European Commission - Daily News Daily News 25 / 06 / 2026 Brussels, 25 June 2026 Lithuania receives first € 956.3 million payment under SAFE Lithuania received its first payment of €956.3 million under the Security Action for Europe ( SAFE ) defence financing instrument, representing 15% of its total allocation of €3.5 billion. SAFE is a €150 billion financial instrument providing loans to Member States. It primaril...
European Commission - Daily News Daily News 25 / 06 / 2026 Brussels, 25 June 2026 Lithuania receives first € 956.3 million payment under SAFE Lithuania received its first payment of €956.3 million under the Security Action for Europe ( SAFE ) defence financing instrument, representing 15% of its total allocation of €3.5 billion. SAFE is a €150 billion financial instrument providing loans to Member States. It primarily funds joint procurement of ammunition, missiles, air defence, and ground combat systems produced within the EU. It is part of the European Commission's ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 plan , which aims to unlock over €800 billion in defence investment across the EU. The pre-financing will support Lithuania in speeding up key defence investments, enhancing resilience, and upgrading its military capabilities in line with common European objectives. SAFE is intended to facilitate rapid, co-ordinated action, boost interoperability among European forces and reinforce Europe's defence industry, including through joint procurement and stronger cross-border co- operation. Andrius Kubilius , Commissioner for Defence and Space said: “This initial SAFE payment marks a milestone in our ongoing commitment to Lithuanian, European and Eastern Flank security. By strategically deploying these resources national and regional capabilities will be reinforced. ” This pre-financing payment follows the completion of all required procedural steps and reflects the EU's commitment to providing timely, practical support through SAFE. Further payments will follow, as agreed milestones and implementation are met. The SAFE instrument is financed by EU borrowing on financial markets. This enables competitively priced and attractively structured long-duration loans to requesting Member States. The terms of the SAFE loans benefit from the EU's strong credit rating. All SAFE loans will be repaid by the beneficiary Member States. (For more information: Thomas Regnier – Tel: +32 2 299 10 99; Marine Strauss – Tel: +32 2 298 91 03) Commission reaches preliminary position that Amazon's and Microsoft's market leading cloud services should be designated under the DMA The Commission has informed Amazon and Microsoft of its preliminary view that they should be designated as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) , for their cloud computing services, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure (Azure) respectively. In both cases, the Commission preliminarily finds that AWS and Azure, the largest and second largest cloud computing services in the EU respectively, are an important gateway between businesses and their customers in the EU. Amazon and Microsoft have already been designated as gatekeepers for other services, demonstrating their significant impact on the internal market. They both have vast and entrenched user bases and appear to benefit from lock-in effects and high switching costs, in addition to a large ecosystem. Furthermore, their portfolio of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and partnerships have become a decisive factor in cloud procurement, and both appear to hold an entrenched and durable position in the EU cloud computing sector, as is evidenced by AWS's and Azure's leading market position over many years. Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera , said: “In Europe, we are increasingly reliant on cloud computing services. From consumers to business large and small, to public administrations. These services will only continue to grow in importance, which is why it is essential that we ensure a well-functioning and competitive market, and a level playing field for all cloud service providers. This will help ensure access to secure, sustainable and interoperable cloud services in Europe. Today, we take the preliminary view that Amazon's and Microsoft's respective cloud services, AWS and Azure, should fall under the DMA. Respecting their rights of defence and the rule of law, Amazon and Microsoft now have the opportunity to respond before any final decisions are taken.” Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen , said: “Cloud services have become a cornerstone of Europe's economy - and a prerequisite for AI - with over half of EU businesses now relying on them, combined with record investment in public cloud infrastructure. Given their central role in Europe's digital future, these services must operate in fair, open and competitive markets that foster trust and secure Europe's tech sovereignty.” Preliminary findings do not prejudge the outcome of an investigation. If the Commission's preliminary findings are confirmed, the Commission will adopt decisions designating Amazon and Microsoft as gatekeepers for their cloud computing services. A press release is available online. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83) Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation rules remain relevant in changing automotive market The European Commission has today published a staff working document presenting the results of its evaluation of the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation (‘ MVBER ') and its Supplementary Guidelines (‘ SGL '). The MVBER exempts certain vertical agreements in motor vehicle aftermarkets from the prohibition laid down in Article 101(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The SGL provide guidance on the application of EU competition rules to common aftermarket practices and on the distribution of new motor vehicles. Together, these rules safeguard effective competition in motor vehicle aftermarkets, notably between independent repairers and authorised networks, supporting consumer choice and competitive prices. In line with Better Regulation principles , the Commission assessed whether the MVBER and SGL are fit for purpose in light of developments in the automotive sector. The evaluation drew on stakeholder consultations, exchanges with Member States' Competition authorities, a dedicated study by the Commission's Joint Research Centre, and additional external expertise. The staff working document concludes that the MVBER and SGL have broadly met their objectives and continue to provide useful guidance to stakeholders. The framework has helped preserve competition between vehicle manufacturers, support cross-border trade, and maintain the role of independent repairers and spare parts suppliers alongside authorised networks. At the same time, it identifies challenges linked to increasing digitalisation and electrification, in particular difficulties faced by independent operators in accessing technical information and vehicle-generated data. The evaluation provides a basis for the Commission's policy reflections on the future MVBER framework. (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 CloserStill by Searchlight and Providence The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of CloserStill Group Limited (‘CloserStill') of the UK, by Searchlight Capital Partners, L.P. (‘Searchlight') and Providence Equity Partners L.L.C. (‘Providence'), both of the US. The transaction relates primarily to the organisation of exhibitions and conferences 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.12465 . (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83) ANNOUNCEMENTS Executive Vice-President Fitto in Cyprus to launch discussions on EU islands' strategy Today and tomorrow, Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms, Raffaele Fitto , is in Cyprus to discuss cohesion policy's support to the country and launch a high-level event on the recently adopted EU Strategies for Islands and Coastal Communities . On Thursday, the Executive Vice-President will meet the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, to discuss the current and future cohesion policy, the implementation of the islands and coastal communities' strategies and the upcoming EU strategy for the ‘right to stay '. He will later visit the remote Cypriot village of Agios Ioannis to engage with local residents on the daily challenges faced by those living in remote communities. He will also visit the Troodos Observatory in the community of Agridia which is part of an EU-funded project to harness the potential of geoparks in Greece and Cyprus for tourism. On Friday, Executive Vice-President Fitto, together with Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis, will officially open the high-level conference “Strengthening islands and coastal communities of the European Union” in Paphos, by presenting the EU strategies on island and coastal communities. The conference, co-organised by the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, will bring together national, regional and local authorities, key stakeholders and experts to discuss the strategies and the future development of islands and coastal territories across the EU. (For more information: Maciej Berestecki - Tel: +32 229-66483; Isabel Arriaga e Cunha – Tel: +32 229-52117) Commissioner Lahbib in Hungary to discuss equality policies and participate in Budapest Pride 2026 Today, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib , will travel for the second time to Budapest, Hungary, to exchange with members of the new Hungarian Government and Parliament, as well as civil society, about equality policies, in particular the rights of persons with disabilities, LGBTIQ+ community, Roma inclusion, and gender equality. She will also take part in Budapest Pride 2026 during her visit. On Friday morning, the Commissioner will meet Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Orbán, Minister of Interior, Gábor Pósfai, Minister of Social and Family Affairs, Vilmos Kátai-Németh, and Minister of Health, Zsolt Hegedűs. She will then meet with the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on European Affairs, Ildikó Sopov, and the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Legislation, Richárd Rák. In the afternoon, the Commissioner will meet Hungarian Government Commissioner for Social Policy Strategy, Kriszta Bódis. During those meetings, the Commissioner will exchange on EU equality policies, recent strategies and proposals. On Saturday, Commissioner Lahbib will meet the Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony. They will notably discuss the role of cities for equality, in particular the European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Award , and how we can make cities more inclusive for all, including for LGBTIQ+ people, Roma people and people with disabilities. She will go to the Central European University to speak with Pride organisers and human rights civil society organisations on EU policies for equality and human rights. During this exchange, Commissioner Lahbib will reiterate the European Commission's continued support to the LGBTIQ+ community. Information on the visit will be available on EBS . (For more information: Eva Hrnčířová – Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Anna Gray – Tel.: +32 2 298 08 73) Commissioner Tzitzikostas visits Germany to discuss transport and tourism priorities Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas , begins a two-day mission to Berlin, Germany, where he will meet the German Federal Minister of Transport, Patrick Schnieder, and representatives from the transport and tourism sectors. The meeting with Minister Schnieder will focus on transport infrastructure, faster planning and permitting procedures, military mobility and the EU budget. They will also exchange views on the EU's recent and upcoming proposals, including the Automotive package , the Passenger Package , and the upcoming EU Aviation and Aeronautics Strategy. Following their meeting, Commissioner Tzitzikostas and Minister Schnieder will speak at the opening ceremony of the Prague-Berlin-Copenhagen rail connection, which marks an important milestone for high-speed rail in Europe. By linking three major European capitals with shorter journey times, this new high-speed rail connection will strengthen cross-border travel. During his visit, Commissioner Tzitzikostas will also exchange views with the Transport Committee and the Tourism Committee at the Bundestag. Discussions with the Transport Committee will cover the expansion and renewal of Germany's rail network, as well as accelerating planning and approval procedures for transport projects. With the Tourism Committee, the Commissioner will discuss passenger rights, development of sustainable and climate-resilient destinations, and the shortage of skilled workers in the tourism sector. The meeting will also provide an opportunity to take stock of the implementation of the German National Tourism Strategy, which was adopted earlier this year. The Commissioner's engagements also include a meeting with the President of the German Travel Association and participation in the closing event of the EU campaign #LassReden , which gathers and promotes young people's views and perspectives on the EU. (For more information: Anna-Kaisa Itkonen - Tel.: +32 2 295 75 01; Anni Juusola - Tel.: +32 2 296 09 86) 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/26/1456
Speech Brief