European Commission - Daily News Daily News 13 / 07 / 2026 Brussels, 13 July 2026 Commission designates Special Representative for Cyprus The European Commission has designated Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto as the Commission's Special Representative for Cyprus. In this capacity, he will contribute to the settlement process within the United Nations framework, in close cooperation with the UN Secretary-Gener...
European Commission - Daily News Daily News 13 / 07 / 2026 Brussels, 13 July 2026 Commission designates Special Representative for Cyprus The European Commission has designated Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto as the Commission's Special Representative for Cyprus. In this capacity, he will contribute to the settlement process within the United Nations framework, in close cooperation with the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar. This designation reflects the Commission's strong commitment to the reunification of Cyprus, with the aim of achieving a functional and viable comprehensive settlement in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and in line with the principles, values and legislation of the European Union. Executive Vice-President Fitto will engage with all relevant stakeholders and interlocutors to prepare the ground for the resumption of negotiations and support a comprehensive and lasting solution, including through building trust between all stakeholders and interlocutors. A press release is available online. (For further information: Louise Bogey – Tel.: +32 229-69776; Anna Wartberger – Tel.: +32 2 28 20 54) EU steps up international support for Palestinians with major initiative for Gaza's early recovery and stronger international coordination Today, the European Commission is convening the second meeting of the Palestine Donor Group (PDG), co-chaired by Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica and Palestinian Authority's (PA) Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. 65 delegations gather in Brussels for the launch of a new Initiative for early recovery in Gaza and to discuss the Palestinian Authority's Reform Agenda. The meeting is delivering on two key outcomes: increased financial pledges through the PEGASE mechanism , and the launch of the Team Gaza Initiative . Participants include Ministers and senior officials from EU Member States and partner countries, as well as representatives of international and regional organisations and financial institutions. The meeting is attended for the first time by the High Representative of the Board of Peace, Nikolay Mladenov, and the Head of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, Ali Shaath. A press release is available online . (For more information: Guillaume Mercier – Tel.: +32 2 298 05 64; Luca Dilda – Tel.: +32 2 295 21 53) Commission greenlights Czechia's sixth payment request for €897 million under NextGenerationEU Today, the European Commission positively assessed Czechia's sixth payment request for €897 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility , the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. This represents an important step in delivering the reforms and investments linked to this payment request across key areas, including cybersecurity , the modernisation of heat distribution in district heating systems, climate adaptation , the regeneration of brownfield sites , cardiovascular and transplant medicine , eHealth services , cancer screening programmes , and grid flexibility . The Commission found that Czechia has satisfactorily fulfilled the 14 milestones and 38 targets set out in the Council Implementing Decision . Today's payment request would bring the funds paid out to Czechia under the Recovery and Resilience Facility to €7.7 billion (including the €915 million in pre-financing it received in September 2021 and the €147 million pre-payment under REPowerEU it received on 21 December 2023), which correspond to 88% of all the funds in the Czech plan, with 88% of all the milestones and targets in the plan fulfilled. A press release is available online. (For further information: Louise Bogey – Tel.: +32 229-69776; Anna Wartberger – Tel.: +32 2 28 20 54) Commission adopts measures to support implementation of EU Deforestation Regulation Today, the European Commission adopted measures on the product scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and the functioning of its Information System . Together with the amendments agreed last December , the updated Guidance document – available in the coming days in all EU languages – and Frequently Asked Questions , these measures will provide greater legal certainty and predictability for businesses and Member States while ensuring the Regulation can be applied effectively as of December 2026. The delegated act updates and simplifies the list of products covered by the Regulation. Following stakeholder consultation, public feedback, and assessment with the methodology from the Staff Working Document , cattle hides, skins, leather, re-treaded tyres, soybeans for sowing, articles of vulcanised rubber, conveyor and transmission belts, and aircraft and motor vehicle seats are removed from the scope of the Regulation. At the same time, soluble coffee, certain palm oil derivatives and frozen cattle tongues are added to the list of products. To allow businesses sufficient time to prepare, the new products added to the scope will become subject to the Regulation from 30 December 2027. The Delegated Act will now be sent to the European Parliament and Council for scrutiny before entry into force. The implementing act sets out the functioning of the Information System, updating it to reflect the changes introduced by the revised Regulation and enhance the user friendliness of the system. The updated system introduces operational simplifications, including simplified declarations for micro and small primary operators and updated technical specifications for automated application programming interfaces. The IT system is accessible again since June 2026. Companies can already start familiarising themselves with new functionalities and entering their data well ahead of the entry into application. Additional functionalities will be introduced later this summer. The Commission will also continue to improve the system and remain in close contact with companies. Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall , said: “With this package, we are providing the clarity and predictability that businesses, Member States and our international partners need to prepare for the application of the EU Deforestation Regulation end 2026. Following the agreement reached by the co-legislators, we have completed the simplification review and put in place the necessary measures to ensure a smooth and effective implementation . ” You can find more information online . (For more information: Anna-Kaisa Itkonen – Tel.: +32 2 295 75 01; Maëlys Dreux – Tel.: +32 2 295 46 73) EU and Bahrain launch Strategic Partnership Agreement negotiations Yesterday, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice- President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, officially launched the negotiations for an EU-Bahrain Strategic Partnership Agreement. This decision further strengthens the robust partnership between the EU and Bahrain, building on the 2022 EU Joint Communication , which outlined a vision for a deeper partnership with the Gulf, and the joint agenda launched by Gulf and European leaders at the 2024 EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Brussels. High Representative/Vice-President Kallas said: “ Europe is a reliable partner to the Gulf. The launch of negotiations with Bahrain for a new Strategic Partnership Agreement makes clear we want to deepen our ties. At a time of great instability in the region, partnerships matter more than ever. Once in place, this new framework will bring benefits for both sides and the wider Gulf. In short, the EU and Bahrain will be working much closer in areas of shared interest: common security, stability and trade across our two regions .” Commissioner Šuica said: “ Bahrain is a key partner for the EU. With this Strategic Partnership Agreement, we are opening a bold new chapter – deepening cooperation across a wide range of areas, boosting economic cooperation, resilience, innovation, and delivering shared prosperity. Together, we also look forward to working in trilateral cooperation to advance stability, peace and prosperity across the wider region. ” More information on the EU's relations with Bahrain are available in the joint statement and a dedicated factsheet . (For more information: Guillaume Mercier – Tel.: +32 2 298 05 64; Luca Dilda – Tel.: +32 2 295 21 53) Commission approves French State aid to support offshore wind energy The European Commission has approved a €63 billion French scheme to support offshore wind energy in line with the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal . This measure will contribute to the transition towards a net-zero economy. The scheme was approved under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) adopted by the Commission on 25 June 2025 . The measure will support the construction and operation of eleven offshore wind farms, in the North Sea, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The windfarms are expected to have a combined capacity of up to 11.1 GW and to generate up to 47.8 TWh of renewable electricity per year, or around 10.6% of France's annual electricity consumption. The aid will be granted through a transparent and non-discriminatory bidding process , which France will organise. The aid will take the form of a variable premium under a two-way contract for difference (‘CfD'), which will be calculated by comparing a reference price, determined in the tender offer of the beneficiary (‘pay as bid'), to the market price for electricity. When the market price is below the reference price, the beneficiaries will receive the difference between the two prices. When the market price is above the reference price, the beneficiaries will have to pay the difference to the French authorities. The Commission concluded that the French scheme is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to accelerate the transition towards a net-zero economy and facilitate the development of certain economic activities that are important for the implementation of the Clean Industrial Deal . This is in line with Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU and the conditions set out in the CISAF. Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera , said: “Today's decision clears the way for France's offshore wind support scheme. France will continue working towards a fully decarbonised energy system, and the Commission will continue supporting Member States in achieving our common climate objectives.” A press release is available online. (For more information: Siobhan McGarry - Tel.: +32 2 296 47 98; Luuk de Klein – Tel.: +32 2 299 47 74) Commission approves €2 billion Hungarian capital injection into development bank Magyar Fejlesztési Bank The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a capital injection worth €2 billion (HUF 760 billion) by Hungary into development bank Magyar Fejlesztési Bank (MFB). The measure will be funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility ('RRF'). The aim is to provide the bank with the capacity to ensure financing in various sectors with market failures, such as infrastructure, agriculture, environmental protection, education, tourism, sports, urban and rural development, and regional convergence. Hungary's amended Recovery and Resilience Plan , currently awaiting Council approval, foresees four goals for the capital injection, namely supporting MFB's SME competitiveness programme, MFB's capital programme for early-stage growth, innovative companies and SMEs engaged in the green and digital transition and MFB's rental housing and student dormitory development programme, and co- financing projects with the European Investment Bank to implement the Hungarian Recovery and Resilience Plan. The Commission found that the measure facilitates the development of economic activities and that the aid is necessary , appropriate and proportionate . Finally, Hungary has committed to several measures, including the limitation of financial activities to relevant market failures and the implementation measures to prevent crowding out private sector operators, to ensure that MFB will not undercut private financial institutions active in the Hungarian market. A press release is available online. (For more information: Siobhan McGarry - Tel.: +32 2 296 47 98; Luuk de Klein – Tel.: +32 2 299 47 74) 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/26/1595
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