European Commission - Daily News Daily News 01 / 10 / 2026 Brussels, 1 October 2026 Commission adopts its October infringement procedures To help citizens and businesses benefit fully from the European Union's legislation, the Commission maintains a constant dialogue with Member States to ensure compliance with EU law. It can initiate infringement procedures against Member States in the event of non-compliance. The d...
European Commission - Daily News Daily News 01 / 10 / 2026 Brussels, 1 October 2026 Commission adopts its October infringement procedures To help citizens and businesses benefit fully from the European Union's legislation, the Commission maintains a constant dialogue with Member States to ensure compliance with EU law. It can initiate infringement procedures against Member States in the event of non-compliance. The decisions taken today, as part of this infringement package, include 30 letters of formal notice and 66 reasoned opinions. The Commission also decided to refer 9 cases to the Court of Justice of the European Union. Finally, the Commission decided to close 87 cases in which the Member States concerned, in cooperation with the Commission, have brought an infringement to an end and ensured compliance with EU law. The decisions and the corresponding press releases are available online. More information on the EU infringement procedure can be found in the following Q&A . (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 2 298 70 24; Kristyna Eeckels – Tel.: +32 2 295 10 65) Poland, Sweden, Belgium, Estonia and Cyprus receive more than €9.8 billion under NextGenerationEU The European Commission has disbursed more than €9.8 billion to Poland, Sweden, Belgium, Estonia and Cyprus under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU . These payments reflect the successful fulfilment of key milestones and targets linked to reforms and investments set out in the five Member States' national recovery and resilience plans. They underscore the performance-based nature of the RRF, under which funds are disbursed only once agreed reform and investment commitments have been satisfactorily completed. Following the Council's approval to proceed with these disbursements, the Commission adopted the corresponding payment decisions and released the funds today. More information is available in the press release online. (For more information: Maciej Berestecki - Tel: +32 229-66483; Isabel Arriaga e Cunha – Tel: +32 229-52117) Member States submit their final payment requests under the Recovery and Resilience Facility All Member States of the EU have now submitted to the European Commission their final payment requests under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU , by the deadline of 30 September 2026. All requests submitted by Member States since the beginning of the RRF cover now the full €360 billion in grants and €213 billion in loans corresponding to the RRF allocation. This follows the end of the RRF implementation period on 31 August 2026 , by which Member States were required to complete all milestones and targets set out in their recovery and resilience plans. This marks the culmination of five years of reforms and investments, supported by the EU and delivered by Member States, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as unprecedented economic and energy challenges. Through the RRF, Member States have supported economic activity at a critical time, helped keep unemployment at record-low levels, and accelerated strategic investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean technologies. President Ursula von der Leyen said: We created NextGenerationEU at a defining moment for our Union. At a moment of great uncertainty, we chose solidarity. And we shaped a stronger, more independent future. Today, as the final payment requests are submitted, we see tangible proof of what Europe can achieve when it acts together - with ambition and unity. This is Europe delivering for today and investing in tomorrow. More information is available in the press release online. (For more information: Maciej Berestecki - Tel: +32 229-66483; Isabel Arriaga e Cunha – Tel: +32 229-52117) Commission delivers more than €210 million to support over 700 researchers to build their careers in Europe More than 700 additional researchers will be able to build their careers in Europe thanks to an additional boost of over €210 million to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) – one of Europe's flagship programmes for research careers. The funding is part of Choose Europe, the European Commission's initiative to position the EU as the main global magnet for scientific talent, research, and technological innovation. President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said: “Researchers are choosing Europe. They know that we value and support science, and that Europe offers an environment where talent and ideas can thrive. For 30 years, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions have helped researchers from around the world build their careers in Europe. With this additional funding, we are strengthening our commitment to world-class research and ensuring that European societies and economies can benefit from cutting-edge knowledge, ideas and innovation.” The top-up responds to record demand for research career opportunities in Europe . The 2026 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call received 21,627 applications from researchers around the world , the highest number of proposals received for any funding action in more than 40 years of EU research and innovation framework programmes. More information is available in the press release . (For more information: Eva Hrncirova - Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Eirini Zarkadoula - Tel.: +32 2 295 70 65) Applications are now open for new DiscoverEU call offering free train travel for 18-year- olds Today, the European Commission opens applications for a new DiscoverEU round. People aged 18 can apply for a chance to receive a travel pass and discover Europe by train until 15 October. A total of almost 41,000 travel passes will be available to young people born between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2008. The call is open to applicants from the European Union and countries associated to the Erasmus+ programme, including Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Türkiye. For this round, as part of the actions of the Culture Compass for Europe , DiscoverEU will strengthen its cultural dimension with the launch of a new DiscoverEU route dedicated to European Heritage Label sites – symbols of European ideals, values, history and integration Winners will be able to travel for up to 30 days between March 2027 and May 2028 and will also receive access to the DiscoverEU European Youth Card , which includes discounts on culture, learning, transport, accommodation, food, sport, and other services in eligible countries. Furthermore, for the first time, the 250 highest-ranked applicants across all programme countries will receive one free night in a youth hostel. Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef , said: “ DiscoverEU gives young people the opportunity to travel across Europe by rail, while gaining new experiences and meeting people from different countries. By planning their own routes or travelling along the suggested ones, they will discover Europe's diverse and rich cultural heritage. ” More information is available online. (For more information: Eva Hrncirova - Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Eirini Zarkadoula - Tel.: +32 2 295 70 65) Europe must scale up research and innovation to remain competitive, new Commission report says The European Commission published today the 2026 edition of the Science, Research and Innovation Performance of the EU report, providing a comprehensive assessment of Europe's research and innovation landscape. The report shows that Europe remains a global scientific leader. The EU ranks second worldwide in scientific output, while 57% of its scientific publications involve international collaboration. It also finds that the quality of EU research remains high. However, Europe is less successful in turning that scientific strength into strategic technologies, market leadership and productivity growth. The report highlights four main challenges related to investment in R&I under the EU target of 3% of GDP, fragmentation of the research and innovation efforts, bottlenecks in financing, knowledge valorisation and technology deployment and the need for the EU to strengthen its position in strategic technologies while maintaining scientific excellence and attracting top talent, including through initiatives such as Choose Europe . More information is available in the press release online. (For more information: Maciej Berestecki - Tel: +32 229-66483; Isabel Arriaga e Cunha – Tel: +32 229-52117) Commission approves new geographical indication from Belgium The European Commission has approved the registration of Vlaams roodbruin bier / Flanders Red Ale from Belgium as a Protected geographical indication (PGI). Vlaams roodbruin bier / Flanders Red Ale is a mixed fermented beer, originating from West Flanders, brewed with barley malt, yeast, raw and other malted grains or fermentable sugars, local brewing water, hops, herbs, red fruit and natural sugars. It is matured in upright oak vats traditionally known as ‘foeders'. Its specific maturation method is unique in Belgian brewery culture and gives the beer its typical mildly acidic taste. Vlaams roodbruin bier / Flanders Red Ale relies on a very long brewery tradition and the know-how of the local brewers. Its reputation is inextricably linked to the specific qualities of the product. The oldest known description of red ale from the geographical area dates back to 1851, its local brewers remain some of the only ones who still mature their beers in wooden vats. This new designation joins 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: Louise Bogey – Tel.: +32 229-69776; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83) Entry into force or application of EU legislation: 1 October – 31 October 2026 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/26/2038 <@rel_link@>
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