whether the measure is fully in line with EU State aid rules. In particular, the Commission will look at the appropriateness and proportionality of the aid package, the impact of the measure on competition in the market and whether this is kept to the minimum, and compliance with other provisions of EU law such as the Electricity Regulation . The opening of an in-depth State aid investigation is a common step when complex aid packages are involved, such as in the case at hand. It will give France and interested third parties the opportunity to submit comments. It does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. A press release is available online. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Luuk de Klein – Tel.: +32 229 94774) Commission clears acquisition of FMTech by JLL Co-Investment and PIF The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of the Saudi Facility Management Company (‘FMTech') of Saudi Arabia, by Jones Lang Lasalle Co-Investment, Inc. (‘JLL Co-Investment') of the US and the Public Investment Fund (‘PIF') of Saudi Arabia. The transaction relates primarily to the provision of facility management services in Saudi Arabia. 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.12358 . (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Luuk de Klein – Tel.: +32 229 94774) Commission clears acquisition of Substantial by Liberty Global and Telefónica The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of Substantial TopCo Limited (‘Substantial') of the UK by Liberty Global Limited of Bermuda and Telefónica Infra S.L.U (‘Telefónica') of Spain. The transaction relates primarily to the fixed telecommunication sector in the UK. 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.12366 . (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Luuk de Klein – Tel.: +32 229 94774) Commission clears acquisition of Netomnia and Brsk assets by Liberty Global, Telefónica and InfraVía The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of Netomnia Limited and Brsk Limited, both of the UK, by Liberty Global Limited of Bermuda, Telefónica Infra S.L.U (‘Telefónica') of Spain and Crown Infra Bidco Limited of the UK, controlled by InfraVía Capital Partners SAS. (‘InfraVía') of France. The transaction relates primarily to the fixed telecommunication sector in the UK. 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.12367 . (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Luuk de Klein – Tel.: +32 229 94774) ANNOUNCEMENTS Executive Vice-President Fitto in discussions with leaders of the Belgian government and regions Today and tomorrow, Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto is holding high-level meetings in Belgium with Prime Minister Bart de Wever, regional Minister-Presidents and representatives from the regions of Brussels, Wallonia and Flanders. Discussions will focus on the mid-term review and the future of the EU's cohesion policy as well as the Recovery and Resilience Facility . This follows last week's announcement that Belgium has redirected €164 million under cohesion policy's mid-term review towards strategic priorities to bolster economic resilience and innovation. This morning, Executive Vice-President Fitto visited the EU-funded ‘U-Square' project alongside Ans Persoons, Brussels-Capital State Secretary for the Environment, Climate, Urban Renewal, Heritage and the image of Brussels. This initiative is converting a former military site into an open, inclusive and sustainable urban district centred around higher education, innovation and community engagement. He will then visit the ‘FacThory' in Genk with Jos Lantmeeters, Governor of Limburg. FacThory is a hotspot for smart, sustainable, and innovative companies with a focus on energy transition and smart manufacturing. Later today, Executive Vice-President Fitto will meet with Prime Minister Bart de Wever to delve deeper into the evolution of cohesion policy, ensuring alignment with Belgium's economic and social priorities. Tomorrow, he will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot to continue the discussions on the future of cohesion policy, as well as with Matthias Diependaele, Minister-President of Flanders, to discuss the implementation of cohesion policy in in the region. The visit will conclude with a visit to the Zénobe Gramme University centre in Charleroi, with Adrien Dolimont, Minister-President of Wallonia, and Thomas Dermine, Mayor of Charleroi. The historic building has undergone a major revitalisation, enhancing it urban appeal while establishing itself as a hub for education, research and professional training. (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Isabel Arriaga e Cunha – Tel: +32 229- 52117) European Ocean Board convenes for first meeting to shape future of EU ocean policy The European Ocean Board, a newly established high-level expert group to support the implementation of the European Ocean Pact , holds its inaugural meeting today in Brussels to advance the Pact's comprehensive strategy for the ocean. Chaired by Costas Kadis, Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, the Board brings together 28 leading experts from across Europe, representing trade and business associations, academia, research institutes, non-governmental organisations, and youth organisations. Their collective mission is to provide strategic guidance on how to implement the Ocean Pact's ambitious goals, which include ocean health, blue economy competitiveness, coastal resilience, scientific research, maritime security, and global ocean governance. Today's session will focus on exchanging views, identifying strategic priorities, and shaping the Board's future work programme, setting the stage for its long-term impact. The 28 Board members have been selected following an open call for applications. The experts' varied backgrounds ensure that diverse perspectives are reflected, enabling informed and inclusive policy development based on expertise and practical experience. The Board will work alongside existing platforms, including the Fisheries Advisory Councils and the European Blue Forum, reinforcing a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach to ocean management. You can find more information , including the full list of Board members, online. (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Anna Wartberger – Tel: +32 2 28 20 54) 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/26/763
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