Stéphane Séjourné

Policy topics Stéphane Séjourné is active on

What Stéphane Séjourné has said (80)

• 2026-06-15 “56:42 – 17:59:34): Thank you very much, president. May I just say a few words in response to what I've heard from the last 2 speakers? 1st of all, you know, part of what I heard actually comes within the national purview, the energy mix, for instance. That's a national issue. Our problem, our difficulty in having an integrated market with connections between countries and try to and try to bring down energy prices. You know, it's it there's basically bilateral agreements we're talking about between member states. Obviously, we want to facilitate that, promote that. The commission intends to help support that. But today, as things stand, it is not the commission's remits. And by the way, while we're on that subject today, the commission deals with energy in the same way, whether you're talking about nuclear, whether you're talking about photovoltaics, whether you're talking about wind power. And let me add that today, energy is not even not even an environmental question so much as an economic question. We need to produce energy in Europe on European soil. That is the best way of strengthening our economic resilience. You know, we're being hit here by a crisis today, and we never asked for this. The the Hormuz Strait, we never asked for this. Nobody in Europe wanted that particular crisis. Nobody in Europe is actually at war. And yet and yet energy prices are increasing. Why is that? Is it because we're independent? No. It's because we're dependent. We're in a situation of dependency with fossil fuels. So I hear members in this chamber saying quite systematically, well, it's the Green Deal. It's because of the Green Deal. The Green Deal actually triggered an increase in prices and that in turn triggered, you know, everything else. You know? I don't know. The plague and whatever. You know? But it was at the heart of all this. When it comes to energy, producing energy in Europe itself, our capacity in that regard, you know, that has to be 1 of the biggest priorities for all of our member states. And the commission stands ready. We want to help you. We want to support you in that endeavor. Therefore, let's be fair. Let's look around. And, you know, if all countries were sovereign, then there wouldn't have been any repercussions when it comes to the price of electricity in Europe today. If we were able to actually produce our own electricity with a sovereign energy market, then we wouldn't have an energy crisis in Europe on our hands. We wouldn't have a competitiveness issue, and therefore, we need to move towards decarbonization. We need to accelerate that process, but it's an economic issue rather than an environmental 1, I would say. And by the way, I think that the commission has proven over the last few weeks that we stand ready and that we can support you in that endeavor. Thank you.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• 2026-06-15 “45:58 – 17:50:23): Thank you for giving me this opportunity. 1st of all, yes, of course, there are many vulnerabilities we have. And, of course, vulnerabilities in strategic sectors are particularly critical. And being 80% dependent in 1 particular sector is always problematic, but we are 80% dependent in more than 1 sector, quite a number of them. We have historic vulnerabilities, and they're very problematic. 1st of all, we're talking about Russian oil and gas. 1,500,000,000 has been the cost to the EU budget since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And the 2nd serious major vulnerability that we have is that linked to critical raw materials and rare earths. We've got our resource EU plan in place now. We're rolling it out in order to diversify and up our production in Europe. And then the 3rd 1, of course, is digital as was so tellingly illustrated on Friday. So these are strategic issues to which we need to respond. The 1st thing we need to do is to diversify our imports and our exports, and this is 1 of the main focuses of the commission's work at the moment. We're trying to recalibrate value chains, and we're trying to increase the resilience of our industries. We're trying to expand the number of trade agreements that we have in order to be able to export, which is good for our industry, but also in order to have imports of critical raw materials and not be dependent on 1 source. And therefore, we have many trade agreements in place and in the pipeline, and this is for a very clear purpose, which is independence and strategic autonomy. And then over and above that, of course, we have to produce in Europe. We have to do this 2 in parallel in tandem, and this means public investment in Europe. It needs to be invested in order to create the right conditions for strategic autonomy and investment, procurement with European preference, yes, in a certain number of sectors, reorganization of value chains to safeguard our own European domestic industry. So this really is the red line that goes through the digital sovereignty and the industrial accelerator legislation and other pieces of legislation and links them all together. Thank you, mister Faber, and thank you, mister Fernandez. 2, it means a lot to me that the EPP and the socialists together stand up so vocally for the internal market. Yes. The internal market is the very precondition, the city Kwonoun, for proper independence and strategic autonomy. We have half 1000000 consumers, and we need to expand it. We need to deepen it. We need to tear down the barriers which exist. We need to enable our industry to be truly effective and competitive internationally. That's what we're about, 450,000,000 consumers. This is our market. We have industry. We have enterprises which are working in this market and have a lot of growth potential. Therefore, we need to leverage this. We need to seek it out where it is. We need to invest public money in the right places in order to use this public investment and this public procurement and to make sure that our subsidies are put in the right place. There's too many being basically diluted by international going to international companies, and we need to reframe this so that we're investing in supporting European industry. I hope that our proposals will short on some of these issues will soon be in trialogue. I'm in haste now because I don't have a lot of time, but I do want to address many of these important issues. There's no time like the present. Things are changing on a daily basis. We have really got to crack this business of independence and strategic autonomy in order to take our destiny into our own hands, energy, defense, critical raw materials, digital issues. All these areas are absolutely critical. They're all an integral part of European sovereignty and strategic autonomy, and this is why the commission is taking rapid action. And with the support of the parliament, I hope you'll be as quick as possible with the parliamentary procedure so that we can all make rapid progress.”
  EU policy on screening foreign investment in strategic sectors and critical infrastructure · "Buy European" provisions
• 2026-06-15 “Thank you very much indeed, president. I'm delighted to be part of this debate, is the 1st time we're using these new rules. Members of parliament, we need to work out how to guarantee our prosperity, our security, and our supply chains. This is the essence of the debate that we're having here now, which has been put on the agenda largely because of decisions taken elsewhere globally. Access to the most advanced AI model, Anthropic, has been cut for foreigners. And 2 months ago, China required its companies to cease cooperation with European authorities in respect of a number of investigations and the threat of sanctions. Therefore, we have seen huge increases in energy prices too, which we absolutely did not seek. We've also had to grapple with shortages of critical materials and raw earths. Again, this is to be attributed to China, which has been seeking to exploit a vulnerability which stems from our dependence, and we therefore need to address this. This is a case also in terms of investment in our balance of payments because we too much of our savings is going out with Europe into other capital markets. Therefore, we need to make our capital markets more attractive and appealing as a fundamental pillar of our economy. We've got to become less dependent on America and China because those are inherently a risk to our freedom, our security, our freedom of decision making, and ultimately our competitiveness. This is why the commission president is absolutely right to have said that this is the European independence moment. Our generation has a huge responsibility to build a more secure and strong Europe, and we need to look ahead. And we need to anticipate and preempt many of these risks out there in order to be able to have a resilient economy for the future. So this is what our agenda is based on. We have an agenda for independence, which we've been developing gradually with the industrial accelerator since the beginning of our mandate. We've been investing in digital as well. As you know, the strategy on batteries, again, you're familiar with. We're supporting a European value chain from extraction to the point of recycling in the circular economy. So we are rethinking investment right across the board in public procurement, in capital markets, and in investment. And we also, of course, need to have within the MFF framework a big focus on how we're going to produce and invest, and that will include the public procurement changes, which I'll be presenting to you before the summer. We need to focus on innovation. We need to focus on industrial capacity in Europe. This is absolutely vital. So thank you, members of parliament, for allowing us to have this debate because economic independence is a top priority for us. It's 1 which we want to take forward in a number of different ways, and I'm always available to you to talk about the new options and possibilities that are ahead of us. And within the parameters of the rules that you have here, I'm very happy to do this.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• 2026-06-15 “Thank you, president. I'll make sure I'm brief. Well, at this time last year, transatlantic relations were seeing major tensions. European businesses were facing a very volatile and uncertain climate, a lack of predictability, particularly when it came to tariffs and customs duties. Now a year later, subsequent to the Turnberry agreement, in spite of tensions, the situation has improved. There are still challenges, and we but we currently have a platform where we can hold exchanges with our main partner, the agreement, the joint EU US agreement, which aims to restore predictability for businesses and consumers, is something that's useful so that we can continue working with our partner, stabilize the situation, and deepen our efforts towards mutual understanding and also our efforts to improve the situation of EU exporters vis a vis The US market. The commission would like to thank the parliament and particularly mister Langer for your commitment to ensuring that this agreement is adhered to as it were for ensuring that we can stick to our stick to what we said we'd do, honor our commitments. And I apologize on behalf of, the commissioner responsible who couldn't be here. But, the results of the trial log from the May 20 is a solid 1. This obviously relates to the European Union side, and now we have to expect a reciprocal commitment from The US side. I welcome the fact that the intercommittee has firmly and clearly adopted these 2 legislative acts. The vote here is an important step. It means that we can move forward and boost our position and move towards a solid commitment vis a vis The US. Now there are several priorities to look at. We need to ensure that The US respects, the terms of the agreement when it comes to, tariffs for EU exporters and also when it comes to products derived from steel and aluminum. Now we've already seen significant improvements, thanks to the June 2 review. We will continue to push forward and ensure that we put pressure on to ensure that all of this is properly implemented, and we are grateful that we have the parliament at the side of the commission when it comes to implementing this agreement.”
  EU-US trade relations
• 2026-06-10 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 10.6.2026 Written question Relocation decisions tend to be intertwined with other drivers of output and investment, such as energy prices, demand, financing conditions, competition and industrial subsidies in third countries, making it hard to isolate a gross domestic product (GDP) loss from relocations by EU firms alone. Yet, economic indicators show pressure consistent with relocation and deindustrialisation risks [1] . The European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) [2] reports some 100 cases of offshoring to non-EU countries since 2020 [3] , primarily to India, China, the US and Türkiye [4] . The observed trends are concentrated in the manufacturing industry [5] , putting more than 30 000 EU jobs at risk [6] . Around 1300 announced job redundancies [7] are associated with offshoring to the US. Prosperity and quality jobs are cornerstones of the Commission’s agenda. The Competitiveness Compass [8] , the Clean Industrial Deal [9] , the Single Market Strategy [10] and sectoral action plans [11] aim to strengthen the EU’s industrial base and competitiveness, thus fostering quality jobs in Europe . The Union of Skills [12] , the Quality Jobs Roadmap [13] and the planned Quality Jobs Act further contribute to protecting quality jobs. Finally, the Commission has proposed amendments to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund [14] to make sure that workers at imminent risk of losing their job can benefit from EU financial support to access training. [1] For example, output in energy intensive industries is around 10% lower than pre-2022 levels and in the chemicals sector, firms report accelerated plant closures and slowed investments — developments expected to weigh on GDP. For further information and sources, see Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship & SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) Chief Economist Team, March 2026 Quarterly Bulletin https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/circabc-ewpp/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/a261b325-749c-4eef-9b1f-0c70adb52171/download and Roland Berger (commissioned by the European Chemical Industry Council), European chemical closures and investments radar 2022-2025 https://cefic.org/app/uploads/2026/01/European-Chemical-Closures-and-Investments-Radar-2022-2025.pdf. [2] https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/surveys-and-data/european-restructuring-monitor. [3] These cases concern restructurings with a significant employment impact, as only events that meet certain conditions on the size of the affected workforce are monitored in the ERM. For more details on the ERM dataset, see the Eurofound website: https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/surveys-and-data/european-restructuring-monitor. [4] India (16 cases), China (12), US (7) and Türkiye (6). [5] In particular in manufacturing of electronics, textiles, transport equipment, machinery and chemicals. [6] Commission calculation based on ERM dataset. [7] I.e., 0.000645% of total employment in the EU in 2025. [8] COM(2025) 0030 final. [9] COM(2025) 85 final. [10] COM(2025) 500 final. [11] COM(2025) 125 final (steel and metals); COM(2025) 530 final (chemicals); COM(2025) 95 final (automotive sector). [12] COM(2025) 90 final. [13] COM(2025) 944 final. [14] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202601139.”
  Climate efforts · EU-US trade relations · State Aid
• 2026-06-09 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 9.6.2026 Written question The Commission is aware of the significant number of injuries caused by pyrotechnic articles and their use. The recent evaluation of Directive 2013/29/EU [1] concluded that it has contributed to the safety of pyrotechnic articles on the internal market but also revealed issues that are currently not adequately addressed across the EU [2] . Following the assessment announced in the Internal Security Strategy ProtectEU [3] and to address the identified shortcomings, the Commission is currently launching the impact assessment process for a revision of the directive on pyrotechnic articles. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2013/29/oj/eng. [2] https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=SWD(2025)268&lang=en. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0148.”
  EU measures on lifestyle-related behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating, etc.)
• 2026-06-09 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 9.6.2026 Written question The Commission is aware that many Member States have made use of the possibility provided by Directive 2013/29/EU [1] to ban certain categories of pyrotechnic articles. The Commission recognises that, while such national restrictions are intended to address safety, security or environmental risks in the Member State concerned, they can be circumvented by cross-border and online sales. The Commission has published an evaluation of Directive 2013/29/EU [2] and carried out a feasibility study on reducing the security risks posed by the criminal misuse of pyrotechnics [3] . Those studies show a comprehensive picture of pyrotechnics-related issues in the EU and of the functioning of the directive. They provide a solid basis for considerations on the need of additional EU-wide measures. Following the assessment announced in the Internal Security Strategy ProtectEU [4] and to address the identified shortcomings, the Commission is currently launching the impact assessment process for a revision of the directive on pyrotechnic articles. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2013/29/oj/eng. [2] https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=SWD(2025)268&lang=en. [3] https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/8c60b929-ba34-11f0-b37f-01aa75ed71a1. [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0148.”
  Air quality policy · EU measures on lifestyle-related behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating, etc.)
• 2026-06-08 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 8.6.2026 Written question In July 2025, the Commission published its proposal for the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) [1] , which, once adopted, will mobilise an unprecedented budget for European competitiveness. The Commission supports Member States to strengthen their health systems via funding, technical assistance, knowledge sharing and policy advice. Under the ECF proposal, the Fund aims to strengthen the efficiency, innovation and resilience of health systems. Member States can also use the national and regional partnership plans [2] to facilitate access to healthcare services and associated infrastructure. The ECF is proposed to support energy projects and infrastructure that will bring down energy costs overtime, mobilising the uptake of clean energy and related technologies. The ECF aims to support the creation of a digitalised, reliable and resilient European energy system and the single energy market. Moreover, the AccelerateEU Communication [3] presented on 22 April 2026 includes immediate targeted and temporary actions to be implemented by Member States to protect households and industry from high energy prices. Data protection and privacy are cornerstones of the European Digital Identity Wallets (EUDIWs). The General Data Protection Regulation [4] fully applies to data processing under the European Digital Identity Regulation [5] . The legal framework is built on the premise that EUDIWs users shall have full control of their wallet data and EUDIWs providers shall not collect information not necessary for the provision of wallet services. The use of EUDIWs will be voluntary and will offer a pseudonym function. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025PC0555. [2] https://commission.europa.eu/topics/budget/eu-budget-2028-2034-explained/investing-people-member-states-and-regions_en. [3] https://energy.ec.europa.eu/publications/accelerateeu-energy-union-affordable-and-secure-energy-through-accelerated-action_en. [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02016R0679-20160504. [5] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2014.257.01.0073.01.ENG.”
  Defence spending · Climate efforts
• 2026-06-08 “answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 8.6.2026 Written questions E-10-2026-001204_EN E-10-2026-001258_EN E-10-2026-001486_EN Since the creation of Your Europe Advice (YEA) thirty years ago, digital advancements have significantly impacted the information services provided by the Commission to EU citizens. These changes, and the necessity to modernise the Commission’s tools, call for adaptation of support mechanisms available to citizens. The current contract for the YEA service will end on 31 August 2026. The Commission is actively reviewing options for a refreshed and modernised approach to ensure the service remains effective, user-centred, and responsive to the needs of EU citizens and businesses. The Commission remains committed to support the other existing mechanisms and information portals (e.g., Your Europe portal, Single Digital Gateway) which will continue to provide a high -quality standard of information to EU citizens and businesses. The Commission remains dedicated to support Solvit Centres, in particular via trainings, best practices and other support tools. This engagement should ensure that the Solvit network continues to deliver the best service for EU citizens.”
  Size of EU budget · EU political integration
• 2026-06-02 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 2.6.2026 Written question The Commission welcomed the observations of the European Court of Auditors (ECA), which recognised the growing strategic importance of critical raw materials and the progress achieved so far in developing an integrated policy response in this area. The Commission is actively addressing the challenges identified by the Court by accelerating the implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act [1] (CRMA), which entered into force only two years ago, and through the RESourceEU Action Plan [2] , which was not covered by the ECA’s analysis. Both the CRMA and the action plan will help achieving the ambitious benchmarks for extraction processing and recycling. The Commission is acting on permitting acceleration, strategic project designation, access to financing instruments and diversification partnerships. Together, these elements create the conditions for investment decisions and production to materialise. RESourceEU fast-tracks delivery of the EU raw materials strategy by directly supporting strategic projects in batteries, rare earths and defence value chains, with the objective to cut single-supplier dependencies by up to 50% by 2029. The EU, as part of Team Europe [3] , is mobilising EUR 3 billion to support these value chains. So far, Team Europe has already committed EUR 1.5 billion in support for strategic projects. This includes equity, loans and grants, from the European Investment Bank, Member State and EU funds. The action plan also announces the establishment of a European CRMs Centre with the mandate to help securing access to CRMs for the European industry. Strategic partnerships with resource rich countries are designed to de-risk investment and projects along the value chain. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1252/2024-05-03/eng. [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0945&qid=1774448105138. [3] https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/team-europe-initiatives_en.”
  Sourcing of critical raw materials
• 2026-05-27 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 27.5.2026 Written question The draft restriction proposal on lead in ammunition, like most restrictions under the regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) [1] , is based on publicly available opinions [2] of the European Chemical Agency’s scientific committees, including a cost/benefit assessment and possible risk management measures. Based on the Agency’s opinion, bullets provide a minor contribution to the lead emissions targeted by the restriction. Delaying the application of the restriction to bullets by extending certain transitional periods by up to 5 years will only decrease by 0.12% (-675 tonnes in total) the total emission savings expected from the restriction (558 000 tonnes over 20 years), as these savings mostly come from the proposed measures restricting lead gunshot. Even if, after discussions with the Member States, lead bullets would be excluded from the scope of the restriction, this would only decrease the total emission savings by 1.5% (-8 232 tonnes over 20 years). Consequently, extending the transitional periods for bullets, or even excluding bullets from the scope, would have a very limited impact on the overall effectiveness of the restriction measured as emission savings. Against this background, the proposed restriction still ensures a high level of protection of human health and the environment from exposure to lead. The Commission is discussing this proposal with the Member States in the REACH committee with the aim of reaching consensus. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02006R1907-20251023. [2] https://echa.europa.eu/registry-of-restriction-intentions/-/dislist/details/0b0236e1840159e6.”
  Chemicals regulation
• 2026-05-22 “answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 22.5.2026 Written questions E-10-2026-001200_EN E-10-2026-001201_EN The Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) [1] establishes benchmarks for 2030 that give clear indications towards reducing and avoiding excessive dependencies. The ResourceEU Action Plan [2] aims to accelerate the implementation of the CRMA, especially for strategic projects. Most strategic projects will deliver supply by 2030, significantly strengthening the EU’s medium- and long-term resilience [3] . The Commission regularly collects data on global production, trade and usage of raw materials. This forms the basis of the EU’s list of critical raw materials, enables the Commission to analyse the EU’s dependencies and promote risk mitigation strategies. In the CRMA, this is further enhanced by stress-testing of strategic raw materials value chains. To address current bottlenecks in the project development, the CRMA put in place single points of contact for permitting of critical raw materials projects and fast-tracked permitting timelines for strategic projects. Other enabling conditions for strategic projects include facilitation of access to finance and the support in finding off-takers. The REsourceEU Action Plan also announced the mobilisation of EUR 3 billion of EU funds within 12 months to support the raw materials value chain, of which EUR 300 million is dedicated under the Battery Booster [4] . The subsidiarity principle is ensured by coordination of actions at EU level through the Critical Raw Materials Board established by the CRMA. The Board consists of the Commission, Member States representatives and the European Parliament as an observer. The funding instruments in question are not designed to secure volumes of raw materials. Their role is, for example, to develop new technological solutions and support decarbonisation measures. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02024R1252-20240503#tocId90. [2] https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/document/download/01c448d6-dc93-40d7-9afe-4c2af448d00c_en. [3] https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/critical-raw-materials/strategic-projects-under-crma/selected-projects_en. [4] https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/circabc-ewpp/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/c1e2c753-e327-4d9f-b060-56ab4af2a754/download.”
  EU policy on screening foreign investment in strategic sectors and critical infrastructure · State Aid
• 2026-05-22 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 22.5.2026 Written question Regulation (EU) 2021/646 [1] does not permit the permanent deactivation of the emergency lane-keeping system (ELKS), regardless of the driving conditions or the driver's professional status. Therefore, even in winter conditions or for professional drivers, permanent deactivation is explicitly prohibited. While the regulation sets minimum safety requirements, it allows manufacturers to optimise system performance. The development of ELKS implementing regulation was informed by the impact assessment for Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 [2] , which evaluated the potential safety benefits of ELKS, including its effectiveness in reducing lane-departure collisions, while also considering potential drawbacks such as annoyance caused by unnecessary system interventions. The findings of this assessment underscored the importance of designing ELKS in a way that maximises safety benefits while minimising intrusiveness. The drafting of Regulation (EU) 2021/646 involved extensive consultation with representatives from automotive manufacturers, road safety organisations and type approval authorities. These stakeholders provided critical input on the technical specifications of the regulation, ensuring that the requirements for ELKS were both effective and practical, guaranteeing that it leads to practical improvements in road safety. Furthermore, an evaluation of the General Safety Regulation [3] is foreseen for July 2027, to evaluate the effectiveness of safety measures (including ELKS). [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/SR/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32021R0646. [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52018SC0190. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/2144/oj/eng.”
  Driving licences
• 2026-05-21 “answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 21.5.2026 Written questions E-10-2026-000687_EN E-10-2026-000688_EN Under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 [1] , the ‘responsible person’ [2] must ensure compliance of cosmetics on the EU market, while enforcement, including import controls, is carried out by Member States based on national, risk-based strategies . Non-compliant products are detained at customs when breaches of compliance are suspected and referred to market surveillance authorities (MSAs) for confirmation. In 2025, the Commission coordinated Priority Control Area actions carried out by customs and MSAs in all 27 Member States, investigating the level of non-compliance of e-commerce consignments, including cosmetics . Through documentary and laboratory checks, almost 6000 cosmetics were inspected, with an average non-compliance rate of 65% [3] . The ongoing revision of the Union Customs Code [4] aims to strengthen EU customs’ import supervision, including on cosmetics, through a more robust and efficient framework, digital tools and closer cooperation of customs and MSAs. The Commission’s upcoming proposal on the European Product Act (which revises the Market Surveillance Regulation [5] ) also aims to improve compliance with product rules. While there is no centralised EU inspection system, information on enforcement actions [6] is exchanged through the Information Communication System for Market Surveillance [7] , the Customs Risk Management System [8] and the Safety Gate rapid alert system [9] [10] . As market surveillance enforcement is organised nationally and risk-based and customs controls are carried out by the national customs authorities, inspections vary across Member States. The Commission therefore does not collect harmonised EU-wide statistics on the number or types of inspections carried out at customs and MSAs on a per product sector basis. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R1223-20250901. [2] The concept of ‘responsible person’ is defined by Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. [3] https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/news/protein-powder-sunglasses-moisturiser-what-do-these-products-have-common-if-you-buy-them-online-they-2026-03-03_en. [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52023PC0258, introduced as part of the EU Customs Reform, has received provisional agreement from the co-legislators on 26 March 2026 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20260323IPR38815/deal-reached-on-union-customs-code-reform). [5] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R1020-20240523. [6] Enforcement actions may include refusal of entry at the EU border (detention or rejection of consignments), withdrawal from the market, recall of products from consumers, destruction of non-compliant goods, corrective actions required from economic operators (e.g. relabelling or reformulation). [7] https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/single-market-compliance-space/market-surveillance. [8] https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/customs/customs-risk-management/customs-risk-management-framework-crmf_en. [9] National measures adopted against cosmetic products presenting serious risk are notified through the Safety Gate Rapid Alert System and can be consulted on the Safety Gate Portal: https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate/#/screen/home. [10] In 2025, 36% of the alerts were related to cosmetic products and chemical risk is the most frequently (53%) notified one: https://op.europa.eu/webpub/just/safety-gate-2025-report/en/#section-3.”
  Pharmaceutical imports & exports rules · EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
• 2026-05-21 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 21.5.2026 Written question The proposal for the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) [1] indeed aims to reinforce the EU’s global leadership by strengthening the resilience, competitiveness and decarbonisation of its industrial base, while making the Single Market a stronger platform for secure and sustainable industrial cooperation. This also supports deeper cooperation with partners with which the EU has concluded trade agreements in full respect of the EU’s international commitments. The Commission recognises that businesses operating across the EU and the UK are part of integrated trade, investment value chains across Europe, supporting growth, competitiveness and economic security. The measures in the IAA reaffirm the EU’s openness to trade as a source of economic strength and resilience, while ensuring fair access to the Single Market and strengthening Europe’s industrial base. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52026PC0100.”
  EU-US trade relations
• 2026-05-20 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 20.5.2026 Written question The Omnibus IX (Automotive) [1] introduces a new sub-category for small electric passenger cars M1 (‘M1E’), based on a maximum length of 4.2 metres. This legal definition of small electric cars can be used for targeted simplification and support measures to incentivise production and uptake of small electric vehicles. The proposal to amend the regulation setting CO 2 emission standards for cars and vans [2] provides that, until 2034, for the purpose of calculating a manufacturer’s average specific emissions of CO 2 , each new zero-emission vehicle of category M1E and made in the EU shall be counted as 1.3 vehicles. Based on stakeholder consultation and an analysis of the available electric models on the market , a maximum length of 4.2 metres is considered appropriate to boost the small cars segment, but also to serve the mobility needs of most European households. The establishment of a discrete threshold leads to inevitable edge effects irrespective of the choice of the threshold value. However, a gradual transition would cause complications in compliance and lead to a lack of transparency that the Commission considers disproportionate, in particular in the context of a simplification omnibus. Comparisons show that the most energy-efficient electric vehicles on the EU market [3] have a length below 4.2 metres. In addition, a small vehicle takes less material to be built. [1] COM(2025) 993. [2] COM(2025) 995. [3] In terms of watt-hours per kilometer (Wh/km).”
  EU Competition policy · Road transport environmental policy
• 2026-05-20 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 20.5.2026 Written question As set out in the Competitiveness Compass [1] , the Commission is implementing many initiatives to strengthen the business case for industry in Europe. These encompass the Clean Industrial Deal [2] , also considering concerns raised in the first Antwerp Declaration [3] . Short-term measures include relief from high energy costs under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework [4] , the new Crisis Framework [5] , financial schemes for power purchase agreements [6] and the drive to lower energy taxes and network tariffs. Medium-term measures include tools to ease support for renewable energy, decarbonisation and technological leadership via national aid [7] or tax incentives [8] and the European Competitiveness Fund [9] . The Commission will also modernise the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). It has already proposed to increase the ETS Market Stability Reserve’s firepower and planned an ETS review for July 2026 to boost the decarbonisation business case At the same time, the Commission will propose an investment booster for rapid industrial decarbonisation investments, financed by EUR 400 million ETS allowances with an estimated EUR 30 billion budget. The Industrial Accelerator Act [10] will strengthen industrial competitiveness and decarbonisation through faster industrial permitting, creation of lead markets for low-carbon and made-in-EU products through demand-side measures, and targeted conditions on foreign investment in strategic areas. The Commission is addressing barriers under the Single Market Strategy [11] and has so far proposed ten Omnibus packages [12] to reduce burdens. The ‘One Europe, One Market Roadmap’ [13] sets clear timelines to deliver on strategic priorities. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0030. [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0085. [3] https://antwerp-declaration.eu/. [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=LEGISSUM:5451053. [5] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:C_202602593. [6] https://www.eib.org/en/press/all/2025-247-eib-group-increases-2025-financing-ceiling-to-record-eur100-billion-to-step-up-investments-in-security-and-defence-energy-grids-and-europe-s-tech-leadership. [7] See footnote 4. [8] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202501307. [9] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025PC0555&qid=1774360904904. [10] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52026PC0100&qid=1774359282412. [11] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0500. [12] https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-making-process/better-regulation/simplification-and-implementation/simplification_en. [13] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_878.”
  Carbon leakage support · EU industrial funding · "Buy European" provisions
• 2026-05-19 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 19.5.2026 Written question 1. Under Article 168(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU [1] , EU action must respect Member States’ responsibilities for organising and delivering health services. The EU is therefore not competent for legislative action aimed at directly reducing hospital deficits. The EU’s economic governance framework supports Member States in strengthening debt sustainability and growth through reforms and investments, including in healthcare, where efforts are needed to improve capacity, quality and resilience. Through the European Semester, the Commission provides policy recommendations and monitors implementation. The EU also supports Member States through funding, technical assistance and knowledge sharing. 2. Directive 2011/7/EU [2] ensures suppliers are paid within a set timeframe. It recognises the specific situation of public hospitals by allowing Member States to extend the 30-day payment period up to 60 days for public entities providing healthcare. The Commission does not envisage exempting public hospitals from its scope, as this would adversely affect suppliers, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises. The directive sets minimum interest rates. Parties can negotiate other rates, if not ‘grossly unfair’. The Commission’s proposed Regulation to replace the directive puts forward a fixed interest rate and eliminates the ‘grossly unfair’ provision. While such Regulation is not approved by Council, the Commission is open to finding a negotiated solution. Meanwhile, the Commission continues to monitor the situation and prioritise enforcement, as late payments by public authorities are a priority for specific enforcement actions and horizontal investigations in the Annual Single Market Enforcement Agenda 2026 [3] . [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:12012E/TXT&from=en. [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:048:0001:0010:en:PDF. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52026DC0046.”
  Public and private sectors role in healthcare services
• 2026-05-13 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 13.5.2026 Written question For the publication of a European Assessment Document (EAD), a delegated act for assessment and verification systems (AVS) has to be in place. The Commission is currently preparing this act. Its draft has already been discussed extensively with Member States and stakeholders, and it will be sent for Council and Parliament scrutiny soon. The format of European Technical Assessments (ETA) ((EU) 2026/387) has been published on 23 February 2026. There are no prerequisites missing for the development of EADs under Construction Products Regulation (CPR-2024) [1] . The new aspects of CPR-2024 (predetermined environmental essential characteristics, machine readability and guidelines for general product information, instructions for use and safety information) will be stipulated in the process of EAD development by the European Organisation for Technical Assessment (EOTA). The Commission will assess those aspects for each draft EAD when submitted to the Commission according to Annex VI point 8 of CPR-2024. Until now EOTA has only informed the Commission about two EAD work programmes according to Annex VI point 3 [2] . So far, the Commission has not received any draft EAD for assessment according to Annex VI point 8 or 9 [3] . Therefore, there is no delay in the publication of EADs. Furthermore, manufacturers actively continue to use the published EADs under the CPR-2011 [4] for issuing new ETAs. This possibility will continue to be available for manufacturers until 8 January 2031. It is also important to note that during 2025 the Commission published 110 EADs which are now available for issuing ETAs. Therefore, no regulatory gap exists that would require proposing transitional measures. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202403110. [2] https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2026-commission-work-programme-and-annexes_en. [3] Point 8: ‘Amendments and adoption of a draft European assessment document’, point 9 ‘Commission assessment of draft European assessment documents’. [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02011R0305-20260108.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation · Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• 2026-05-13 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 13.5.2026 Written question 1. The Commission has taken and continues to take every opportunity to stress the importance for the remaining nine Member States [1] to join the unitary patent system as soon as possible, which has also been highlighted in the Draghi report. The Commission has underlined this objective in several of its recent Communications (for instance COM(2025)270 [2] and COM(2025)500 [3] ). Moreover, the Commission is actively communicating the advantages of the unitary patent system for users, and its successful operation since the launch in 2023, including in terms of high uptake by EU businesses. In 2026, the Commission intends to deliver a report on the functioning of the unitary patent system, which should provide a solid basis for Member States’ reflections on joining it. 2. The Commission is actively supporting the Council in the ongoing negotiations on the reform of supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) . The European Parliament has adopted its position on the reform back in February 2024. Discussions in the Council are still ongoing. The Commission remains committed to deliver on an SPC system that is effective, legally sound and ensures accountability to EU institutions. [1] ES, HR, PL, GR, IE, CZ, CY, HU, SK. [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0270. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0500.”
  Intellectual property rights (IPR)
• 2026-05-12 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 12.5.2026 Written question Addressing the challenges of non-compliant products imported from third countries via e-commerce is a key objective of the Commission. The Commission continues to implement the actions set out in the communication on e-commerce [1] , with several milestones already achieved. Controls on e-commerce imports carried out under the Priority Control Area [2] have strengthened enforcement at EU borders. Other measures include the setup of the electronic interface between customs and market surveillance systems — via the EU Single Window [3] , with a view to digitalise exchanges between the authorities, coordinated online enforcement actions, setting up new EU testing facilities, and investigations under the Digital Services Act [4] to ensure that platforms mitigate the risk of illegal products being disseminated . The Digital Product Passport (DPP) will improve transparency, traceability and enforcement across all harmonised products, not just specific sectors. While it has been already introduced in some legislation such as the Toy Safety Regulation [5] , the DPP is intended to be applied widely across the Single Market including for products subject to ecodesign requirements established under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation [6] . The Commission is also working on the revision of the Market Surveillance Regulation [7] as part of the forthcoming European Product Act. Its aim is to strengthen enforcement, including through clearer obligations, enhanced accountability and traceability of economic operators and identification of an EU-based responsible economic operator. The Commission is also exploring options to reinforce cooperation between Member States and enhance EU-level governance in market surveillance. [1] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/e-commerce-communication-comprehensive-eu-toolbox-safe-and-sustainable-e-commerce. [2] https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/customs/customs-risk-management/customs-risk-management-framework-crmf_en. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02022R2399-20241017. [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32022R2065. [5] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202502509. [6] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1781/oj. [7] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R1020-20240523.”
  EU restrictions on unfair commercial practices · EU competences on consumer protection and product standards · EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2026-05-11 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 11.5.2026 Written question The Commission is aware that the European Chemicals Agency proposed to include lead metal in the list of substances subject to the authorisation requirement under the regulation for the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction chemicals (REACH) [1] . The Commission, drawing on past consultations with cultural heritage experts, is not obliged to follow this recommendation and does not intend to include lead in the authorisation list (Annex XIV to REACH). The Commission considers that lead risks are being successfully managed through other risk management measures, including existing restrictions under REACH and the recently revised occupational limits for lead. The Commission gives the utmost importance to tradition, artisanal work and preservation of cultural heritage. If ever additional measures on lead were to be considered in the more distant future, the Commission will certainly take into account the importance of lead in preserving the European cultural heritage when considering possible derogations during the decision-making process. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02006R1907-20251023.”
  Mercury · Chemicals regulation
• 2026-05-04 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 4.5.2026 Written question At the time of adoption of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 [1] , the Commission expressed regret over the short deadlines for the adoption of delegated and implementing acts as well as other follow-up actions [2] . The Joint Technical Committee of the European Committee for Standardisation and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CEN/CENELEC JTC24) are working on finalising the cross-sectoral digital product passport (DPP) standards. The following requested harmonised standards received a positive vote on 2 April 2026: (1) unique identifiers; (2) data carriers and links between physical product and digital representation; (3) interoperability (technical, semantic, organisation); (4) data processing, data exchange protocols and data formats; (5) data storage, archiving, and data persistence; (6) application programming interfaces for passport lifecycle management and searchability. The voting process for the remaining two standards will take place in the second quarter of 2026. Regardless, Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 already refers to existing relevant standards. A first version of the DPP registry to comply with Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 is planned to be operational in July 2026, in line with Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 [3] . The DPP registry will be upgraded gradually to allow for the rollout of all product-specific DPPs. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 does not foresee DPP service providers as defined by Regulation (EU) 2024/1781, instead it introduces ‘operators authorised to act on behalf of the economic operator responsible for the battery passport’. The implementing act on access rights will specify who can access non-public data and how it may be used and is therefore relevant only after the battery passport applies. [1] http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj. [2] https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-11176-2023-ADD-1/en/pdf. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1781/oj.”
  Sustainability of batteries regulation · Product passport
• 2026-05-04 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 4.5.2026 Written question The Competitiveness Compass [1] , the Clean Industrial Deal [2] and the Single Market Strategy [3] provide a comprehensive framework to strengthen the EU’s competitiveness, resilience and growth. In addition to the initiatives already put forward under these strategies [4] , the Commission will propose several measures in 2026 to support a competitive Single Market, such as the Public Procurement Act, the Circular Economy Act, the European Product Act and the Skills Portability Initiative [5] . In parallel, the Commission continues to address the most harmful Single Market barriers, promote investment and reduce administrative burdens in the EU. To lower the administrative burden, ten Omnibus simplification proposals have been adopted and more will follow, alongside a regulatory ‘deep cleaning’ of EU legislation to support competitiveness [6] . The swift adoption and implementation of EU policy measures by the co-legislators and Member States is key to delivering tangible benefits. The ‘One Europe, One Market Roadmap’ presented by the President of the Commission for joint endorsement by the three institutions aims at committing them jointly to the delivery of the measures required to deepen the Single Market and foster the EU’s competitiveness. [1] COM(2025) 30 final. [2] COM(2025) 85 final. [3] COM(2025) 500 final. [4] The 2026 Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report (COM(2026) 46 final) provides an overview of the implementation of policy actions under the three strategies. [5] The Skills Portability Initiative was announced in the Union of Skills in March 2025 (COM(2025) 90 final) and will be presented as part of the Fair Mobility Package. [6] https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-making-process/better-regulation/simplification-and-implementation/simplification_en.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU · EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2026-05-04 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 4.5.2026 Written question The Industrial Accelerator Act proposal [1] is designed to be targeted and proportionate, focusing only on selected strategic sectors where action is most needed for decarbonisation and resilience. It builds on existing frameworks rather than creating parallel systems, and includes safeguards to avoid disproportionate costs or administrative burden, ensuring a balanced approach between ambition and practicality. The proposal includes concrete measures to facilitate implementation in Member States, notably simplified and digitalised permitting, a ‘one project-one procedure’ approach and clear timelines. Industrial manufacturing acceleration areas further streamline procedures by addressing area-level requirements in advance, reducing complexity and increasing predictability for projects. The ‘European preference’ is implemented through EU origin requirements in specific public procurement procedures and support schemes, based on EU customs rules. It applies only in defined sectors and situations involving public funding, while fully respecting the EU’s international commitments and including safeguards to ensure competition and avoid disproportionate costs. Moreover, it will be based on self-declarations, so as to avoid administrative burden. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52026PC0100.”
  "Buy European" provisions · Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• 2026-04-29 “E-001019/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The revised Regulation on Detergents and Surfactants 1 , which will enter into force on 23 September 2029, has introduced a general prohibition on the placing on the market of detergents and surfactants that have been subject to animal testing to meet the requirements of the regulation. At the same time, ingredients of cleaning products are subject to the provisions under the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) 2 or the Biocidal Product Regulation 3 , which might include animal testing if necessary for assessing risks to human health or the environment. Both regulations permit testing on vertebrates only as a last resort. REACH registrants are bound by the principle of last resort when submitting data to the European Chemicals Agency, which is taking this principle into account when evaluating testing proposals or the compliance of dossiers. The principle of last resort aligns these regulations with Directive 2010/63/EU 4 , which requires that animal testing be replaced, reduced, or refined, if scientifically possible. The Commission roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments, planned to be published in the second quarter of 2026, will outline the steps necessary to reach the goal of phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments under all relevant pieces of legislation. Legislative changes, if necessary to reach the goal, will be introduced in line with the rules of the relevant pieces of legislation. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202600405. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02006R1907-20251023. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02012R0528-20240611. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02010L0063-20190626.”
  Use of animal testing · Chemicals regulation
• 2026-04-27 “E-001106/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission As indicated by the Honourable Members, the Spanish Government has adopted Royal Decree 1312/2024, which aims to implement Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 1 , the Short-Term Rental (STR) Regulation. Article 4 of the STR Regulation provides that a unit shall not be subject to more than one registration procedure. The Commission has, on several occasions, raised concerns with the Spanish authorities regarding a potential conflict between the registration procedure established by the Royal Decree and those already in place at the local level. At the same time, the STR Regulation will enter into force on 20 May 2026. Until that date, the existence of multiple registration procedures does not constitute a breach of the Regulation. In the meantime, the Commission continues to monitor developments. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1028/oj/eng.”
  Jurisdiction conflicts between EU and national courts
• 2026-04-24 “E-000926/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Industrial Accelerator Act 1 (IAA) proposal does not amend the EU-Türkiye customs union, that remains governed by the existing legal framework agreed between the two parties, or any other international agreement. The IAA establishes internal rules governing certain public procurement procedures and public support schemes within the EU. In Article 7, ‘Union origin’ refers to content originating in the Union in accordance with the non-preferential rules of origin as laid down in Article 59 of the Union Customs Code 2 . Articles 8, 9 and 10 provide that, for the purposes of applying the Union-origin requirements referred to in Articles 11 and 12, content originating in countries with which the Union has concluded an agreement establishing a customs union, such as Türkiye, is deemed equivalent to Union origin. However, this equivalence applies by default and is in compliance with the EU’s international commitments. The proposal also empowers the Commission to adopt delegated acts to exclude, in whole or in part, a third country from this equivalence following set criteria such as lack of reciprocity or avoidance of dependencies. In addition, EU contracting authorities and entities shall exclude from procurement procedures tenders submitted by economic operators owned or controlled by an entity established in third countries that have not concluded an international agreement with the EU guaranteeing such access. The proposal strengthens the resilience and competitiveness of European industrial value chains while remaining consistent with the EU’s international obligations. The EU will continue to ensure healthy and fair competition within the framework of its strategic autonomy. Where necessary, the Commission will rely on the full range of instruments in the EU toolbox. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52026PC0100. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02013R0952-20221212.”
  Trade relations with Turkey · "Buy European" provisions · EU policy on screening foreign investment in strategic sectors and critical infrastructure
• 2026-04-24 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 24.4.2026 Written question The Commission continues updating the EU regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles, guided by the Automotive Action Plan [1] . A key aspect is the harmonisation of technical rules for automated driving systems under the United Nations framework for vehicle regulations, ensuring strict and uniform safety standards for these vehicles. A new UN Regulation for automated driving systems is expected to be adopted in June 2026 and to be integrated in the EU type-approval framework subsequently. It will be accompanied by interpretations and guidance for consistent global implementation, including real-world testing procedures and a broadened scope of mandatory monitoring and reporting of in-service safety performance, as introduced by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1426 [2] , enhancing market surveillance. Rules on cybersecurity [3] and over-the-air updates [4] complement the new technical requirements for automated driving systems. The Product Liability Directive [5] addresses new technology developments, holding manufacturers accountable for defective products. Member States must transpose the directive into national laws by December 2026. Even though road safety liability rules remain under the responsibility of individual Member States and differ across countries, the Commission is collaborating with Member States in the context of large-scale cross-border testbeds for automated vehicles to support the harmonisation of accident liability approaches for autonomous vehicles. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0095. [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32022R1426. [3] UN Regulation 155, https://unece.org/transport/documents/2021/03/standards/un-regulation-no-155-cyber-security-and-cyber-security. [4] UN Regulation 156, https://unece.org/transport/documents/2021/03/standards/un-regulation-no-156-software-update-and-software-update. [5] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202402853.”
  Regulation of vehicles insurance
• 2026-04-22 “P-000831/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has taken note of the European Court of Auditors’ report on critical raw materials for the energy transition and is addressing the identified challenges by accelerating implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act 1 (CRMA), notably through the RESourceEU Action Plan 2 , which was not covered by the report. Efforts focus on closing financing gaps, easing permitting constraints, and strengthening project delivery capacity, including via the Critical Raw Materials Centre. RESourceEU mobilises de-risking tools and tackles regulatory bottlenecks to speed up projects that could reduce EU dependency on a single country of origin by 30–50% by 2029 for battery, rare earth, and defence-related raw materials. The EU is mobilising EUR 3 billion to support these value chains. In the context of the EU–Greenland Strategic Partnership on sustainable raw materials value chains, the Commission is already implementing relevant actions to advance sustainable mining projects with a clear link to the European industry. Support has been provided through technical assistance and investor matchmaking to identify raw materials projects of relevance for the EU industry, and to facilitate their access to finance and off takers. The Commission committed to unlocking financial support for Greenland Resources’ Malmbjerg molybdenum project to enhance supply security in the defence sector. The Commission has also selected a graphite extraction project in Greenland, developed by GreenRoc, as a Strategic Project under the CRMA. As announced in January 2026 by the President, the Commission is currently working on an investment package to support Greenland’s economy and infrastructure, including in the field of sustainable raw materials. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1252/2024-05-03/eng. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0945&qid=1774448105138.”
  Due diligence in supply chains (environmental and human rights) · EU policy on screening foreign investment in strategic sectors and critical infrastructure
• 2026-04-21 “E-000610/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission applies strict transparency rules on its interactions with interest representatives. It publishes information on, and minutes of, all meetings held between members of the Commission, their members of Cabinet or Commission management staff and interest representatives. in accordance with Commission Decisions (EU) 2024/3081 1 and (EU) 2024/3082 2 . The Transparency Register includes a list of such meetings with the European Chemical Industry Council 3 . The Commission also attends meetings organised by third parties such as the meeting referred to by the Honourable Member, that also involved trade unions. The Commission is open to attending meetings organised by all relevant stakeholders. All Commission proposals comply with the ‘better regulation’ principles, the general legal principles and fundamental rights. A description on how each act complies with these principles is provided in the explanatory memorandum accompanying each proposal. The Commission is committed to legislation that is effective, enforceable and proportionate. Simplification efforts aim to improve clarity, reduce unnecessary administrative burden, and enhance compliance. In the specific case of the Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals 4 , the Commission will always promote human health and environmental protection, science-based chemicals risk management and competitiveness and innovation of European companies. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202403081. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202403082. 3 https://transparency-register.europa.eu/search-register-or-update/organisation-detail_en?id=64879142323-90. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02006R1907-20251023.”
  Transparency requirements for interest groups · EU engagement with civil society
• 2026-04-21 “E-000988/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission Further to complaints received on the two cases mentioned by the Honourable Member, the Commission has requested information from the German authorities and is currently assessing their replies. From a more general point of view, the Commission would like to recall that, as a rule, national authorities and notably national review bodies are the best placed to make the appropriate in-depth analysis of the legal and factual circumstances of each individual case and to take the appropriate relevant measures. Interested economic operators are therefore invited to submit their individual appeals to those national authorities.”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget · EU restrictions on unfair commercial practices
• 2026-04-21 “E-000678/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission As regards purely technical essential health and safety requirements, e-scooters and e-bikes (with an auxiliary electric motor having a maximum continuous rated power of less than or equal to 250 watts), often referred to as Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs), are currently covered by the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC 1 with harmonised product safety provisions. These provisions do however not regulate the safety needs specifically for on-road use of such PMDs, which may explain a fragmented approach throughout Member States. Indeed, in 2024, a study 2 prepared on behalf of the Commission examined the challenges and opportunities associated with regulating PMDs for on-road use. More recently, the Commission adopted a mid-term report on the implementation of the EU road safety framework 3 where it committed to drawing conclusions on the potential benefits of harmonising technical specifications of PMDs 4 . The Commission also committed to preparing guidance to Member States and regional and local administrations on what issues should be taken into account to ensure the safety of riders and other road users during the use of PMDs; this should expand on the guidance set out in the 2021 Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans Topic Guide on Safe Use of Micromobility 5 . 1 Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 on machinery, http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2006/42/oj. 2 European Commission: Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Study on the need for harmonised rules to support the rise of micro mobility and increased road safety for personal mobility devices – Final report (1.0), Publications Office of the European Union, 2024, https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/4286a092-a55f-11ef-85f0-01aa75ed71a1. 3 COM(2026) 77 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52026DC0077. 4 As requested by Transport Ministers at the Transport, Telecom and Energy Council meeting in December 2025. 5 https://urban-mobility-observatory.transport.ec.europa.eu/sustainable-urban-mobility-plans/expert-cornersump-reference-materials_en.”
  Road transport environmental policy · EU transport infrastructure integration
• 2026-04-20 “E-000647/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission does not systematically assess situations involving residence-based price differences. Where relevant, criteria for assessment may include capacity constraints, strain on infrastructure, the extent of public financing, geographical scope, and any quotas or time limitations. Such measures must aim to achieve a legitimate public interest objective and be appropriate, necessary and proportionate to that aim. Accordingly, such assessments are done on a case-by-case basis. The Commission is not aware of any EU projects involving residence-based tariffs. The European Court of Justice has recognised a range of public interest objectives which may justify restrictions of fundamental freedoms under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, including when they affect recipients of services. These include public policy, public security, public health, consumer protection, the protection of the environment, the preservation of fair market conditions and the protection of recipients of services, among others. Member States are free to choose measures to protect these objectives, provided such measures are non-discriminatory, necessary, and proportionate in accordance with EU law 1 . 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32006L0123.”
  EU Competition policy
• 2026-04-17 “E-000899/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission In line with the political guidelines of the Commission, the proposal for the Industrial Accelerator Act 1 (IAA) is a legislative proposal designed to strengthen Europe's industrial base by boosting manufacturing, growing businesses, and creating jobs in the EU. The IAA proposal introduces targeted ‘Union origin’ requirements in specific strategic sectors when public money is involved, such as public procurement or support schemes. The objective is to support the development, competitiveness and resilience of the EU’s manufacturing sector, with a focus on selected strategic sectors. The proposed measures concern aluminium, cement, net-zero technologies as well as electric vehicles and their components. The proposal remains in line with the EU’s international commitments undertaken in bilateral trade agreements and under the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Government Procurement 2 and does not discriminate against suppliers and supplies from these countries. The impact assessment accompanying the proposal sets out the detailed analysis of costs and price effects. The Commission’s assessment indicates that impacts on final prices are expected to be limited. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52026PC0100. 2 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/gproc_e/gp_gpa_e.htm.”
  EU-US trade relations · "Buy European" provisions
• 2026-04-17 “P-001214/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The scope of the Commission’s proposal to restrict lead shot under the Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) 1 is limited to outdoor shooting. The placing on the market and use of lead gunshot for indoor shooting is not covered by the proposed measures. This is clarified both in the Annex (paragraph 38) and in the Act (recital 37) of the Commission proposal 2 . The proposed restriction does not apply to the placing on the market and use of lead gunshot for indoor use and would allow continued sale of lead shot intended for use in indoor shooting ranges. Therefore, no derogation for this use is necessary. Following the usual REACH procedure, the Commission’s proposal is currently being discussed with the REACH Committee and will subsequently be subject to the scrutiny of the European Parliament and the Council. 1 Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) (OJ L 396, 30.12.2006, p. 1, http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2006/1907/oj). 2 https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/comitology-register/screen/documents/105447/5.”
  Mercury · Chemicals regulation
• 2026-04-14 “E-000633/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission With an update to the current eForms notices published on Tenders Electronic Daily portal 1 , the Commission intends to require buyers to provide not only the business identifier but also the type of identifier, such as a value added tax number or national identifier. This change will help create a more consolidated view of suppliers participating in EU-wide procedures. 1 https://tenderalerts.eu/.”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget
• 2026-04-14 “E-000787/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is closely monitoring the development of the procedure for the award of the A22 motorway concession referred to by the Honourable Member and has already contacted the Italian authorities to gather information on how they intend to proceed with said award procedure. The purpose of this dialogue is to assess the compatibility of the planned path forward with EU law also in light of the judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU of 5 February 2026 in case C-810/24 1 . 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:62024CJ0810.”
  EU Competition policy · EU transport infrastructure integration
• 2026-04-14 “E-000635/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The current Public Procurement Directives 1 primarily regulate the procurement process up to the award of contracts, leaving post-award contract management and payment data largely outside their scope. As part of the announced revision of the Public Procurement Directives, the Commission will explore means to enable better monitoring, reduce fraud risks and enhance transparency in public spending. Under the current framework at both national and EU level, there is an obligation to publish a contract award notice with the results of the procurement procedure which also contain the value of the contract awarded. This publicity requirement is also applicable in case of subsequent modification of the contract during its execution. Contractual payments are made in accordance with the published values of the award or modification of the contracts. They are also subject to satisfactory performance of the contract and approval of deliverables. Consequently, payments may be reduced for delays of delivery, low quality or underperformance, or in other cases involving a breach of contract. Information on the recipients of funding from the EU budget is available in the Financial Transparency System 2 including the total amount of budgetary commitments for procurement contracts and grants implemented directly by the Commission (at headquarters or in EU delegations to non-EU countries) and other EU bodies such as executive agencies (direct management) or implemented indirectly by other international organisations or non-EU countries (indirect management), and beneficiaries of the European Regional Development Fund 3 . 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/23/oj, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/24/oj, https://eurlex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/25/oj. 2 https://ec.europa.eu/budget/financial-transparency-system/index.html. 3 https://commission.europa.eu/funding-tenders/find-funding/eu-funding-programmes/european-regionaldevelopment-fund-erdf_en; https://kohesio.ec.europa.eu/en/beneficiaries.”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget
• 2026-04-13 “E-000513/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission Access to critical raw materials remains exposed to trade distortions, market volatility and geopolitical developments beyond the EU’s control. This is why the EU pursues a comprehensive approach combining boosting domestic production, promoting diversification of supply, circularity and increasing international cooperation. In this context, strategic partnerships are long-term framework instruments. They are designed to de-risk investment, improve governance and unlock projects along the value chain. Short-term bilateral trade fluctuations are therefore not always a reliable measure of their performance. On recycling, the Commission recognises the need to strengthen circularity of critical raw materials, in line with the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) 1 ’s 25% recycling benchmark. To achieve it, the Commission already recognised 60 Strategic Projects, 10 of them are recycling projects, while RESourceEU 2 announced measures to boost investment in those projects while retaining strategic scrap in the EU. The Commission also proposed amending the CRMA to advance circularity by including pre-consumer waste in recycling measures expanding labelling requirements for recyclability. Lastly, the forthcoming Circular Economy Act will further strengthen secondary raw material markets. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02024R1252-20240503. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0945.”
  Sourcing of critical raw materials
• 2026-04-13 “E-000643/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The RESourceEU Action Plan 1 confirms the Commission’s intention to accelerate the EU’s diversification efforts to reduce critical raw materials (CRM) dependencies and to build on multilateral initiatives to secure diversified supply. The Commission assessed the United States proposal to launch the Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE) and proposed to the Council to join FORGE, on behalf of the EU. FORGE’s intention to cooperate on both policies and projects identification and support has the potential to foster the development of projects along the value chain that need enhanced support from different players. The EU will join FORGE once the internal procedures in the Council have been completed. Engagement in FORGE is complementary to the EU’s participation in other global fora, such as the Group of Seven (G7) and the Group of 20 (G20), its bilateral relations through its 15 partnerships on raw materials, the G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance, contributing to the policy objectives set by the Critical Raw Materials Act 2 and RESourceEU. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0945. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02024R1252-20240503.”
  EU-US trade relations · Due diligence in supply chains (environmental and human rights)
• 2026-04-13 “E-000471/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission fully recognises the strategic importance of securing resilient supply chains for critical raw materials. Supply security and climate ambition are mutually reinforcing. A competitive, resilient and decarbonised industry requires access to robust and diversified value chains. For this reason, the EU has accelerated implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act 1 (CRMA) and adopted the RESourceEU Action Plan 2 . These initiatives directly contribute to addressing some of the challenges identified by the Court of Auditors, such as financing gaps, lengthy permitting procedures and limited processing capacity. The Commission has already identified 60 strategic projects, and concrete implementation to deploy these projects and strengthen international partnerships is ongoing. Measures to boost recycling and circularity also contribute to further reduce structural dependency. For instance, the Commission will propose targeted measures to retain certain types of scrap in the EU to support critical raw materials recycling capacity of the EU. Minimum shares of secondary materials in products, set by the CRMA and the Battery Regulation 3 , are also a leverage to promote uptake of secondary raw materials. By integrating climate, industrial and raw materials policies, the EU is reducing external dependencies, including on fossil fuel, while reinforcing competitiveness and long-term resilience. To this objective, the Commission plans to adopt a Circular Economy Act for the third quarter of 2026. The Act will help create a single market for secondary raw materials, by among others fostering the recovery of CRMs from waste. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401252. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2025:945:FIN. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02023R1542-20250731.”
  Sourcing of critical raw materials · Energy (green transition) · Climate efforts
• 2026-04-13 “E-000252/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission As per the Commission’s Better Regulation framework, EU added value is considered from two perspectives: a forward-looking dimension (before the regulation proposals), reflected in impact assessments accompanying regulation proposals, and a backward-looking dimension (analysing past implementation and lesson learnt), which is carried out through annual performance monitoring and in the evaluations. Annual performance monitoring will be conducted through the Performance Regulation 1 framework, which relies on a common set of intervention fields for expenditure monitoring and on harmonised output and result indicators for performance measurement. In addition, EU added value is a key criterion in the evaluations, which allow for a more comprehensive and in-depth assessment of the programmes. The Commission has proposed streamlining the EU budget to minimise overlaps and maximise synergies, reducing administrative burdens for Member States and others. Shared management and directly managed programmes (e.g. the European Competitiveness Fund 2 (ECF) and the Connecting Europe Facility 3 ) include provisions for cumulative funding, allowing a single legal commitment and unified rules for actions funded by two programmes. This aims to simplify procedures, reduce audit risk, and improve efficiency and coherence. Specific coordination mechanisms in the ECF Regulation will enhance connections with complementary programmes. A new steering mechanism will strengthen ties between policy coordination and the EU budget, fostering discussions about key financing priorities and enhancing budget flexibility to address evolving EU priorities. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025PC0545. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025PC0555. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02021R1153-20251224.”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget · EU industrial funding
• 2026-04-08 “P-000999/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has been in touch with the Italian authorities and is willing to continue supporting them in their effort to ensure that the system of licenses for street trade is compliant with the Services Directive 1 . In particular, it is important that these licenses are assigned according to transparent selection procedures, in compliance with the principles of impartiality, non-discrimination, equal treatment and publicity, as duly recognised by the same Article 11 of Law 214/2023 2 . With respect to the ‘scarcity’ associated to street trade services, it would appear that, in the Italian system, authorisations are assigned based on selection among several candidates, as provided by the above-mentioned Italian legislation: this creates a situation of exclusivity, as only the authorisation holders can provide services within the portion of municipal territory where street trade can be materially provided, with the exclusion of other operators. It is for the Italian authorities to identify the most adequate implementing national measures to ensure that the Services Directive is applied to this sector. In this vein, the Commission supports the objective of reforming and making the overall system more transparent and efficient, to the benefit of interested operators and consumers. 1 Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on services in the internal market, OJ L 376, 27.12.2006, pp. 36–68. 2 LEGGE 30 dicembre 2023, n. 214 - Legge annuale per il mercato e la concorrenza 2022, https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:legge:2023-12-30;214.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2026-04-08 “P-000754/2026 E-000785/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of reports that play sands may be contaminated with asbestos and takes this matter seriously. Such contamination can occur naturally, primarily during the extraction of raw materials. Play sands designed for children fall under the Toy Safety Directive 1 . The Commission has received several notifications in the EU Safety Gate about measures taken against dangerous play sands with traces of asbestos 2 . National market surveillance authorities responsible for toy safety are actively investigating these products within the EU. In some Member States, recalls have already been issued. The Commission is working closely and coordinating with these national authorities to ensure a consistent approach. This includes monitoring the presence of contaminated play sands in the market, exploring the most effective testing methods for detecting asbestos fibres in these products, and implementing necessary restrictive measures where required. Under the Toy Safety Directive, all toys, including any chemicals they contain, must not pose a risk to the health or safety of children. Market surveillance authorities can take measures under the Directive to withdraw and recall any toys posing a risk. The Toy Safety Regulation 3 that will start applying on 1 August 2030 will strengthen the protection of children from harmful chemicals in toys and allow for additional measures to be taken against categories of toys that pose a risk to children. Furthermore, the Commission is working on the revision of the Market Surveillance Regulation 4 to strengthen enforcement on products imported from third countries and to reinforce cooperation mechanisms between Member States to ensure more effective cross-border enforcement. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009L0048-20221205. 2 See alerts SR/00653/26 and SR/00665/26 already published in Safety Gate, the EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products: https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/search?resetSearch=true. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202502509. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R1020-20240523.”
  EU policy on novel foods · Mercury
• 2026-04-08 “P-000706/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the fact that flush door handles are implemented by vehicle manufacturers and of incidents related to this technology. The matter of door release mechanisms and their operation in the event of electrical system failure is currently being addressed with high priority in the Working Party 1 on Passive Safety of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) World Forum for the Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations. The objective is to develop an appropriate and technically robust solution at international level within the shortest possible timeframe. The Commission actively participates in these discussions and supports the ongoing work. Once a harmonised technical solution is agreed in the UNECE framework, it will be applicable after adoption and furthermore implemented on mandatory basis within the EU after updating Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 2 . This approach ensures a high level of road and passenger safety while maintaining international harmonisation and legal certainty for manufacturers. 1 https://wiki.unece.org/spaces/trans/pages/346980588/EDO+4th+Session. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32019R2144.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• 2026-04-07 “E-000637/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Public Procurement Directives 1 mandate the publication of contract awards and tender documents but allow redactions for trade secrets or personal data. The Directives do not touch upon transactional data like invoices to increase transparency. In preparing the proposal for a Public Procurement Act, announced for the second quarter of 2026, the Commission is exploring how to improve secure data exchange and use as well as performance-based monitoring. The Public Procurement Directives do not curtail the possibilities of contracting authorities or entities to use outcome-focussed or performance-based procurement models. They can be used in all procedures under those Directives. In all cases, payment requires the fulfilment of the obligations enshrined in the contract, the delivery of the goods or services in the form and with the quality required by the contracting authority or entity. In its Single Market Strategy 2 , the Commission committed to mainstream the use of sustainability, resilience and social criteria throughout the procurement process. Moreover, as announced in the Circular Economy Action Plan 3 , the Commission has been proposing minimum mandatory Green Public Procurement criteria and targets in sectoral legislation. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02014L0023-20260101; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02014L0024-20260101; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02014L0025-20260101. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52015DC0550. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0098.”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget · Conditions to access EU budget
• 2026-04-07 “E-000390/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission Under the Geo-blocking Regulation 1 , traders may not apply different general conditions of access to goods or services in cross-border transactions, including different conditions for a payment transaction, for reasons related to a customer’s nationality, place of residence or establishment. In addition, online interfaces may not be designed in a way that would, in practice, not allow customers from other Member States to easily complete their order. This includes differential treatment as a result of the location of a customers’ payment account. As part of its ongoing evaluation of the Regulation, the Commission is continuously assessing barriers to cross-border trade, collecting data to determine its effective enforcement. The evaluation will be published in 2026. The enforcement of the Geo-blocking Regulation and the Single Euro Payments Area Regulation 2 , including the prohibition of International Bank Account Number (IBAN) discrimination, in individual cases does not fall under the responsibility of the Commission, but lies within the competence of national authorities 3 . Nevertheless, in recent years, the Commission has stepped up its efforts to address IBAN discrimination through infringement procedures 4 , complaint handling and a communication campaign. The Commission has also intensified its engagement with Member States to achieve proactive and dissuasive enforcement at national level to combat IBAN discrimination. In the case of cross-border infringements of the Geo-blocking Regulation, national authorities coordinate within the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network to address problematic practices for the whole EU/European Economic Area. Consumers can complain to their relevant national authority. 1 Regulation (EU) 2018/302, OJ L 60I, 2.3.2018, pp. 1–15. 2 Regulation (EU) No 260/2012, OJ L 94, 30.3.2012, pp. 22-37. 3 To this aim each Member State shall designate a body or bodies responsible for adequate and effective enforcement of these Regulations: Article 7 of Regulation (EU) 2018/302 and Article 10 of Regulation (EU) No 260/2012. 4 Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation · EU competences on consumer protection and product standards
• 2026-04-07 “E-000761/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission As indicated in the reply to parliamentary question E-003057/2024 1 , the Commission issued a reasoned opinion in this case INFR(2022)4121 2 given that the Spanish legislation, as adopted in 1988, 2013 and 2014, does not provide for the obligation to use an impartial and transparent selection procedure to award concessions to build permanent premises on the coastal public domain and carry out economic activities therein. Moreover, it does allow for the extension of certain concessions for up to 75 years. The Commission took the view that this legislation breaches both the obligations under the Services Directive 3 and the principle of the freedom of establishment enshrined in Article 49 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The Commission remains in close contact with the competent Spanish authorities to pursue the constructive dialogue in relation to this case. 1 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/-ASW_EN.html. 2 https://ec.europa.eu/implementing-eu-law/search-infringementdecisions/?langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(2022)4121&page=1&size=10 &order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32006L0123.”
  EU Competition policy · EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2026-04-01 “E-000533/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The second selection round of Strategic Projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) 1 is currently ongoing. The assessment will be conducted with the help of external experts and in consultation with the CRM Board. The Commission cannot comment on whether projects have applied and cannot prejudge possible outcomes of the assessment. With regards to the sustainability selection criterion, the Commission conducts an overall assessment of a project’s compliance with relevant EU or national law, taking into account the location of the project. Without prejudice to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties, Member States are primarily responsible to ensure compliance with EU law, including conducting environmental assessments where required 2 . Under Article 6(3) of the Council Directive 92/43/EEC 3 and applicable also to the Directive 2009/147/EC 4 , any project likely to have a significant effect thereon, either individually or in combination with other plans or projects shall be subject to appropriate assessment of its implications for the site. In accordance with Directive 2011/92/EU 5 , if a Member State is aware that a project is likely to have significant effects on the environment in another Member State or where a Member State likely to be significantly affected requests, transboundary consultations shall be carried out before authorization of the project. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02024R1252-20240503. 2 In accordance with Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds and/or Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:01992L0043-20250714. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009L0147-20190626. 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02011L0092-20140515.”
  EU policy on permitting for renewable energy projects · Sourcing of critical raw materials
• 2026-03-27 “E-000640/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The 2025 Single Market Strategy 1 put a focus on the most pressing barriers to the Single Market (SM): the Terrible Ten. To achieve tangible results, the barriers were broken down into concrete problems. The approach for addressing them was settled upon within the SM Enforcement Taskforce and endorsed by the Competitiveness Council. The work for each problem will be performed by an expert group or working group. Indicators will be agreed at the beginning of the process. The 2026 Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report 2 assesses the functioning of the SM and of EU competitiveness using 29 key performance indicators (KPIs). It is accompanied by an overview of the implementation of the Single Market Strategy and the Single Market and Competitiveness Scoreboard 3 . It includes the simplification of the EU rules as KPI 3, measuring the projected annual administrative savings from the Commission’s adopted initiatives and indicating savings of EUR 15 billion for 2025. This KPI reflects the Commission’s objective of reducing administrative costs by EUR 37.5 billion (25%) by the end of the mandate, with an even higher target of 35% for small and medium-sized enterprises. The 2030 Consumer Agenda 4 also includes an action plan to address barriers preventing consumers from fully benefitting from the SM. Among others, it aims to strengthen the consistent and effective implementation, application, and enforcement of EU rules. Simplification and burden reduction is also an overarching priority of the agenda. As for indicators from a consumer angle, the Consumer Conditions Scoreboard 5 monitors the consumer environment and measures the consumer sentiment across the EU, including the main problems that consumers are facing within the SM. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0500. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52026DC0046. 3 https://single-market-scoreboard.ec.europa.eu/. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0848. 5 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/consumers/consumer-protection-policy/keyconsumer-data_en.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU · EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2026-03-26 “E-000645/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has indeed received a complaint concerning legislation in Poland on pharmacy ownership. The Commission has taken the necessary steps to assess the complaint in accordance with its standard procedures. The assessment is currently ongoing. At this stage, the Commission cannot provide an indicative timeframe, as it is still examining the recent submission from the complainant. The complainant will be informed in due course of the Commission’s assessment of the alleged violations of EU law raised.”
  Pharmaceuticals regulation in EU · Public and private sectors role in healthcare services
• 2026-03-20 “P-000368/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission After a substantial increase in intra-EU trade over decades, Single Market integration has reached a plateau. Following a surge after the pandemic, trade integration in goods declined in 2023 and 2024. An important driver behind the fluctuations is energy price volatility. Yet persistent barriers at national and European level as well as administrative burdens continue to hold back the Single Market 1 . The European Product Act proposal that the Commission is preparing aims to create stronger synergies between standardisation, conformity assessment and market surveillance, ensuring coherent settings, application, and enforcement of product rules. The reform will notably accelerate the standard-setting processes and make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to contribute to the development of standards and to use them. The Single Market Strategy 2 is the Commission’s plan to tackle the most harmful Single Market barriers. Following the informal EU leaders’ retreat on 12 February 2026, the President of the Commission announced a ‘One Europe, One Market Roadmap and Action Plan’ 3 to be presented for the March 2026 European Council. It will include concrete targets and timelines to deliver on commitments, to be agreed and committed to by the Commission and the two co-legislators. The roadmap will have five building blocks: reducing administrative burden, building one market, building one energy market, digital, and trade. 1 2026 Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52026DC0046 and its accompanying Staff Working Document: https://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52026SC0030. 2 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/strategy_en. 3 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/STATEMENT_26_405.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation · Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• 2026-03-20 “E-000449/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission Tackling non-compliance is a key objective of the Single Market Strategy 1 . In this context, the Commission is revising the Market Surveillance Regulation (MSR) 2 as part of the European Product Act. The MSR revision’s aim is to strengthen enforcement on products imported from third countries, including through clearer obligations, enhanced accountability and traceability of manufacturers non-established in the EU, and to reinforce cooperation between Member States to ensure more effective cross-border enforcement. In addition to the revision of the Market Surveillance Regulation, the EU Customs Reform 3 will structurally reinforce the capabilities of enforcement authorities to control the flow of goods at the EU border, by introducing a new EU Customs Authority which will operate the EU Customs Data Hub and run a central risk analysis. This will enhance coordination and information sharing among customs authorities and with other competent authorities, leading to a smarter approach to controls related to imports posing risks to the EU economy and citizens, hereunder non-compliant vending and coffee machines from third countries. The Commission also coordinates joint enforcement actions, targeting products in multiple sectors which are available for sale in brick and-mortar shops and online. These actions strengthen enforcement across Member States and allow exchange of best practices. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0500. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R1020-20240523. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52023PC0258&qid=1684913361276.”
  EU competences on consumer protection and product standards · EU restrictions on unfair commercial practices
• 2026-03-19 “P-000556/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The chemical industry is at the core of the Commission’s agenda to strengthen the EU’s competitiveness. The European Chemicals Industry Action Plan 1 underlines the strategic role of the sector. Several measures have been taken to support the industry in the short term. On energy, the Commission extended the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) State aid guidelines for indirect cost compensation to additional chemical sectors to address the carbon cost in electricity prices 2 . This complements the possibility for Member States to grant temporary electricity price relief under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework 3 , and other measures in the Affordable Energy Action Plan 4 and the European Grids Package 5 . On simplification, the Commission has proposed several Omnibuses, such as the Investment 6 , Chemical 7 and Environmental Omnibus 8 . On trade, a dedicated system was introduced in March 2025 to monitor import volumes of certain chemicals. Regarding unfair competition from imports, the Commission launched 25 trade defence investigations on chemicals in the last two years, representing 40% of all new initiations. The Commission also launched a Critical Chemicals Alliance 9 to work with Member States and industry on key priorities. These include lead markets for European Chemicals, as highlighted in the recent proposal for an Industrial Accelerator Act 10 , and identifying critical molecules and sites requiring urgent investments. Moreover, the Commission is reviewing the EU ETS with the view to ensure competitiveness, effective carbon leakage protection and increased financial support for investments in industrial transformation. 1 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/european-chemicals-industry-action-plan_en. 2 The newly eligible sectors can already receive compensation as from 2025. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:C_202600196. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:C_202503602. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0079. 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC1005. 6 https://commission.europa.eu/publications/omnibus-ii_en. 7 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/simplification-certain-requirements-and-procedureschemical-products_en. 8 https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/simplification-administrative-burdens-environmentallegislation_en. 9 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/chemicals/critical-chemicals-alliance_en. 10 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/industrial-accelerator-act_en.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU · Carbon leakage support · State Aid
• 2026-03-18 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 18.3.2026 Written question The initial draft restriction proposal was split into two separate proposals, one on lead in ammunition, the other on lead in fishing tackle, at the request of Member States in the Committee established [1] under the regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). The aim was to make each restriction simpler and easier to understand, improve legal clarity, facilitate discussions and speed up adoption. The Commission intends to continue discussing the two restriction proposals with the Member States in parallel until one, or both, are mature for a vote in the REACH committee. The transitional periods for lead gunshot were not changed. Changes to the transitional periods for certain bullets for hunting were introduced to address Member States’ concerns. The Commission is striving to strike a careful balance between minimising lead emissions and limiting socioeconomic impacts, with the aim to achieve consensus among Member States on this important restriction. The Commission remains fully committed to protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of lead, a toxic substance. The extended transitional periods for bullets for hunting will have a negligible impact on total lead emission, considering that emissions from lead bullets from hunting represent less than 0.5% of the total emissions targeted by the restriction. [1] Article 133 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02006R1907-20251023.”
  Chemicals regulation · Water pollution
• 2026-03-18 “E-000381/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission Boosting the EU’s industrial competitiveness amid geopolitical challenges is a central priority of the Commission. To support EU industry, the Commission’s Competitiveness Compass 1 closes the innovation gap, promotes decarbonisation, and reduces dependencies. Alongside this, the Clean Industrial Deal 2 aims to better position the EU as a global leader in the clean transition, ensure global market access and facilitate investments, both public and private, while promoting skills and quality jobs. At the same time, the Action Plan for Affordable Energy 3 proposes a broad range of actions to ensure access to affordable energy. Furthermore, the Industrial Accelerator Act 4 will stimulate demand for EU-made clean products, and the forthcoming Circular Economy Act will aim to accelerate the EU’s circular economy, including review of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive 5 , and thereby reduce import dependencies of key raw materials, reduce Single Market fragmentation 6 , and strengthen secondary raw material markets. The Commission is also advancing the implementation of the Net-Zero Industry Act 7 and the Critical Raw Materials Act 8 . Through ambitious ecodesign and energy labelling policies, the EU is supporting its industry in marketing their high-quality products. These initiatives will support the competitiveness of white goods manufacturing industry and help it face complex global challenges. As an environmental measure, the Commission proposed to expand the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism 9 to include certain white goods to address downstream carbon leakage. 1 A Competitiveness Compass for the EU, COM(2025) 30 final. 2 The Clean Industrial Deal: A joint roadmap for competitiveness and decarbonisation. COM(2025) 85 final. 3 Action Plan for Affordable Energy, COM/2025/79 final. 4 Industrial Accelerator Act: Regulation on establishing a framework of measures for accelerating industrial capacity and decarbonisation in strategic sectors. COM(2026)100 final. 5 Directive 2012/19/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). 6 Strategy for making the Single Market simple, seamless and strong, COM(2025) 500 final. 7 Regulation (EU) 2024/1735 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s net-zero technology manufacturing ecosystem and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 - Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA). 8 Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020 - Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). 9 Regulation (EU) 2023/956 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) · "Buy European" provisions
• 2026-03-17 “E-000319/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission In January 2025, the Commission presented the Competitiveness Compass 1 , a new roadmap to restore the EU’s dynamism and boost economic growth. The European pulp and paper industry benefits from a large range of policies announced in the Competitiveness Compass and already adopted by the Commission such as the EU Omnibus Packages 2 , the Clean Industrial Deal 3 as well as the Action Plan on Affordable Energy 4 . In November 2025, the Commission presented the Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy (EU Bioeconomy Strategy) 5 , which aims to boost innovation and support European companies in making a success of the green transition. The European pulp and paper industry will benefit from many actions announced in the EU Bioeconomy Strategy such as the creation of lead markets for bio-based materials. Specifically in respect of the export of waste from the EU, new and stricter waste export rules under the Waste Shipment Regulation 6 will ensure that waste is exported only where it can be ensured that it will be managed in conditions that are equivalent to those required in the EU. It is expected that more waste will be retained in the EU as a result of that stricter regime. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0030. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025PC0081. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0085. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0079. 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0960. 6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02024R1157-20250109.”
  EU industrial funding · Circular economy · EU support for bioeconomic applications
• 2026-03-16 “answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 16.3.2026 Written questions E-10-2026-000115_EN E-10-2026-000116_EN Under the Critical Raw Materials Act [1] (CRMA), the Commission can recognise certain projects as Strategic Projects. This assessment does not result in automatic funding being granted from the EU and does not result in a permitting decision. Permitting remains a competence of authorities in the countries concerned following EU and national legislation, including public consultations, according to national rules. Under Article 7(j) of the CRMA, Strategic Projects that potentially affect indigenous peoples should contain a plan containing measures dedicated to a meaningful consultation of indigenous peoples and measures to address the outcome of such consultation. The Nussir project application included relevant information on these aspects. The Commission understands that competent authorities in Norway granted the necessary permits to the Nussir project, following an assessment based on applicable procedures. Projects can also focus on substitution of strategic raw materials. The Commission invites stakeholders to submit such proposals. Under the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, the Commission will devote EUR 36 million for a topic on research and innovation projects focusing on substitution of strategic and critical raw materials under the topic HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-22 [2] . The Commission regularly engages with Sámi communities, notably through the ‘Filling the EU-Sápmi knowledge gaps’ project funded under Interreg [3] with around EUR 1 million budget. This initiative aims to enhance understanding and exchange of experience regarding the impact of EU laws on Sámi peoples and to have a stronger voice within the EU, including through Sámi weeks organised in Brussels or the Sámi-EU strategy. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02024R1252-20240503. [2] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2026-2027/wp-7-digital-industry-and-space_horizon-2026-2027_en.pdf. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32021R1059.”
  EU policy on social & environmental impact of foreign investments · Sourcing of critical raw materials · EU ocean policy
• 2026-03-16 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 16.3.2026 Written question The European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) [1] will mobilise an unprecedented budget for boosting European competitiveness, including the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Thanks to the consolidation of several programmes into a single fund, the ECF simplifies the funding landscape for SMEs, provides for a single rulebook and offers a single access point to EU funding: the Single Gateway. Moreover, the ECF InvestEU Instrument, building on the success of the InvestEU Programme [2] , will support access to finance for SMEs and help de-risk their investments. Evidence shows that direct financial support to SMEs is not enough on its own to support their scaling-up and that they need and benefit from dedicated advice at EU level. In this regard, the ECF will establish the EU for Business Network, building on the Enterprise Europe Network, the European Cluster Collaboration Platform and other networks, to simplify and streamline advisory and partnership services. The ECF will also provide project advisory, building on the InvestEU Advisory Hub, unifying advisory support to project promoters, including SMEs, in structuring and improving their investment projects. The ECF proposal does not set a specific target for SMEs, as this would reduce the flexibility of funding. Instead, each ECF policy windows will support dedicated, sector-specific actions targeting start-ups, SMEs and small mid-cap companies or calls for SMEs. The ECF focus on value chains will also benefit SMEs, building on territorial strengths of Member States and regions, ensuring wide geographical coverage. ECF tools such as the Value Chain Builder and the Tech Frontrunners will promote the participation of SMEs from across the EU in these projects. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025PC0555. [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02021R0523-20251110.”
  EU industrial funding
• 2026-03-13 “E-000414/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission Consumer electronics are products falling within the scope of harmonised EU product legislation which is based on the principles laid down in the New Legislative Framework (NLF) 1 adopted in 2008. Since 2008 circular economy and the related business models have seen an important growth. Even in its current version, the NLF does not create any regulatory barriers to circularity and it offers the necessary flexibility. The fundamental concept of ‘placing on the market’ frames the moment when the compliance with all the applicable essential requirements needs to be demonstrated. Any subsequent changes to the product would not require a full conformity assessment unless they amount to a substantial modification. The Commission has provided guidance on these concepts 2 . To further improve clarity and legal certainty, one of the objectives of the upcoming revision of the NLF is to ensure full coherence between circular economy objectives and single market product safety rules. The forthcoming Circular Economy Act aims to accelerate the EU’s transition towards a circular economy, including review of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive 3 . 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32008D0768&qid=177209770421; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02008R0765-20210716. 2 The ‘Blue Guide’ on the implementation of EU product rules 2022: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52022XC0629(04). 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02012L0019-20240408.”
  Circular economy · Ecodesign & durability
• 2026-03-12 “P-000520/2026 E-000615/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission As mentioned in the reply to written question P-001106/2024, the EU vehicle emission typeapproval requirements 1 are in place to make sure a reagent solution remains available for use in cold temperatures. The active ingredient in a reagent is typically urea in a concentration with deionised water. For AdBlue the urea concentration is nominally 32.5% 2 by weight and has a freezing point of approximately minus 11 °C. This is very close to the lowest possible freezing point for the mixture, while still providing effective emissions reduction capabilities. The EU legislation does not require the use of AdBlue as reagent. As mentioned in the reply to written question E-002846/2024, EU emissions legislation would allow for improved reagents with lower freezing points to be placed on the market. Nevertheless, the Commission is aware of practical obstacles and the need for recertification. The Commission is discussing with national type-approval authorities possible ways for simplified approval procedures. There exist several other measures to ensure that a reagent remains available and effective at low ambient conditions, including heating systems or insulation. To increase awareness of freezing of reagent solutions under extreme cold weather conditions in some Member States, targeted enforcement activities by national (Nordic) market surveillance authorities to verify compliance to the existing vehicle emission type-approval requirements on this topic could be considered. 1 Commission Regulation (EU) No 582/2011, http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/582/2026-01-01 and Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1151, http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/1151/oj. 2 Defined by ISO 22241.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• 2026-03-12 “E-000236/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission agrees that the Single Market for services has potential for further development. In its Single Market Strategy 1 , it proposed a new sectoral policy approach to boost European services markets, zooming in on specific services sectors that could bring the highest economic added value and are relevant for the twin transition. The announced initiatives are complemented by concerted action to take down the most harmful Single Market barriers, the so-called Terrible Ten. The Single Market Roadmap will further offer an opportunity to reinforce the actions of the Strategy. To assess competitiveness bottlenecks and to track progress in the integration of the Single Market, each year the Commission presents the Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report together with the Single Market and Competitiveness Scoreboard, which is now making use of 29 Key Performance Indicators 2 . However, the well-functioning of the Single Market is a joint responsibility of the EU and the Member States. Therefore, Member States need to address proactively regulatory and administrative barriers at regional and national level. The strategic enforcement of Single Market rules has been a consistent Commission priority over the last years 3 . Enforcement has been structured around three pillars, namely prevention of new barriers (notification procedures and proportionality assessments), cooperation with Member States (Single Market Enforcement Task Force) and infringement procedures. The Commission will continue working with Member States and deploy relevant means to tackle unjustified obstacles to business in the EU. The Single Market Strategy proposes specific actions to strengthen enforcement of the Single Market rules. As one of the deliverables of the Strategy, the Commission recently announced the first annual Single Market enforcement agenda 4 as part of the Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0500. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52026DC0046. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0094; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52022DC0518; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52023DC0162. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52026DC0046.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2026-03-11 “E-000255/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission There is currently no harmonised EU legislation governing the on-road safety of electric micromobility products, except for speed pedelecs 1 . These products fall under the Machinery Directive 2 , covering i.a. battery safety, while enforcement is carried out by the national market surveillance authorities. Where products are not covered by harmonised legislation, the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) 3 requires those products placed on the EU market to be safe. Manufacturers bear the main responsibility for product’s safety. Under the GPSR, the Commission may take EU action against products posing a serious risk, including by prohibiting or restricting their sale or imposing testing or marketing conditions. Ensuring product compliance, notably for goods sold online and imported from third countries, remains a major Single Market challenge, as highlighted in the Single Market Strategy and the e-commerce communication. To address this, the Commission has announced a revision of the Market Surveillance Regulation 4 , as part of the European Product Act (EPA), also covering standardisation and conformity assessment. It aims to close regulatory loopholes in e-commerce, strengthen digital tools, enhance cooperation and pool resources. At the same time, the revision of the Union Customs Code 5 will reinforce enforcement, including by making online suppliers or platforms responsible for the financial and non-financial obligations related to the products they sell, through the ‘deemed importer’ concept, and EU-level tools such as the EU Customs Data Hub and the EU Customs Authority. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02013R0168-20241127. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02006L0042-20190726. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32023R0988. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R1020-20240523. 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02013R0952-20221212.”
  Liability for online marketplaces · EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
• 2026-03-10 “E-000219/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission Since its reply to written question E-001685/2025, the Commission has examined the French EGalim framework, including the ‘quality and sustainable products’ target in Article L.2305-1 of the Rural and Maritime Fisheries Code. That provision establishes several eligibility pathways, determined by reference to the categories and conditions expressly listed therein, and does not provide for a restructuring of the scheme or a temporal cut-off affecting eligibility. As regards the High Environmental Value level 3 certification, Article L.230-5-1 of the Rural and Maritime Fisheries Code introduces that certification as one possible compliance pathway and provides for the acceptance of products satisfying equivalent requirements. That article refers to the adoption of an implementing decree, after consultation of the Conseil d’État, specifying the conditions for demonstrating such equivalence. The absence, to date, of any foreign certification formally recognised as equivalent reflects the current state of pending implementation rather than the absence in law of an equivalence mechanism. In view of the absence to date of the implementing decree on equivalence, the Commission intends to pursue exchanges with the French authorities to clarify the content envisaged for that decree and its adoption timeline.”
  "Buy European" provisions · EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2026-03-09 “E-000190/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The revision of the current legislative framework on procurement 1 was announced in the Commission work program for the second quarter of 2026 2 . On 14 October 2025, the Commission published an evaluation of the current public procurement framework 3 , followed by the launch of a public consultation, which closed on 26 January 2026 4 . The Commission is now preparing the impact assessment. While the current framework allows contracting authorities to consider quality, environmental characteristics, social aspects, innovation, and lifecycle costs alongside price, the evaluation showed that lowest-price awards remain very frequent across the EU. The Commission is currently assessing policy options to strengthen the strategic role of public procurement and better promote socially responsible public procurement. Although the evaluation shows small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) winning a significant share of public contracts, public consultations suggest that challenges remain in this area. The Commission is currently assessing policy options to improve SME access to public procurement contracts, notably through simplification and reduction of administrative burden. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02014L0023-20260101. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0085. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025SC0333. 4 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/15492-EU-public-procurement-rulesrevision/public-consultation_en.”
  "Buy European" provisions · EU policy on sustainability criteria in public funding · EU policy on social criteria in public funding
• 2026-03-06 “E-000303/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The EU law 1 provides that all motor vehicles must have a towing device fitted at the front. This allows for the removal of damaged or stranded vehicles from the road. The installation of towing devices in the rear of passenger cars 2 , on the other hand, depends on whether these cars are suitable for towing loads. This is a choice of the manufacturer and needs to be declared by the vehicle manufacturer in the information document 3 when applying for the approval of the respective vehicle type. Towing devices fitted to the vehicles shall be able to withstand a tractive and compressive static force equivalent to the force of gravity acting on at least half the technically permissible maximum laden mass of the vehicle. Depending on their specific design and technical characteristics as well as approved wheel tyre combinations, different variants or versions of the same vehicle model and brand may differ as regards their suitability for towing loads. The manufacturers must clearly specify in the vehicle technical handbook or user’s instructions the information on the towing capabilities of the vehicle and on the mechanical coupling devices installed. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02018R0858-20240701. 2 Vehicles of category M 1 . 3 See point 2.11.5 of the information document referred to in Article 24(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/858.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• 2026-03-06 “E-000343/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Postal Services Directive 1 requires Member States to ensure that users enjoy the right to a permanent provision of a postal universal service at all points of the territory. However, the Directive does not specify the exact number, form or location of branches, the determination of which is a national competence. The Commission has announced in the Single Market Strategy 2 that the regulatory framework for postal services including the Directive will be revised and a new EU Delivery Act is envisaged for the second half of 2026 3 . A call for evidence 4 closed on 14 November 2025 and a public consultation will close on 5 March 2026 to enable stakeholders to provide feedback on the future regulatory framework including issues to which the Honorable Member refers to in his question. An impact assessment in line with the Better Regulation principles will be prepared to support the elaboration of this initiative and inform the Commission’s decision on postal services fit for a modern era. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:01997L0067-20080227. 2 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/single-market-our-european-home-market-uncertainworld_en. 3 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/strategy-documents/commission-workprogramme/commission-work-programme-2026_en. 4 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14821-New-EU-Delivery-Act-EU-toreform-postal-rules_en.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2026-03-05 “E-000068/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission remains fully committed to ensuring a high level of protection of human health while maintaining a proportionate and workable regulatory framework for cosmetics. These principles underpin the Commission’s Omnibus VI proposal 1 , which enhances legal certainty, improves predictability of regulatory outcomes, and facilitates timely risk assessment and management for cosmetic products. In particular, the proposal establishes a three-month window for industry to submit derogation dossiers following the entry into force of the Delegated Regulation classifying carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) substances. The Commission also proposes standardised periods of 12 months for placing products on the market and 24 months for the sell-through of existing stocks. This provides lead time needed for reformulation and inventory management, mitigating economic impacts, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Lastly, the proposal clarifies that a CMR constituent within natural complex substances (e.g., essential oils) does not automatically trigger a ban on the entire extract if its overall safety is confirmed. This is especially relevant for fragrances. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025PC0531.”
  Pharmaceuticals regulation in EU
• 2026-03-05 “E-000129/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission Europe’s competitiveness faces unprecedent challenges 1 and it continues to be at the centre of the EU’s industrial and Single Market policies. As set out in the Competitiveness Compass 2 , the Commission is implementing many initiatives to strengthen the business case for a competitive industry in Europe. These include the Clean Industrial Deal 3 and sectoral action plans 4 aiming to improve access to affordable energy, markets, investments, materials and skills. The upcoming Industrial Accelerator Act will contribute to an industrial renewal in Europe, including by promoting European preference in strategic sectors. Moreover, as outlined in the Single Market Strategy 5 , the Commission continues to address Single Market barriers, promote investment and reduce administrative burdens to ensure a competitive home market for EU industry. Member States are responsible for taxation including tax incentives supporting employment and production capacity. As part of the Clean Industrial Deal, the Commission recommended 6 Member States to use appropriate tax incentives to support clean investment and will monitor the implementation of these measures. Furthermore, the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework 7 enables necessary and proportionate State aid to crowd in private investment. The swift implementation of EU industrial policy and Single Market measures, including by the co-legislators and Member States, is key to supporting a strong industrial base and quality jobs in Europe. 1 The Commission’s latest analysis of the state of Europe’s competitiveness can be found in the 2026 Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report and the Staff Working Document with the Key Performance Indicators both available here: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/2026-annual-singlemarket-and-competitiveness-report_en. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0030. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0085. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0125 (steel and metals); https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0530 (chemicals); https://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0095 (automotive sector). 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0500. 6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202501307. 7 https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/document/download/68fd1c39-7e63-43eb-848d56aba3b197ec_en?filename=CISAF_en.pdf.”
  State Aid · "Buy European" provisions · EU industrial funding
• 2026-03-03 “P-000488/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission Cosmetics are composed of chemical substances and irrespective of whether they are of natural origin or manufactured, they must be safe, and the safety of the final cosmetic product must be assessed by a qualified assessor. The testing must be documented to enable the responsible person to demonstrate the compliance with the safety requirements and, in case of the occurrence of the undesirable effect, to detect the cause of the problem. The Commission is currently carrying out the evaluation of the Cosmetics Regulation 1 . It will assess whether the current rules are effective, efficient, relevant and coherent as well as whether the EU level requirements add value. The evaluation will also examine the effects of the Regulation on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their competitiveness. The Commission recognises the importance of SMEs and artisans for the EU economy and aims to ensure that EU legislation is implementable for SMEs. If the evaluation demonstrates that the current rules are overly burdensome for small, local enterprises, the Commission will consider if they could be simplified without jeopardising consumers’ health. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R1223-20250901.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU · EU competences on consumer protection and product standards
• 2026-02-24 “E-000030/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) 1 is the most advanced chemicals regulatory framework globally. It has contributed to increasing the knowledge of chemicals and to addressing the risk posed by them. Following the negative opinion of the Regulatory Scrutiny Board of September 2025, the Commission services are currently reviewing the impact assessment for the REACH revision. This is a complex exercise, as it involves balancing the EU’s various policy objectives, e.g. competitiveness and innovation, security and sustainability, and a high level of protection of human health and the environment. The Commission is considering a wide range of options for the way forward and engaging with all relevant stakeholders, including the European Parliament, Member States, industry and civil society. As a result, the initially announced timing for the REACH revision is affected. In the meantime, the implementation of the existing REACH Regulation continues to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment, for example through restriction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in firefighting foams, adopted on 3 October 2025 2 and the ongoing work on a broader restriction on PFAS. Moreover, the Commission is pursuing a comprehensive strategy to support the transition away from PFAS, as stipulated in the Chemicals Industry Action Plan 3 , and working on the implementation of the ‘one substance, one assessment’ package adopted in November 2025 4 . This work will streamline the assessments of chemicals across the relevant EU legislation, strengthen the knowledge base on chemicals and support early detection and action on emerging chemical risks. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02006R1907-20251023. 2 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_25_2286/IP_25_2286_EN.pdf. 3 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/european-chemicals-industry-action-plan_en. 4 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2025/11/13/chemicals-council-greenlights-legislativepackage-to-streamline-chemical-safety-assessments/.”
  Chemicals regulation
• 2026-02-23 “P-000203/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission Under EU law 1 , the harmonised maximum width of vehicles is 2.55 metres 2 . Where the vehicles are fitted with aerodynamic devices and equipment, the maximum width may not be exceeded by more than 25 millimetres on each side of the vehicle (i.e. total vehicle width of 2.60 metres), so that the capability of the vehicles to be used for intermodal transport is not impaired. It is further specified in the EU legislation that, in case of aerodynamic devices and equipment, the vehicle width (including that of conditioned body with insulated walls) shall not exceed 2.60 metres, including the measured projections, with the devices and equipment fixed in both the retracted or folded and in the in-use position 3 . Therefore, the same principle was confirmed in both replies of the Commission without contradiction 4 . Moreover, as stated in the previous replies, Regulation (EU) 2021/535 contains technical requirements only as regards aerodynamic devices fitted at the front or the rear of the vehicles. Regulation (EU) 2022/1362 5 allows for the certification and use of aerodynamic devices during the approval process of new trailers. However, as set out in in Regulation (EU) 2021/535, the maximum permissible width of 2.60 metres must be respected. This approach is in line with the Commission’s objectives by ensuring harmonisation in the transport sector, supporting CO 2 emission reductions and compliance with the proportionality principle. 1 Regulation (EU) 2021/535: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02021R0535-20250101. 2 See Annex XIII, Part 2, Section E, point 1.1.2. of the above Regulation. 3 See Entry 11 (Aerodynamic devices and equipment) in Table 2 in Annex XIII, Part 2, Section F of the Regulation. 4 P-000829/2023 and P-004393/2025. 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02022R1362-20220825.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• 2026-02-19 “E-004616/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission based its proposal on the opinion of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and its Committee for Risks assessment (RAC) and Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC). SEAC performed a full analysis of the socio-economic impacts of the restriction, taking into account the stakeholders views and information submitted through two public consultations. SEAC considered the survey among hunters indicating a possible 25 % drop in hunting but also observed that experience from past regulatory national measures on lead ammunition does not indicate a sustained decline of hunting activities. Concerning the costs of the restriction for hunters, SEAC concluded that the proposed restriction can be considered proportionate, based on cost-effectiveness analysis and costbenefit considerations. Discussions with the Member States in the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Committee on the proposed restriction are ongoing, including on the most appropriate duration for transitional periods, in order to strike a careful balance between minimising impacts on hunters and businesses and limiting lead emissions. To address Member States’ and stakeholders’ concerns, the Commission has proposed to extend the transitional period for using centrefire bullets of calibre equal or greater than 5.6 millimetres for hunting to five years, and that of centrefire bullets of calibre smaller than 5.6 millimetres and all rimfire bullets to 15 years. Discussions with Member States in the REACH Committee, including on the length of the transitional periods, are expected to continue in 2026.”
  Chemicals regulation
• 2026-02-16 “P-000126/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is tracking the implementation of the Clean Industrial Deal 1 . The evolution of the key performance indicators (KPIs) and the achievement of related targets and objectives set out in the Clean Industrial Deal are monitored as part of the Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report and the online Single Market and Competitiveness Scoreboard. The Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report informs policy discussions with the Council, the European Parliament and Member States, including on potential further actions necessary to reach Single Market and competitiveness objectives. All KPIs covered in the Clean Industrial Deal are taken up in this annual reporting process. Furthermore, an overview of the implementation of the initiatives announced in the Clean Industrial Deal is given in the Communication of 2 July 2025 on ‘Delivering on the Clean Industrial Deal I’ 2 and more recently, in Annex 2 of the Staff Working Document accompanying the 2026 edition of the Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report 3 . The 2026 Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report and the Scoreboard 4 include the latest state of play of each KPI of the Clean Industrial Deal. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0085. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0378. 3 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/2026-annual-single-market-and-competitivenessreport_en. 4 https://single-market-scoreboard.ec.europa.eu/.”
  EU industrial funding · EU Competition policy · EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2026-02-09 “P-000010/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The restriction dossier 1 submitted by five national authorities to restrict the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) 2 includes the use of PFAS in construction products as one of the sectors assessed in detail. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is currently evaluating this restriction dossier. The work of ECHA’s Scientific Committees includes an evaluation of the assessment of the risk for the environment and public health of the use of PFAS in scope of the restriction proposal. The Commission will address the use of PFAS in construction and other sectors via the upcoming REACH restriction. This will ensure the protection of EU citizens, the environment, and a functional internal market. The Commission is committed to presenting a restriction proposal as soon as possible after the ECHA opinion is available. This will ensure that the decision-making process is based on a sound scientific assessment. In parallel, the Commission is working on the revision of the Public Procurement Directives 3 . Within this process, it is currently consulting stakeholders and developing the impact assessment. At this stage, different options are being considered. 1 Also referred to as ‘Universal PFAS restriction’ dossier. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02006R1907-20251023. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32014L0023; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02014L0024-20260101; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32014L0025.”
  Construction products · Water pollution
• 2026-01-28 “E-004709/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has already, in 2022, introduced a regulatory framework for the type-approval of automated-driving systems 1 intended for specific use cases in small series, thereby establishing a clear baseline for market entry while safeguarding road safety. In line with the automotive action plan 2 , the Commission is now working to boost regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles, with a target implementation date of 2026, which is deemed essential for preserving the EU automotive industry’s long-term competitiveness. To remove remaining obstacles in national legislation, the Commission is rolling out cross-border testbeds for autonomous vehicles, providing manufacturers with a unified environment for deployment. At the same time, the Commission recognises that advanced driver assistance systems, such as Tesla Full self-driving (FSD), raise safety concerns because they require continuous driver engagement and responsibility, which must be addressed rigorously. The UN regulation governing such systems (UNR 171 3 ) is under revision to address latest technological innovations. These rules do not block any specific technology but ensure that every assisted vehicle on EU roads meets a high safety standard. Innovative technologies that do not fall within the scope of UNR 171 and can demonstrate an equivalent safety performance may be authorised under Article 39 of the EU legal framework 4 . To date, however, the Commission has not received any request from Member States for such authorisations. The Commission remains committed to balancing innovation with safety and will continue to engage with industry, Member States and international bodies to deliver a robust, future-proof regulatory framework for automated vehicles. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2022/1426/oj. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0095. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/1899/oj. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/858/oj.”
  Driving licences
• 2026-01-21 “E-004624/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission According to the Geo-blocking Regulation 1 , traders shall not apply different general conditions of access to goods or services, for reasons related to a customer’s nationality, place of residence or place of establishment. However, this does not introduce an obligation on traders to deliver across the EU in a uniform way, nor does it force them to deliver at the same delivery price in certain regions. Traders may charge higher delivery prices, depending on the area, based on objective criteria (i.e. shipping and handling), as outlined in the Regulation on cross-border parcel delivery services 2 . Tariffs of universal service providers must be cost-oriented 3 . The total price of goods or services and all additional freight, delivery or postal charges must be communicated in a clear and comprehensible manner to the consumer before conclusion of the contract, or before checkout, as required in the Consumer Rights Directive 4 and the Regulation on cross-border parcel delivery services. The Commission plans to propose in the second half of 2026 a reform of the EU postal regulatory framework that will focus on delivery as a service and will ensure that people and businesses can receive deliveries throughout the EU at affordable prices, while promoting fair competition on delivery markets and increasing consumer protection. 1 Regulation (EU) 2018/302, OJ L 60I, 2.3.2018, pp. 1–15. 2 Regulation (EU) 2018/644, OJ L 112, 2.5.2018, pp. 19–28. 3 Directive 97/67/EC (as amended by Directives 2002/39/EC and 2008/6/EC), OJ L. 15, 21.1.1998, p. 14-25. 4 Directive 2011/83/EU, OJ L 304, 22.11.2011, p. 74-78.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation · EU restrictions on unfair commercial practices
• 2026-01-13 “E-004225/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is fully aware of the importance of providing legal certainty for vehicle manufacturers and type-approval authorities with sufficient lead time for the application of the second package of Euro 7 implementing acts and is committed to full alignment with the relevant United Nations (UN) Regulations. The technical content of the new requirements for brake particle emissions and battery durability requirements have been endorsed in October 2025 in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Working Party on Pollution and Energy (GRPE) 1 , providing manufacturers, authorities and technical services with clarity on the future Euro 7 requirements to start the testing. The Commission will do its utmost efforts to have the secondary legislation under Euro 7 adopted as soon as possible after the formal adoption of the new UN Regulations by the World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations, which is expected in March 2026. The Commission counts on the support from all relevant actors for an early publication of the secondary legislation. The timetable set out in the Euro 7 Regulation remains achievable. 1 Meeting documents are available from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) website: https://unece.org/transport/events/wp29grpe-working-party-pollution-and-energy-93rd-session.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• 2026-01-08 “E-004516/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Sejourné on behalf of the European Commission The EU legislative framework for energy efficiency and buildings ensures a stable demand for energy-efficient construction materials and technologies, which encourages investment in production capacity. The Commission published in 2020 the Renovation Wave Strategy 1 , pursuing the dual ambition of energy savings and economic growth. The key actions proposed therein have been implemented through the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2 , the recast Energy Efficiency Directive 3 , the revision of the Construction Products Regulation 4 and other legislative reviews under the ‘Fit for 55’ package 5 . The future Industrial Accelerator Act will boost demand for key strategic European low carbon industrial products and clean technologies. It will build on the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) 6 to speed up permitting and support clean transition of energy-intensive sectors in particular. The European Strategy for Housing Construction 7 has announced more measures to increase productivity of the construction value chains, including on supporting innovation. The NZIA aims to reduce dependencies by diversifying supply and increasing European manufacturing capacity for net-zero technologies and their key components. It encompasses 19 net-zero technologies, including energy system-related, energy efficiency technologies such as energy management systems, building automation systems and automated demand response, as well as other technologies related to energy efficiency such as heat pumps and transformative industrial technologies for decarbonisation. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0662. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202401275. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:C_202301553. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202403110. 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52021DC0550. 6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02024R1735-20250817. 7 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/circabc-ewpp/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/a85e53d8-a82b-47f9-a247f0819f20466d/download.”
  Energy (green transition)