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European Commission - Daily News Daily News 16 / 06 / 2026 Brussels, 16 June 2026 Commission welcomes political agreement on seeds and other plant reproductive materials The European Commission welcomes the political agreement reached yesterday evening by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament on the revision and simplification of EU rules for plant reproductive material (PRM) . The agreement modernises cu...
European Commission - Daily News Daily News 16 / 06 / 2026 Brussels, 16 June 2026 Commission welcomes political agreement on seeds and other plant reproductive materials The European Commission welcomes the political agreement reached yesterday evening by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament on the revision and simplification of EU rules for plant reproductive material (PRM) . The agreement modernises current rules, enabling producers and companies to benefit from the latest innovation, technology and digitalisation in this field. The revision also streamlines the various directives in force into a single Regulation, giving greater legal clarity and coherence to operators and public authorities. Plant reproductive material are the seeds and other plant material used to produce new plants. They form the basis of agriculture, ensuring that farmers and agricultural industry have plants which meet their needs. Having the right plants can help increase plants and crops' resilience, combatting resistance to certain pests and productivity. The new rules will provide assurances on the quality of these products and will strengthen this sector in Europe. The revised Regulation maintains the system for placing plant reproductive products on the market, both with the assessment and registration of new varieties, as well as a certification to ensure its high quality. Once fully adopted and implemented, the revision will also support investment and innovation in the sector and strengthen the conservation of plant genetic resources. The revised Regulation must now be formally adopted by the Council and European Parliament. The new rules will start applying 4 years after the new Regulation enters into force. Further information is available in our press release . (For more information: Eva Hrnčířová – Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Anna Gray – Tel.: +32 2 298 08 73) Europe's bathing waters remain safe to swim From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, the vast majority of bathing waters in Europe met the European Union's most stringent ‘excellent' bathing quality standards in 2025, according to the latest annual Bathing Water report published today. This represents 85% of Europe's bathing sites, with 96% of all EU sites monitored meeting the minimum quality standards, and only 1.5% rated as ‘poor'. These data also show that the overall quality of bathing waters across Europe has remained stable compared to the previous year . The highest share for excellent quality bathing waters is found in Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Greece – with a total of 95% or higher. The bathing quality of coastal waters is generally better compared to rivers and lakes. In 2025, 88% of coastal bathing waters in the EU were classified as excellent, compared to 78% of inland bathing waters. The assessment and interactive map, put together by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in cooperation with the European Commission, show where swimmers can find the safest bathing sites in Europe. The assessment inspects water suitability for bathing, focusing on monitoring bacteria that can potentially cause serious illnesses. The excellent quality of Europe's bathing waters is supported by the sustained impact of EU law. You can find more information in our press release . (For more information: Anna-Kaisa Itkonen – Tel.: +32 2 295 75 01; Maëlys Dreux – Tel.: +32 2 295 46 73) Commission clears acquisition of NorthC by APG and Antin The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of DutchColo A B.V. and its subsidiaries (‘NorthC') by APG Asset Management N.V. (‘APG'), both of the Netherlands, and Antin Infrastructure Partners S.A.S. (‘Antin') of France. The transaction relates primarily to renting out shared data centre space. 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.12404 . (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 Hana Group and Eat Happy Group by ORCP The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of Hazel ParentCo SAS and Hazel ManCo SAS (together ‘Hana Group') of France and FCF Holding GmbH (‘Eat Happy Group') of Germany by One Rock Capital Partners, LLC (‘ORCP') of the US. The transaction relates primarily to the provision of food services. 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.12426 . (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 Castrol by Stonepeak The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of Castrol Group Holdings Ltd ('Castrol') of the UK by investment funds advised and/or managed by affiliates of Stonepeak Partners LP ('Stonepeak') of the US. The transaction relates primarily to the development, production and sale of lubricants, greases, coolants and related fluids. 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.12354 . (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/26/1368
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