advertentie18 initial Member States request at least €127 billion under the SAFE defence instrument
The Commission welcomes the expression of interest from Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Finland to access loans under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument. SAFE is expected to mobilise up to € 150 billion in investment.
Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space, said: “The strong interest in SAFE, with at least €127 billion in potential defence procurements, demonstrates the EUs unity and ambition in security and defence. We remain committed to supporting EU countries in their efforts to enhance European security. SAFE is a symbol of our collective commitment to strengthen our defence readiness for a safer and united future.”
The early indication of interest will allow the Commission to assess demand and prepare for raising funds on the capital markets. The deadline for formal submission of requests under SAFE remains 30 November 2025.
SAFE is a key EU instrument to strengthen resilience and security, supporting investments in areas such as defence, dual-use infrastructure, cyber capabilities, and strategic supply chains.
(For more information: Thomas Regnier — Tel. + 32 2 299 10 99; Patricia Poropat — Tel: + 32 2 298 04 85)
Commission greenlights Czechias fourth payment request for €1.83 billion under NextGenerationEU
Today, the European Commission endorsed a positive preliminary assessment of Czechias 4th payment request for €1.83 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. Czechia has satisfactorily completed 32 milestones and 26 targets set out in the Council Implementing Decision for the 6th instalment and which will drive positive change for citizens and businesses notably in the areas of energy generation, savings and storage, clean mobility, water management, digitalisation, justice and health. Measures include the upgrade of installations for renewable energy as well as electricity storage, consumption and production management and grid connections. This will be achieved thanks to legislative reforms simplifying licensing and permitting. The funds will also finance 21 projects to build up new health facilities, renovate existing ones and buy state-of-the-art equipment to improve the capacity and quality of rehabilitation care for patients.
A press release is available online.
(For more information: Maciej Berestecki – Tel.: + 32 229-96302; Isabel Arriaga e Cunha – Tel.: 32 229-52117)
Commission sets the launch date for the Entry/Exit System to 12 October 2025
The Commission has set 12 October 2025 as the launch date for the progressive start of operations of the EUs Entry/Exit System (EES).
The EES is an advanced technological system that will digitally record the entries and exits of non-EU nationals travelling to 29 European countries, including Schengen Associated ones, for short stays. It will capture biometric data, such as fingerprints, facial image, and other travel information, gradually replacing the current system of passport stamping.
The EES will modernise and improve the management of EU external borders. It will provide reliable data on border crossings, systematically detect overstayers as well as cases of document and identity fraud. The EES will thus contribute to preventing irregular migration and protecting the security of European citizens. Additionally, with the increased use of automated border checks, travelling will become smoother and safer for all. The new system meets the highest standards of data and privacy protection, ensuring that travellers personal data remain protected and secure.
From 12 October onwards, Member States will start introducing the EES gradually over a period of six months. Border authorities will progressively register the data of third country nationals crossing the borders. At the end of this period, the EES will be fully deployed at all border crossing points.
More information is available in our press release online.
(Guillaume Mercier – Tel.: +32 460 75 53 11; Cristina Dumitrescu - Tel.: + 32 2 296 60 91)
Commission allows higher advance of payments to European farmers under the EUs common agricultural policy
The Commission is taking steps to allow EU Member States to pay higher advances of Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) funds to farmers, thus helping to address the liquidity problems that many of them currently face. If Member States make use of this authorisation, farmers will be able to receive up to 70% of their direct payments in advance as of 16 October, compared with 50% currently. Similarly, advance payments for area and animal-based interventions under rural development can be increased by up to 85%, instead of the usual 75%.
EU farmers continue to face liquidity problems that have arisen due to an exceptional combination of adverse events, notably due to extreme weather events which have had an impact on yields in recent years, as well as the uncertainty created by trade tensions. To respond to these challenges, and in line with one of the CAPs fundamental objectives to provide an economic safety net for EU farmers, a large majority of Member States requested this authorisation.
The Commission took swift action to provide this much-needed support to EU farmers while also ensuring legal certainty for Member States.
(For more information: Balazs Ujvari – Tel.: +32 2295 45 78; Thérèse Lerebours- Tel.: +32 2 296 33 03)
Commission presents voluntary sustainability reporting standard to ease burden on SMEs
The Commission has today adopted a recommendation on voluntary sustainability reporting for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs). The recommendation presents a voluntary standard that will make it easier for SMEs that are not covered by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) to respond to specific requests for sustainability information from large financial institutions and companies.
This future voluntary reporting standard will also act as a “value-chain cap” to protect SMEs and other companies not subject to mandatory reporting under the CSRD from excessive information requests from their value chain partners.
Todays recommendation is therefore an intermediary solution to address market demands until the delegated act on a voluntary standard is formally adopted.
More information is available in our press release online.
(For more information: Olof Gill – Tel.: +32 2 296 59 66; Saul Goulding - Tel.: +32 2 296 47 35)
Commission proposes simplification on EU fisheries and aquaculture statistics
Today, the European Commission proposed to simplify the collection and compilation of statistics on European fisheries and aquaculture.
The proposal replaces five existing sets of rules by a single, simplified and integrated system which will reduce the reporting burden on Member States. It will enable the reuse of administrative data already collected by the European Commission for the compilation of European official statistics on fisheries and aquaculture. This will allow Eurostat to produce statistics on catches and the Union fishing fleet without requiring additional reporting from Member States, thus eliminating duplication and saving time and resources.
The proposal also introduces for the first time the collection of data on discarded catches, recreational fisheries, sensitive species, landings from third-country fleets in EU ports, and organic aquaculture production. The new data structure will also allow for more aggregated figures to be produced and transmitted to international organisations, to promote global cooperation.
Valdis Dombrovskis, Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Implementation and Simplification, said: “With this proposal the process of data collection on fisheries and aquaculture across the EU will be simplified and the statistics will be made more accessible and usable by everyone. By smartly reusing existing data, we are ensuring that EU policies are better informed and more efficient to support sustainable prosperity.”
Costas Kadis, Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, said: This proposal will not only improve the quality and availability of fisheries and aquaculture data but also reduce the administrative burden on Member States. It will allow us to make more informed decisions and support the long-term sustainability of our fisheries more efficiently.
(For more information: Maciej Berestecki – Tel.: + 32 229-96302; Isabel Arriaga e Cunha – Tel.: 32 229-52117)
InvestEU supports a €875 million investment for the new Lisbon-Porto high-speed line
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed €875 million financing – supported by InvestEU, the EU flagship programme to support sustainable investment, innovation and job creation in Europe – with Avan Norte- Gestao De Ferrovia de Alta Velocidade to build the Porto-Campanhã to Oiã section of the Lisbon-Porto high speed line. This is the first tranche of a total €3 billion financing approved by the EIB for this project. Once completed, the Lisbon-Porto high speed line will short travel time between the two cities to 1 hour 15 minutes, serving almost 9 million passengers per year.
This financing is the largest single contract signed under InvestEU by the EIB.
Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera, stated: “The Lisbon-Porto high-speed line is an investment that reflects Europes capacity to act in a moment that demands coherence and ambition. It demonstrates how infrastructure decisions are closely linked to our climate objectives, our territorial cohesion, and our competitiveness. We know these transitions require large-scale commitments, but they also require that we make choices consistent with our responsibility towards European citizens, now and in the decades to come.”
Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas said: “The Lisbon–Porto high-speed line is a strong example of how sustainable transport connects regions, cuts emissions, and improves quality of life. As the first of its kind in Portugal, this major project is a cornerstone for completing the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) along the Atlantic Corridor. Backed by €813 million from the Connecting Europe Facility, and delivered through close cooperation between Portuguese authorities, the EIB, and the European Commission, it shows how aligned policies and financing can fast-track TEN-T delivery. It reflects the kind of investment we aim to scale across Europe. Thats why, later this year, the Commission will present a new plan to accelerate high-speed rail development EU-wide - making fast, clean, and efficient travel a reality for more Europeans.”
The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by mobilising substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. Its budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increasing their risk-bearing capacity and mobilising at least €372 billion in additional investment.
(For more information: Lea Zuber, tel.: +32 2 295 62 98; Quentin Cortès, tel.: +32 2 291 32 83)
Commission clears acquisition of Dhyve by DIF and Virya
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of Dhyve BV of the Netherlands by DIF Management BV (‘DIF) of the Netherlands and Virya Energy NV (‘Virya) of Belgium.
The transaction relates primarily to the hydrogen production sector.
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 Commissions competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.11829.
(For more information: Lea Zuber – Tel.: +32 2 295 62 98; Luuk de Klein – Tel.: +32 229 94774)
Tentative agendas for forthcoming Commission meetings
Note that these items can be subject to changes.
Upcoming events of the European Commission
Eurostat press releases