Dan-Ştefan MOTREANU

Policy topics Dan-Ştefan MOTREANU is active on

What Dan-Ştefan MOTREANU has said (80)

• 2026-03-18 “E-001137/2026 Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission On 18 March 2026 the Commission presented its proposal for the 28th regime corporate legal framework – ‘EU Inc.’ 1 . The Commission considers Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU as the appropriate legal basis for the proposed Regulation. The proposal approximates national laws governing the activities of EU businesses throughout their lifecycle. It will improve the functioning of the internal market by creating an efficient corporate legal framework for companies and investors, also facilitating the free movement of capital. For details on the choice of legal basis, please refer to section 2 of the explanatory memorandum accompanying the proposal. As regards the formation of EU incorporated (Inc.) companies through a centralised EU interface, any formation of an EU Inc. company will be subject to preventive control and a legality check. Effective coordination with national systems will be ensured, inter alia, through the EU central interface and the underlying Business Registers Interconnection System for making information about EU Inc. companies publicly available and for enabling the ‘once-only’ digital exchanges of information about EU Inc. companies between business registers and with other authorities. The proposal does not amend EU or national employment law. Rules protecting workers will fully apply to the EU Inc. companies. Recital 16 of the proposal recalls that Regulation (EC) 593/2008 2 also applies to individual employment relationships involving an EU Inc. company. Regarding other stakeholder interests, the proposal notably protects creditors through modern safeguards on distributions of company assets, including the requirement for balance sheet and solvency tests for such distributions. 1 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the 28th regime corporate legal framework – ‘EU Inc.’, COM(2026) 321 final. 2 Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I).”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU · EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2026-03-18 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission 3.6.2026 Written question The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act [1] is a landmark legislation, delivering trust in AI through a single legislative framework. The AI Act complements existing product safety rules with horizontal requirements that ensure that high-risk AI systems are safe and trustworthy. The Commission acknowledges that stakeholders have questions on how to apply the new rules in practice, in particular together with existing law. To build clarity regarding the applicable rules and their practical application, the Commission has launched initiatives such as the AI Act Service Desk [2] where businesses, and especially small companies, can obtain clarification concerning any concrete questions they may have. Furthermore, the Commission is preparing guidelines and other support tools. Likewise, the AI Act complements existing EU data protection law. The Commission and the European Data Protection Board are preparing joint guidelines. To further address implementation challenges and simplify compliance with the AI Act, the Commission has proposed the Digital Omnibus on AI [3] on 19 November 2025, which builds on the lessons learned during the progressive roll-out of the AI Act. In particular, the Omnibus allows more time for the AI Act’s rules on high-risk AI systems to come into force since standards and specifications are not yet available. Moreover, targeted amendments aim to further clarify the interplay with other EU law, in particular the Machinery Regulation [4] . The Digital Omnibus on AI was provisionally agreed by the co-legislators on 7 May 2026 and is expected to be adopted by July 2026. [1] Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Artificial Intelligence Act), OJ L, 2024/1689, 12.7.2024. [2] https://ai-act-service-desk.ec.europa.eu/. [3] COM(2025) 836 final. [4] Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2023 on machinery and repealing Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 73/361/EEC, OJ L 165, 29.6.2023, pp. 1-102, http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1230/oj.”
  Artificial Intelligence
• 2026-03-18 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission 18.5.2026 Written question The Commission has taken careful note of European Court of Auditors’ opinions on the proposed Erasmus+ [1] and AgoraEU [2] programmes for 2028-2034, which constitute a valuable input to the ongoing negotiations of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The next MFF is built on a streamlined budget architecture with fewer and more coherent programmes. The consolidation of existing programmes is designed to strengthen synergies, simplify access for beneficiaries and reduce administrative burden. Built-in budgetary flexibility is a deliberate feature, enabling adaptation to evolving needs over the 7-year period. The strategic steering mechanism presented in the Interinstitutional Agreement [3] accompanying the MFF Regulation [4] provides for regular guidance from the European Parliament and the Council on strategic investment priorities, thereby reinforcing transparency and democratic oversight. The use of simplified forms of financing as the default grant modality is central to the overall MFF simplification agenda and is subject to the safeguards of the Financial Regulation [5] , including the ex-ante method of calculation, definition of outputs or results triggering payment and ex post checks and controls of their achievement. The proposed Performance Framework Regulation [6] establishes consistent output and result indicators across all programmes, and programme evaluations assessing effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value. Rules on the end of the eligibility period and ceilings for administrative expenditure are addressed in Financial Regulation. The Commission will continue to engage constructively with the co-legislators to ensure the timely start of the implementation as from 1 January 2028. [1] COM(2025) 549 final. [2] COM(2025) 550 final. [3] COM(2025) 572 final. [4] COM(2025) 571 final. [5] Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union. [6] COM(2025) 545 final.”
  Conditions to access EU budget · Accounting and auditing of EU budget
• 2026-03-11 “Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission 12.6.2026 Written question The relationship between prices paid for electricity and for natural gas is a key factor influencing electrification investment decisions by industry. These prices are the results of four components: energy costs, infrastructure charges, taxes and levies, as well as carbon costs. Member States can influence all of these variables, for instance by accelerating renewable energy investments or by modifying the tax regime in favour of electricity. The Commission has committed to adopt a legal proposal on network charges and taxation, ensuring inter alia , electricity is taxed less than gas. Member States can also make use of state aid to reduce the electricity costs of certain industries. The Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework [1] includes the possibility of adopting temporary electricity price reliefs for energy-intensive users, with certain conditions. To support the decarbonisation of industrial heat, the Commission launched in 2025 an EUR 1 billion auction under the Innovation Fund, which serves as pilot for the upcoming Industrial Decarbonisation Bank. The auction attracted 85 bids, amounting to EUR 1.4 billion of funding requested. In the upcoming Electrification Action Plan, the Commission will put forward a set of actions to accelerate the electrification of the EU energy system. The action plan will, inter alia , set an electrification target and measures to accelerate the uptake of electrification solutions. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/3602/oj/eng.”
  Energy (green transition) · EU approach to electricity market and prices
• 2026-03-11 “Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission 26.5.2026 Written question Nurse shortages and more broadly health workforce shortages are an important challenge, requiring action in line with the division of competences in the EU. According to Article 168(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU [1] , Member States are responsible for the management of health services, which includes ensuring adequate staffing levels. The Commission supports Member States in addressing health workforce challenges, including those related to nurses, notably through knowledge sharing and technical assistance. For example, the EU4Health Programme funds initiatives addressing workforce challenges [2] , including the Nursing Action [3] implemented in partnership with World Health Organisation/Europe, which supports countries in developing effective recruitment and retention strategies. The technical brief [4] referred to by the Honourable Members is a deliverable of this EU action, highlighting participating countries’ experiences. This work also adds to that of the Commission’s Expert Group on Health Systems Performance Assessment (HSPA) [5] . The group has mapped approaches to safe staffing levels across all health professions, including but not only nurses, and is foreseen to publish a report to further support the exchange of experiences. To facilitate mobility across the EU, the Professional Qualifications Directive [6] sets out the rules on recognition of professional qualifications obtained in the EU and harmonises minimum training requirements for nurses responsible for general care. The upcoming Skills Portability Initiative [7] aims at modernising and speeding up the processes for EU citizens and introducing common rules on recognition to attract talent from third countries [8] . [1] http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:12012E/TXT&from=en. [2] https://www.agenas.gov.it/ricerca-e-sviluppo/ricerca-internazionale/personale-sanitario-ri/heroes-health-workforce-to-meet-health-challenges; https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/2022-eu4health-work-programme_en; https://www.amreducare.eu/; https://eh4future.eu/; https://gesea.eu/; https://digicantrain.turkuamk.fi/contact-us/; https://ddsmap.webbaysolutions.com/; https://ehma.org/projects/transition; https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2025-12709-52483-81031; https://bewell-project.eu/. [3] https://www.who.int/europe/activities/partnering-with-the-eu-to-support-nurses-in-the-european-union-(nursing-action). [4] https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2026-13146-52920-82459. [5] https://health.ec.europa.eu/health-systems-performance-assessment_en. [6] Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications (latest consolidated version from 29/10/2025 available here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02005L0036-20251029). [7] https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/15892-Skills-portability-action-1-facilitating-worker-mobility-across-the-EU-through-skills-transparency-and-digitalisation_en. [8] https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-seeks-views-skills-portability-initiative-2025-12-05_en.”
  Public and private sectors role in healthcare services
• 2026-03-11 “Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission 7.5.2026 Written question The Commission took note of the Court of Auditors’ Special Report, which was prepared with the full collaboration of the Commission. The identified shortcomings were raised as potential risks, rather than instances of inefficient use of funds. The finding of persisting inequalities among Member States, for example in cancer screening, is in line with the analyses from the Cancer Inequalities Registry [1] . These results underline the importance of the Commission’s commitment to tackle inequalities in a cross-cutting manner, as is done through numerous Cancer Plan actions [2] , [3] , [4] which will need more time to evolve and show impact. The Commission has accepted the recommendations from the report to mitigate the identified risks and is currently working on follow-up actions. The Commission is continuously investing in efforts to ensure complementarity and sustainability of Cancer Plan actions and is committed to strengthening these efforts. Discussions on how to improve the governance of the Cancer Plan are ongoing with Member States. In terms of funding, the Commission cannot make any commitments going beyond the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), while negotiations between the co-legislators on the next MFF are still ongoing. As the report notes, due to the complexity and varied nature of the Cancer Plan actions, there is no single end date or unified timeline. The Commission regularly publishes an Implementation Roadmap to track milestones and key deliverables for all actions. The report also acknowledged that the 2025 review [5] improved transparency on progress. The Commission is also working to establish a Cancer Plan-wide monitoring framework by the end of 2027 and will seek to evaluate the results and impact of the actions by 2030. [1] https://cancer-inequalities.jrc.ec.europa.eu/. [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2022.473.01.0001.01.ENG. [3] https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/cancer/europes-beating-cancer-plan-eu4health-financed-projects/projects/eucanscreen_en. [4] https://cancer-screening-and-care.jrc.ec.europa.eu/en. [5] https://health.ec.europa.eu/latest-updates/review-europes-beating-cancer-plan-2025-02-04_en.”
  EU competences on health
• 2026-03-11 “Answer given by Mr Kadis on behalf of the European Commission 22.5.2026 Written question In 2025, the EU’s aquatic food self-sufficiency rose to 38.1%, the first increase since 2018 [1] . The Commission works to increase food security. First, with sound fisheries management in EU waters to boost biomass and healthy marine ecosystems, optimising domestic fisheries, though the resource is finite and improvements are fragile. Second, maintaining fishing rights in third countries via Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements and participation in Regional Fisheries Management Organisations. Third, and most importantly, promoting the sustainable development of EU aquaculture through a framework based on the Commission’s strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture [2] and Member States’ multiannual national strategic plans for aquaculture. The Commission supports Member States in implementing these plans and in applying the Commission’s Strategic Guidelines, through guidance, funding and the exchange of good practices. Progress depends on effective implementation by Member States, in particular in areas such as licensing and access to space and water, which remain primarily under their competence [3] . Regarding imports, EU Free Trade Agreements typically include sustainability provisions, including on international labour standards, while the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies curbs harmful subsidies. The Commission is also exploring sustainability criteria for the Autonomous Tariff Quota regime for fisheries products. Ongoing evaluations, including the regulation on the Common Fisheries Policy [4] , Vision 2040 for fisheries and aquaculture [5] , and the EU Strategy for Fisheries External Action, integrate these efforts. [1] https://eumofa.eu/-the-eu-fish-market-2025-edition-is-online. This excludes catch of EU long-distance fleets landed in third countries and exported to the EU. [2] https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/ocean/blue-economy/aquaculture/aquaculture-guidelines_en. [3] See the Mid-term assessment of the implementation of the ‘Strategic guidelines for EU aquaculture’ and the ‘Multi-annual National Strategic Plans’ for aquaculture: https://aquaculture.ec.europa.eu/key-documents/mid-term-assessment-implementation-strategic-guidelines-eu-aquaculture-and-multi. [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1380/oj. [5] https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-seeks-feedback-future-fisheries-and-aquaculture-sector-2026-02-24_en.”
  Funding for fisheries and aquaculture · Import of agri-food products in the EU · Environmental regulation of fisheries
• 2026-03-11 “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.”
  EU industrial funding · "Buy European" provisions · Carbon leakage support
• 2026-03-11 “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
• 2026-03-04 “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.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation · Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• 2026-02-04 “P-000445/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission Strengthening technological sovereignty, ensuring strong data protection and boosting competitiveness are key priorities for the Commission. Therefore, the Commission is investing decisively in European capabilities - in semiconductors, cloud and data infrastructures, artificial intelligence, supercomputing and cybersecurity - while ensuring that Europe’s digital rules protect European values, data and economic interests. The Commission’s ambition is clear: Europe must be able to design, develop and control the critical digital technologies on which its security, competitiveness and future depend. In this context, the Commission will explore future pathways for the EU’s tech environment, as set out in the communication on the European Democracy Shield (EDS) 1 . The initial focus is on future social networking and social media platforms, with a view to supporting EU digital sovereignty. The Commission will also support the development of pan-European platforms making real-time news, and information from professional media outlets, available to wider audiences across the EU in multiple languages. The challenges that digital technologies bring for democracies, economies and societies have to be addressed in a comprehensive manner. In addition to work on the EDS, which seeks to protect EU democracies by strengthening information integrity and societal resilience, the Commission will continue to enforce both the Digital Services Act 2 , which aims to ensure a safe, predictable and trusted online environment that protects fundamental rights, including the principle of consumer protection, and the Digital Markets Act 3 , which creates a level playing field in digital markets, promoting fairness and innovation. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/2539eb53-9485-4199-bfdc-97166893ff45_en. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/digital-services-act.html. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/1925/oj/eng.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty · Disinformation & online freedoms
• 2025-11-10 “E-004442/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission The Framework Directive on Safety and Health at Work 89/391/EEC 1 covers all occupational risks and lays down the main principles of prevention and protection against them. As part of the ongoing review of the Workplace Directive 2 , the Commission is looking at the need to update occupational safety and health protections of workers to modern workplaces, and to further address psychosocial risks. The Commission's communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health aims to improve mental health, including addressing psychosocial risks at work 3 . Other flagships include an ongoing collaboration with the World Health Organization 4 to provide capacity building support to Member States to improve their mental health systems and a multidisciplinary training and exchange programme on mental health aimed at health and other professionals 5 . The Commission also supports the collection and exchange of best practices in the area of mental health, including on psychosocial risks at work 6 . The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work recently published an overview of work-related psychosocial risks in the health and social care sector 7 which recommended, e.g. that organisations in this sector should include psychosocial risks in their regular risk assessments. During 2026-2028, the Agency will carry out a Healthy Workplace Campaign on mental health and psychosocial risks at work. 1 Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work (OJ L 183, 29.6.1989, p. 1) - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A31989L0391. 2 Council Directive 89/654/EEC of 30 November 1989 concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for the workplace (OJ L 393, 30.12.1989, p. 1) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:31989L0654. 3 https://health.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-06/com_2023_298_1_act_en.pdf. 4 https://www.who.int/europe/activities/partnering-with-the-european-union-(eu)-to-tackle-mental-healthchallenges#:~:text=WHO%20is%20partnering%20with%20the%20European%20Commission%20to,to%20take %20a%20comprehensive%20approach%20to%20mental%20health. 5 https://eu-promens.eu/eu-promens. 6 https://health.ec.europa.eu/events/best-and-promising-practices-mental-health-2024-03-11_en. 7 https://osha.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/work-related-psychosocial-risks-mental-health-eu-healthsocial-care-sector_884_EN.pdf.”
  EU policy on mental health
• 2025-11-10 “E-004440/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The EU has put in place an extensive set of policies and strategies to deliver the clean energy transition and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. These initiatives aim to boost and create quality jobs and promote solidarity and fairness to ensure a just transition. Central to these policies is the goal to increase investments in renewable energy. However, they do not specify who the investors should be. The Renewable Energy Directive 1 contains a binding EU renewable energy target of 42% by 2030 with aspiration to achieve 45% and provides an enabling framework to boost deployment of renewable energy to achieve the target. It is thus essential that Member States put in place the necessary measures to transpose the Directive. In addition, the Commission monitors fossil fuel subsidies EU-wide and recommends their phase out in 12 countries through the European Semester 2 . To accelerate the energy transition, the Commission also promotes renewable energy investments through additional policies, funding and financial instruments. Beyond this, it is up to Member States to consider additional measures that further incentivise fossil fuel companies to diversify their portfolios by integrating more renewable assets and reducing the stranded assets risk. As set out in the Action Plan for Affordable Energy, the Commission is working on a Clean Energy Investment Strategy to mobilise private capital for the energy transition and help close the investment gap. The strategy will identify investment barriers and provide policy support to mobilise investments for grids, generation, energy efficiency, flexibility/storage, and research and innovation through a set of financial and non-financial actions at EU and national level. 1 Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, p. 82, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2018/2001/oj. 2 2025 European Semester: Country Reports: https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/publications/2025-europeansemester-country-reports_en.”
  Energy (green transition) · Fossil fuels
• 2025-11-10 “E-004441/2025 Answer given by Ms Lahbib on behalf of the European Commission The EU has competences to coordinate, rather than harmonise, national social security schemes. Under EU social security law 1 Member States remain responsible for organising their schemes, with invalidity benefits, disability assessment, cross-border recognition, benefit allocation. The EU coordination protects EU citizens with disabilities and their carers social security rights when moving across borders. Periods of insurance or residence completed in other Member State may be used to establish entitlement. Benefits, such as invalidity pensions, remain fully payable even if the beneficiary lives outside the paying Member State. The exemptions are disability-related benefits that are special non-contributory cash benefits 2 or social assistance, which are not required to be exported under EU law. Depending on the social security coverage provided for by a Member State, persons with disabilities needing social integration may receive long-term care benefits to help cover extra age or disability-related costs. The Commission proposed to revise EU social protection coordination rules 3 with more specific rules to better coordinate these benefits in cross-border situations. Directive 2024/2841 4 introduces a mutually recognised European Disability Card as proof of a disability when accessing special conditions or preferential treatment offered by a wide variety of services, activities or facilities, in the context of a short stay or EU mobility programme. By 5 June 2029, the Commission shall assess remaining gaps relating to the free movement of persons with disabilities, within the EU competence, and shall take account of the outcome of that assessment when deciding if further action at EU level is required 5 . 1 Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the coordination of social security systems (Text with relevance for the EEA and for Switzerland) and Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems (Text with relevance for the EEA and for Switzerland). 2 Article 70 and Annex X of Regulation (EC) No 883/2004. 3 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems and regulation (EC) No 987/2009 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EC) No 883/2004: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52016PC0815. 4 Directive (EU) 2024/2841 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024 establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities: https://eurlex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/2841/oj/eng. 5 Directive (EU) 2024/2841, article 20.”
  EU policy on disability inclusion & accessibility · EU competences on social policies
• 2025-10-19 “P-004115/2025 Answer given by Mr Serafin on behalf of the European Commission Several Member States have long benefitted from corrections to reduce their net contributions to the EU budget, starting with the United Kingdom rebate in the mid-1980s. In many instances, they have been the result of negotiations to get a unanimous agreement on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) or introducing new own resources. The EU budget is not a zero-sum game. It provides benefits for the EU as a whole, and not for each Member State individually, with positive collective, cross-border as well as indirect effects from budgetary interventions. Moreover, the Commission believes that lump-sum reductions to the Gross National Income (GNI)-based contributions as well as adjustments to other own resources increase the complexity and opacity of the own resources system. To make the revenue system more balanced, transparent and fair, the Commission proposes 1 for the next MFF 2 to discontinue all corrections to own resources, including the capping of the value added tax (VAT) base and the lump-sum reductions applied to the own resource based on non-recycled plastic packaging waste and the GNI own resource. Furthermore, it does not propose again the Solidarity Adjustment Mechanism to the Emissions Trading System (ETS)based own resource. This proposal makes a move towards policies with more European added value while making the revenue system simpler, more transparent and fairer. 1 COM(2025) 574 final, Proposal for a Council Decision on the system of own resources of the European Union and repealing Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/2053. 2 COM(2025) 570 final/2, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, A dynamic EU Budget for the priorities of the future - The Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034.”
  Own EU resources
• 2025-10-02 “E-003862/2025 Answer given by Mr Dombrovskis on behalf of the European Commission The Stability and Growth Pact has been fundamentally revised with the reform of the EU governance framework adopted in April 2024. The reformed framework aims at promoting sound public finances and sustainable growth through investment and reforms. Under the new framework, Member States’ fiscal policies are based on their own mediumterm fiscal-structural plans. The fiscal paths put forward in the plans should aim at bringing and maintaining the government deficit below 3 % of gross domestic product (GDP) over the medium term and putting Member States with the general government debt above 60% of GDP on a plausibly downward path by the end of the adjustment period. Member States may opt for a longer adjustment period, up to 7 years instead of the normal 4 years, underpinned by commitments to relevant reforms and investments. In light of the heightened security concerns, in March 2025 the Commission communicated that Member States have the possibility to request the activation of the national escape clause envisaged in the revised Stability and Growth Pact, to support an increase in defence expenditure 1 . This flexibility is temporary (until 2028) and capped at 1.5% of GDP to safeguard debt sustainability. 1 C(2025) 2000 final of 19 March 2025.”
  EU fiscal rules and oversight of national budgets · Defence spending
• 2025-10-02 “E-003853/2025 E-003867/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission Competition law remains an effective tool to fight unjustified territorial supply constraints if these are imposed unilaterally by companies that are in a dominant position or if they result from anticompetitive agreements between companies. The Commission takes forceful action to sanction such practices 1 . However, many of such practices happen outside these scenarios. Unjustified territorial supply constraints risk limiting consumer choice and can contribute to price differences across the EU, notably for daily consumer goods. As set out in the Single Market Strategy 2 , unjustified territorial supply constraints are one of the ‘Terrible Ten’ most harmful Single Market barriers. Therefore, in the Strategy the Commission committed to developing tools to address unjustified territorial supply constraints by end of 2026 to cover situations beyond those captured by competition law. The introduction of any measure requires a solid analysis of the varying situations on the ground, and it merits full consultation of all parties concerned and strict adherence to the better regulation principles of the Commission. This will involve in particular a full impact assessment to identify appropriate measures to tackle such unjustified practices, the adoption of specific legislation will be one of the possible options to be assessed therein. 1 In the AB InBev and Mondelēz investigations the Commission fined these undertakings, respectively, EUR 200 million and EUR 337.5 million for cross-border trade restrictions that segment the internal market. The Commission also carried out in March 2025 unannounced antitrust inspections in the non-alcoholic drinks sector and sent out a formal request for information in the personal care sector for possible restrictions on the trade of goods in the internal market and market segmentation covered by competition rules. 2 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/document/download/d92c78d0-7d47-4a16-b53f1cead54bcb49_en?filename=Communication%20-%20Single%20Market%20Strategy.pdf.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation · EU Competition policy
• 2025-10-02 “E-003871/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The EU has two landmark pieces of legislation to boost its cyber resilience and to protect its critical infrastructure: the NIS2 Directive 1 and the Cyber Resilience Act 2 (CRA). The NIS2 Directive requires Member States to maintain national cybersecurity strategies and imposes stringent risk-management measures and reporting obligations on essential and important entities in critical sectors 3 . The CRA, expected to be fully operational by December 2027, mandates horizontal cybersecurity requirements for hardware and software placed on the EU market. In addition, the implementation of the Cyber Solidarity Act 4 will bolster the EU capacity to detect, prepare for, and respond to cyber threats. It establishes the EU Cybersecurity Reserve to ensure that Member States and selected beneficiaries receive necessary support during significant and large-scale incidents. To further reinforce this comprehensive framework, the Commission is currently working at revising the Cybersecurity Act 5 (CSA), with the aim to: revise the mandate of the EU Agency for Cybersecurity to make it fit for current and future threats and needs; improve the European Cybersecurity Certification Framework; address Information and Communication Technology supply chain security challenges; and make the implementation of the EU cybersecurity framework simpler and more business-friendly. With these legislative initiatives, supported by further policy measures 678 and making use of the EU Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox, the EU Hybrid Toolbox, and the EU Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Toolbox 9 , the EU and its Member States contributed significantly to European cyber resilience and countering state-sponsored interference in recent years and will continue to do so in the future. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2022/2555/2022-12-27/eng. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R2847. 3 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/nis2-directive. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/38/oj/eng. 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/881/oj. 6 Cyber Blueprint https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2025/06/06/eu-adopts-blueprint-tobetter-manage-european-cyber-crises-and-incidents/. 7 the Action Plan on the cybersecurity of hospitals https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/europeanaction-plan-cybersecurity-hospitals-and-healthcare-providers. 8 the Cybersecurity Skills Academy https://digital-skills-jobs.europa.eu/en/cybersecurity-skills-academy. 9 EU Council Conclusions from December 2023 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/68967/europeancouncilconclusions-14-15-12-2023-en.pdf.”
  Cybersecurity investments for critical infrastructure
• 2025-10-02 “E-003868/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The European Competitiveness Fund 1 (ECF) is designed to strengthen the competitiveness of the EU, as highlighted in Draghi 2 and Letta 3 reports and the Competitiveness Compass 4 . It intends to support projects, innovators and companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), that will help the Union build a competitive edge in strategic sectors and deliver high EU added value. The ECF aims to support all EU Member States and regions by building on territorial strengths and value chains of strategic technologies. It will make flexible use of its entire financial toolbox, in line with the needs of projects and companies, including SMEs. The elements of the ECF contributing to ensuring geographical coverage and supporting SMEs across all EU Member States include the consolidation of several programmes into a single fund that will simplify the funding picture for SMEs. They will benefit from a clearer, more unified structure, a common rulebook, and a single point of access. It also includes the project advisory and business support, e.g. through the EU4Business Network 5 present in all Member States, which will provide support on the ground across the entire EU, in particular for SMEs, and in less-developed regions. Besides, there is a focus on strengthening Union’s value chains, for example through the Single Market Value Chain Builder, that will help integrate suppliers, manufacturers, and innovators from different Member States. Finally, the ECF InvestEU 6 Instrument will be deployed by the European Investment Bank Group, international financial institutions and national promotional banks and institutions, which allows to address specific financing needs across all Member States, including for SMEs. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/publications/european-competitiveness-fund_en. 2 https://commission.europa.eu/topics/competitiveness/draghi-report_en. 3 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/ny3j24sm/much-more-than-a-market-report-by-enrico-letta.pdf. 4 https://commission.europa.eu/topics/competitiveness/competitiveness-compass_en. 5 Which will build on the Enterprise Europe Network and the European Cluster Collaboration Network. 6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02021R0523-20251110.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU · EU industrial funding
• 2025-10-02 “E-003869/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Clean Industrial Deal 1 outlines the Commission priorities for the European industrial policy such as securing a resilient pathway for all European industries to achieve decarbonisation while fostering competitiveness. This involves creating a stronger business case as well as leveraging significant climate-neutral investments particularly for energyintensive industries and clean technologies. The Commission will propose the Industrial Accelerator Act as a key legislative measure for key strategic sectors and technologies. To spark a virtuous cycle where both supply and demand for low-carbon and made in Europe products increase, lead markets will be supported through the establishment of resilience and sustainability requirements. This can enhance the competitiveness of entire industrial ecosystems across EU Member States, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), recognising that the latter form the backbone of Europe's industrial base. Additionally, the Commission proposed the European Competitiveness Fund 2 outlining business support measures to connect regions to EU value chains. These include increasing the access and the availability of finance for SMEs and for small mid-cap companies and facilitating access to markets through support to the internationalisation of SMEs, including in less developed regions. 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%3A52025PC0555&qid=1753802586340.”
  Carbon leakage support · EU industrial funding
• 2025-10-02 “E-003863/2025 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission The Commission recognises that climate change is a risk for the EU economy and competitiveness, as set out in detail also in the European Climate Risk Assessment 1 . The Commission has committed to improving the systemic resilience of the EU supply chains to climate change 2 , and setting up further action to strengthen the resilience of supply chains in the context of the Preparedness Union Strategy, notably on public-private cooperation (e.g. key action 18). In line with the Preparedness Union Strategy and the Affordable Energy Action Plan, the Commission is revising the EU energy security framework. The revision builds on lessons learned from recent crises and adapts the framework to today’s geopolitical context and the ongoing electrification of the EU’s energy system. It will also address emerging risks, such as climate change impacts, cyber-attacks, and vulnerabilities in critical energy infrastructure. Furthermore, the Commission is developing a European Climate Resilience Integrated Framework 3 , planned for the fourth quarter of 2026, to ensure that the EU improves its resilience to climate impacts as part of the comprehensive EU competitiveness and security agenda, and that climate resilience becomes a driver of EU competitiveness. 1 European Environment Agency, European Climate Risk Assessment, 2024: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/european-climate-risk-assessment. 2 COM(2024) 91 final. 3 https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/adaptation-and-resilience-climate-change/european-climate-resilienceand-risk-management-integrated-framework_en.”
  Climate efforts · Due diligence in supply chains (environmental and human rights)
• 2025-10-02 “E-003866/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The 2025 Single Market Strategy 1 has a strong focus on the facilitation of the free movement of services, including by tackling key barriers identified in the ‘Terrible Ten’ and through a sector-specific approach. The Strategy reiterates the Commission’s commitment to pursue effective, proactive and fast enforcement against incompliant national measures, making full use of its ‘toolbox’, including preventive mechanisms, cooperative work with the Member States on the concrete application of rules and legal corrective actions where needed. The Commission aims to further strengthen all those tools through concrete actions which will be gradually put in place as part of the implementation of the Strategy. The Single Market Enforcement Taskforce (SMET) 2 is a collaborative tool where the Commission and Member States work together to identify and address some of the most pressing single market barriers. An important part of the current SMET work is linked to the ‘Terrible Ten’ barriers presented by the Strategy. These broad areas are broken down to specific problems which businesses face on the ground. The objective is to ensure that they can be tackled in a more effective way. The Commission will continue to focus on priority policies areas. The first annual single market enforcement agenda will be presented at the beginning of 2026 and will provide more details regarding the priorities and the planned actions. 1 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/single-market-our-european-home-market-uncertainworld_en. 2 https://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/smet/index_en.htm.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2025-10-02 “E-003865/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission The Great Cormorant 1 , like all naturally occurring wild bird species in the EU, is protected under the Birds Directive (BD) 2 . The Commission is aware of the large increase of the European cormorant population over the past decades which has caused local conflicts between cormorants and certain economic activities. Preventive measures can and should be implemented whenever possible to avoid or mitigate damage to fisheries and aquaculture. However, if these measures prove ineffective and no other satisfactory solutions are available, the BD allows for derogations from the general protection regime, including for the use of lethal control where duly justified and proportionate. To assist Member States and stakeholders in implementing the BD, particularly its derogation provisions, the Commission published guidance on the Great Cormorant in 2013 3 . This document is being revised and will be integrated into new, broader guidance on the general system of protection of bird species under the BD. In addition, in 2024, the Commission provided detailed online information on how to address conflicts between cormorants and human activities 4 . To further support Member States, the Commission convened a structured dialogue with the competent national authorities to address national challenges on the use of derogations and identify how the Commission can assist on this matter. The Commission will continue encouraging cooperation and coordination among Member States on effective measures to address these conflicts. In the context of the implementation of the ‘Strategic guidelines for EU aquaculture’ 5 , the Commission will start work, in 2026, on a document providing recommendations and good practices on managing interactions with predators 6 . 1 Phalacrocorax carbo carbo. 2 Council Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds, OJ L 20, 26.1.2010, p. 7-25. 3 Great Cormorant, applying derogations under Article 9 of the Birds Directive https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/eb3840b0-937d-4f0b-b616-107fe9825801/language-en. 4 Section on cormorants at https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-biodiversity/birds-directive_en. 5 https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/ocean/blue-economy/aquaculture/aquaculture-guidelines_en. 6 including cormorants, also announced in the European Ocean Pact: https://oceans-andfisheries.ec.europa.eu/european-ocean-pact_en.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• 2025-10-02 “E-003870/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The steel sector is crucial to the EU's economy. Supporting its successful decarbonisation is essential for maintaining the EU's strategic autonomy. On 7 October 2025 the Commission adopted a proposal 1 for a measure to address the negative trade-related effects of global overcapacity on the EU steel market. The proposal seeks to substantially limit the volume of free-of-duty quotas and to increase the out-of-quota duty to 50%, applicable against all origins except the European Economic Area countries which are uniquely integrated through the bilateral agreement 2 . The proposed measure would give EU steel producers the necessary relief to increase their capacity utilisation, improve their economic performance and competitiveness. The Commission is also proposing to introduce a melted and poured regime to improve transparency in the supply chain and better address circumvention risks in the future. The Commission is monitoring exports of steel scrap, having activated in July 2025 the customs surveillance system to monitor the import and export of metal waste and scrap into and out of the EU. The Commission also places high importance on lead markets for EUmade clean products and notably will propose an Industrial Accelerator Act by the end of 2025. By the end of 2025, the Commission will reflect on a possible extension of the scope of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, assessing certain downstream products at risk of carbon leakage, while considering the need to minimise the administrative burden. Any extension will be proportionate to the objectives of the mechanism. 1 https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=COM(2025)726&lang=en. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/agreement-on-the-european-economic-area.html.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) · EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
• 2025-09-17 “E-003601/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission Cohesion Policy is the EU’s main policy for supporting all regions with their socioeconomic development. During the 2021-2027 programming period, Cohesion Policy has supported the sector and the regions in which this sector is present: alternative fuels infrastructure (mostly electric charging points), the purchase of electrical vehicles for public services, measures to support research and innovation in the sector, and the support of strategic technologies through Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) for automotive enterprises and their value chains. Via the Smart Specialisation Strategies, various regions have made the automotive industry one of their investment priorities for European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) investment and are focussing resources on its transformation. Recently, the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2025/1914 has allowed regions more possibilities to support large enterprises, including in the automotive sector. Also, energy interconnectors have been introduced as a strategic priority for Cohesion Policy. Furthermore, to achieve a just transition and maintain competitiveness, it is important to invest in workers to help them navigate the challenges faced by the sector in synergy with the ERDF creating quality jobs in enterprises. The Commission proposed targeted amendments to the European Globalisation Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) regulations 1 . The scope of EGF would be extended to support companies in restructuring processes to protect employees against the risk of unemployment, while the amendments to the ESF+ regulation would allow Member States to reprogramme more money for the automotive sector. 1 Which are currently under examination by co-legislators.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2025-09-17 “E-003599/2025 Answer given by Ms Lahbib on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has taken action to analyse and tackle gender stereotypes. In 2023, the Commission ran the #EndGenderStereotypes campaign 1 . The Commission released two Eurobarometers on gender stereotypes (2024) and organised mutual learning seminars with Member States on topics that cover gender stereotypes, to promote the exchange of good practices. The Commission funds projects addressing gender stereotypes through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) and Erasmus+ programmes. The Gender Equality Index of the European Institute for Gender Equality will in 2025 analyse gender stereotypes in each domain of the Index. The Roadmap for Women’s Rights 2 , presented by the Commission in March 2025, stresses the role that gender stereotypes play in society and recognises that advancing women’s rights requires strong institutional mechanisms and gender mainstreaming, including the design and use of digital tools mindful of gender equality, bias and gender stereotypes. Building on the Roadmap, the Commission plans to adopt a new Gender Equality Strategy in 2026. In particular, addressing gender stereotypes through the European Education Area strategic framework and the Union of Skills is crucial for tackling gender segregation in studies and career choices, and gender gaps in education and training limiting girls and boys opportunities and the EU’s growth and innovation potential. The Commission will enhance this work through initiatives such as the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Strategic Plan, the Basic Skills Action Plan, the forthcoming EU Teachers and Trainers Agenda, the Education and Training Monitor, EU funding and guidance supporting national reforms in education and skills. 1 https://end-gender-stereotypes.campaign.europa.eu/index_en. 2 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/genderequality/roadmap-womens-rights_en; https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-andfundamental-rights/gender-equality/declaration-principles-gender-equal-society_en.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• 2025-09-17 “E-003597/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission Related to the discrepancies between Member States’ performance in the ‘Report on controls on products entering the EU market with regard to product compliance in 2024’ 1 , the Commission has initiated a dialogue with underperforming Member States to improve such controls. As main driver for future improvements, the report points to the customs reform proposal 2 which will create an EU Customs Authority to operate an EU Customs Data Hub and establish an EU layer of risk analysis. The Commission is currently coordinating customs controls with market surveillance and other authorities under a Priority Control Area (PCA). These targeted controls are enhancing per se the protection of EU citizens against dangerous products, and findings can be used 3 to strengthen the customs risk management framework. PCA findings will also inform the upcoming revision of the Market Surveillance Regulation and New Legislative Framework under the European Product Act focussing on enforcement against non-EU marketplaces, new digital tools and allowing for the potential creation of an EU Market Surveillance Authority. The Commission has recently launched a digital tool for market surveillance authorities to search for non-compliant products on online platforms 4 and is coordinating product safety sweeps 5 under the General Product Safety Regulation. The Commission is progressing with the open Digital Services Act cases to encourage positive change in the digital economy, while following due process. On 13 November 2025, Ministers of Finance approved the Commission’s proposal to remove the customs duty exemption for low value parcels as soon as possible in 2026, to ensure a level playing field, in line with the Commission’s Communication on e-commerce of February 2025. 1 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/ea5db20e-840f-11f0-9af8-01aa75ed71a1/language-en. 2 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Union Customs Code and the European Union Customs Authority, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 (COM/2023/258 final). 3 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-preliminarily-finds-temu-breach-digital-services-actrelation-illegal-products-its. 4 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/goods/building-blocks/market-surveillance_en. 5 https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate/#/screen/pages/SafetyProductsOnline.”
  Trade relations with China · EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
• 2025-09-17 “P-003600/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission Given the energy crisis and price spikes in south-eastern Europe in the summer 2024, it is crucial to ensure that the existing infrastructure is used as efficiently as possible and, when needed, building the necessary infrastructure as outlined in the Affordable Energy Action Plan adopted in February 2025 1 . This is why full implementation of the minimum 70% cross-zonal capacity requirement by the end of 2025 is also crucial to contribute to lower energy prices in Europe. The Commission therefore constantly monitors progress on this goal and stands ready to support Member States in its implementation. Furthermore, to reduce volatility in electricity bills, the 2024 Electricity Market Design Reform 2 needs to be fully implemented. Full implementation will help to protect consumers from short term price-spikes and grant further empowerment and protections, particularly for the most vulnerable. The Commission will work with Member States and Regulatory Authorities to this end. Regarding the building of new infrastructure in the region, several meetings of the Central and South-Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity (CESEC) High-Level Group 3 were dedicated to interconnections in 2024 and 2025, as well as meetings of the Energy Union Task Force in summer 2025. The region has also been identified as hosting one of the bottlenecks to be addressed by the Energy Highways Initiative as announced by the President of the Commission in her State of the European Union 2025 4 . In addition, the European Grids Package, to be adopted still in 2025, should target structural challenges to ensure greater cross-border interconnection within Europe. 1 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/strategy/affordable-energy_en. 2 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/markets-and-consumers/electricity-market-design_en. 3 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/infrastructure/high-level-groups/central-and-south-eastern-europe-energyconnectivity_en. 4 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/state-union/state-union-2025_en.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices · EU energy infrastructure integration
• 2025-09-17 “E-003598/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the situation in the area and of the recently published study by the European Labour Authority (ELA) on behalf of the Platform Tackling Undeclared Work 1 . With the Fair Labour Mobility Package envisaged for 2026, the Commission foresees to strengthen the role of ELA, aiming at ELA assisting Member States and the Commission more effectively in the application and enforcement of EU law related to labour mobility. Taking account of the diversity of the national systems, the Commission encourages ELA to support mutual learning and improvement at national level. ELA is currently carrying out a mapping of subcontracting, therewith collecting more evidence. In 2026, the Commission envisages to propose a Quality Jobs Act to address new challenges and realities for workers in the modern economy. Furthermore, the Commission will continue to support structures providing advice and assistance to mobile and migrant workers. The Postal Services Directive 2 establishes that national regulatory authorities may make the granting of authorisations to postal service providers subject to working conditions as laid down by national legislation. The Commission has announced in the Single Market Strategy to propose an EU Delivery Act in the fourth quarter of 2026, to replace Postal Services Directive and Cross-border Parcels Regulation 3 . A Call for evidence was published on 6 October 2025. It will be followed by a public consultation (start planned for December 2025), a study, and possibly targeted consultations. 1 https://www.ela.europa.eu/sites/default/files/202508/20250718_Study_Parcel_Delivery_vFinal_%28reviewed_August%29.pdf. 2 Directive 97/67/EC as amended by Directive 2002/39/EC and 2008/6/EC http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1997/67/oj, here: Article 2, point 19, in conjunction with Article 9, paragraph 2, fifth indent. 3 Regulation (EU) 2018/644.”
  EU regulation of cross-border and posted workers · EU policy on employment subcontracting
• 2025-08-06 “E-003191/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission Existing EU rules allow Member States to introduce a wide range of tools to respond to price spikes, and the Commission also adopted the Affordable Energy Action Plan 1 , proposing further measures to accelerate delivery of more affordable energy for consumers. The Commission is in continuous talks with affected Member States to support the implementation of such measures in Southeastern Europe, for example, mobilising non-fossil flexibility, reducing demand during critical hours, increasing cross-border capacities, and protecting consumers. Under the Energy Union Task Force, the Commission invited Member States of the region to follow-up with their national transmission system operators and regulatory authorities on these actions. The Commission further underlines the importance of using efficiently existing interconnections between Southeastern Europe and the rest of Europe and strongly supports the maximisation of use of existing interconnections. In addition, the upcoming European Grids Package, planned for adoption by the end of 2025, is intended to help ensure that interconnection needs are appropriately addressed. Lastly, under the Citizens Energy Package, the Commission intends to aid Member States to better protect and involve consumers and enable them to reap the benefits of energy as prosumers as well as saving on energy by becoming more active customers or by participating in demand response schemes. The Package should also support vulnerable households affected by energy poverty, including summer energy poverty, and should address challenges of regions and communities affected by fossil fuel phase out, aiming to turn them into opportunities, like clean energy job creation and making energy more affordable. 1 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/strategy/affordable-energy_en.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration · EU approach to electricity market and prices
• 2025-08-06 “E-003190/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission Gas storage is paramount to ensuring continued security of energy supply across the EU and stability of the European gas market. The EU has significant gas storage capacities and EU storage facilities are the main supply source of gas in winter, ensuring 30% of EU winter supply. Since the storage filling target was established in 2022, the EU consistently exceeded it before the beginning of each heating season. A political agreement has been reached between the European Parliament and the Council in June 2025, to prolong the EU Gas Storage Regulation until the end of 2027, introducing more flexibility to achieve the target, considering developments on the gas market. Storages enable companies to purchase and store cheaper gas in summer, when demand is lower in the EU, making energy more affordable for EU citizens. The storage provisions of the Gas Security of Supply regulation (EU) 2017/1938 1 provides a non-exhaustive list of measures including measures that do not require Member States to purchase gas. Moreover, Member States should prioritise market-based measures that do not unduly distort competition or the proper functioning of the internal market or endanger the security of gas supply of other Member States or the Union. A well-functioning internal market has proven to be the most effective means for keeping energy costs affordable. The Commission is working closely with the Member States, notably within the Gas Coordination Group, to ensure an optimal gas storage refilling and the achievement of the target. Building on the experience of AggregateEU, a tool introduced during the energy crisis, the Commission is exploring the full potential of the demand aggregation and joint purchasing mechanism set up under Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 2 . 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/1938/oj/eng. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1789/oj/eng.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources) · EU policy on gas storage targets
• 2025-08-06 “P-003192/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission collaborates with Member States to mitigate electricity price spikes in South-East Europe and worked with Member States and stakeholders on measures like maximizing cross-border trade capacity, enhancing flexibility, reducing peak demand, among others. This was addressed in recent Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council meetings. The Affordable Energy Action Plan highlights the role of infrastructure in the energy transition, the need to improve interconnectivity and announces a European Grids Package. The Commission also proposed a fivefold budget increase for the Connecting Europe Facility in the multiannual financial framework. The Energy Union Task Force - launched to give impetus to the execution of the Action Plan convened in July and in September 2025. It focused on South-East Europe to increase its readiness for the summer period, assessing developments and exploring measures such as boosting cross-border trade capacity and system flexibility. It facilitated discussions on concerns like grid construction, network planning efficiency, infrastructure security, and enhanced use of existing assets. The Commission supports accelerating interconnections via the Central and South-Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity (CESEC) High-Level Group, and it urged Member States to follow up with Transmission System Operators and National Regulatory Authorities to prevent future price spikes. The Commission also adopted a new State Aid framework within the Clean Industrial Deal, encouraging clean energy and decarbonisation investments. The Clean Industrial Deal foresees further measures to support industries, such as power purchase agreements guarantees provided by the European Investment Bank.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices · EU energy infrastructure integration
• 2025-07-01 “E-002675/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has established the Gas Market Task Force in February 2025 to evaluate the effectiveness and transparency of gas markets, with comprehensive recommendations expected by the end of 2025. A targeted consultation was conducted to review the functioning of EU commodity derivatives markets and spot energy markets 1 , seeking stakeholders’ feedback on a broad range of issues, including: data aspects relating to commodity derivatives; the ancillary activity exemption; position management and position reporting; position limits; circuit breakers; and other elements stemming from the Draghi report on EU competitiveness. The consultation received extensive feedback from stakeholders and regulators. Findings will inform the Task Force’s recommendations and the Commission’s report on commodity derivatives markets mandated under Article 90(5) of Directive (EU) 2014/65 (MiFID) 2 . While the assessment of the responses is still ongoing, the consultation has not provided any evidence of distortive behaviour in the gas market. The Commission would also like to underline that circuit breakers, position limits and position management controls already exist in derivatives markets and apply regardless of whether the market participant benefits from the Ancillary Activity Exemption or not. 1 Targeted consultation on the review of the functioning of commodity derivatives markets and certain aspects relating to spot energy markets: https://finance.ec.europa.eu/regulation-and-supervision/consultations-0/targetedconsultation-review-functioning-commodity-derivatives-markets-and-certain-aspects-relating_en. 2 OJ L 173, 12.6.2014, pp. 349–496.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices · Natural gas
• 2025-07-01 “E-002673/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission The protection of minors online is a priority for the Commission. Under the Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 , providers of designated Very Large Online Platforms and Very Large Online Search Engines 2 must conduct assessments of systemic risks to minors’ physical and mental well-being, and put in place effective mitigation measures. In addition, they must guarantee a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors. The Commission recently adopted the guidelines on the protection of minors online under Article 28 of the DSA 3 . The guidelines recommend the implementation of age assurance measures to prevent children’s exposure to age-inappropriate content. Other measures include adjusting recommender systems to limit harmful content and disabling features that encourage excessive use or risky interactions. The Commission has also opened formal investigations against the providers of TikTok, Meta, Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos to assess whether they may have breached the DSA in areas linked to the protection of minors, including on the assessment and mitigation of online risks posed to their physical and mental wellbeing 4 . Those investigations are ongoing. In parallel, the Commission opened a public consultation dedicated to combating cyberbullying 5 and is currently planning an EU-wide inquiry on the broader impacts of social media on mental health 6 . Furthermore, Member States have launched a coordinated action aimed at protecting minors from exposure to pornographic content through the European Board for Digital Services 7 . 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32022R2065. 2 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/list-designated-vlops-and-vloses. 3 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/commission-publishes-guidelines-protectionminors#:~:text=On%2014%20July%202025%2C%20the%20Commission%20has%20published,safe%20online %20experience%20for%20children%20and%20young%20people. 4 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/list-designated-vlops-and-vloses. 5 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14791-Action-plan-againstcyberbullying_en. 6 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf. 7 This joint initiative reinforces the Commission’s broader efforts to shield minors from harmful content online. It addresses both very large adult-content platforms under the Commission’s direct supervision and smaller platforms overseen by the national Digital Services Coordinators in their respective jurisdictions.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online · Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content
• 2025-07-01 “E-002670/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The guidelines on protection of minors 1 aim to assist providers of online platforms accessible to minors to comply with Article 28(1) of the Digital Service Act (DSA) 2 by describing measures that the Commission considers that such providers should take to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security of minors on their services. As also recalled in the guidelines, as per Article 2(4) DSA, the DSA is without prejudice to rules laid down by other EU legal acts, in particular those provided by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 3 . Further, the Commission recalls that monitoring compliance with the GDPR is entrusted to national data protection authorities. The guidelines clearly mention that ‘adopting and implementing any of the measures set out in these guidelines does not entail compliance with the GDPR or any other applicable data protection law’. Additionally, the guidelines encourage authorities responsible for Article 28 of the DSA to cooperate with data protection authorities. Moreover, the guidelines do not preclude the need for other measures for compliance with other legislation such as the GDPR. The Commission has liaised with the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) throughout the development of the guidelines, carefully considering the feedback received, notably via the targeted public consultation. References to GDPR and EDPB documents have accordingly been included. For example, the guidelines clearly state that age assurance measures cannot be deemed to be appropriate and proportionate if they do not achieve a set of criteria, including non-intrusiveness, which explicitly refers to the right to privacy, data protection and freedom of expression and includes references to the EDPB statement 1/2025 on Age Assurance 4 . 1 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/commission-publishes-guidelines-protection-minors. 2 Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market for Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC, OJ L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1–102. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj/eng. 4 https://www.edpb.europa.eu/our-work-tools/our-documents/statements/statement-12025-age-assurance_en.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online · GDPR
• 2025-07-01 “E-002671/2025 Answer given by Mr Brunner on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is committed to enhancing the capacity of EU agencies and bodies to combat cross-border organised crime. In line with the Political Guidelines 1 and the European Internal Security Strategy 2 , it will propose in 2026 legislation to transform the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), into a truly operational agency, fully delivering on its support role to Member States and serving the EU. The Commission has also proposed to increase funding under the new multiannual financial framework to boost Europol's operational capacity. The Commission finalised the evaluation of the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation Regulation 3 , with a revision planned to enhance effectiveness. The evaluation of the Regulation on the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is ongoing. As indicated in the European Internal Security Strategy, in addition to enhancing the mandate of relevant agencies and EU bodies, the cooperation between them will be further strengthened to tighten the net on serious and organised crime. EU agencies and bodies must access and exchange key data effectively, securely, and lawfully, supported by a robust and harmonised data protection framework. To enhance data access, the Commission presented the roadmap for effective and lawful access to data for law enforcement. The implementation of the e-evidence information technology (IT) decentralised system for secure cross-border exchange of digital evidence has contributed to improving secure exchange. The Commission will further reinforce complementarity and effectiveness of EU agencies and bodies for internal security, including through a review of the EU's anti-fraud architecture, addressing the impact of organised crime on EU funds and promoting closer collaboration. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf. 2 COM(2025) 148 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0148. 3 SWD(2025) 182 final, https://commission.europa.eu/publications/evaluation-eurojust_en.”
  EU law enforcement cooperation in criminal matters · Anti-money laundering regulation
• 2025-07-01 “E-002672/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 in e-commerce is of high priority for the Commission. On 18 June 2025, the Commission accepted commitments by AliExpress and preliminarily found that the platform failed to assess and mitigate risks related to the dissemination of illegal products under the DSA. 2 On 28 July 2025, the Commission preliminarily found that Temu failed to properly assess the risk of dissemination of illegal products under the DSA 3 and continues its supervisory actions on other very large online marketplaces such as Amazon and Shein. In line with the Communication on a Comprehensive EU Toolbox for Safe and Sustainable E-commerce 4 the enforcement of product safety rules under the General Product Safety Regulation 5 is a priority. For example, the Commission recently coordinated the first ever product safety sweep of the Consumer Safety Network. The Commission focuses on the robust enforcement and complementarity of digital rules and product compliance and safety rules. To strengthen enforcement actions of EU digital rules, the Commission relies on cooperation across its services and involvement of national authorities, as demonstrated by a coordinated investigation against Temu by the Commission, under the DSA, and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network, under consumer law. 6 Moreover, the upcoming evaluation of the Market Surveillance Regulation 7 will examine if the current framework effectively ensures that only compliant products are allowed in the EU, with the Commission ready to reinforce the system where necessary. Lastly, the customs reform proposal 8 renders online platforms, as “deemed importers,” key actors in ensuring that goods sold online into the EU comply with customs obligations. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32022R2065. 2 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-accepts-commitments-offered-aliexpress-underdigital-services-act-and-takes-further. 3 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1913. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0037. 5 https://eurlex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj/eng#:~:text=Regulation%20%28EU%29%202023%2F988%20of%20the%20E uropean%20Parliament%20and,and%20Council%20Directive%2087%2F357%2FEEC%20%28Text%20with%2 0EEA%20relevance%29. 6 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/it/ip_24_5707. 7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02019R1020-20240523. 8 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52023PC0258.”
  Trade relations with China · EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
• 2025-05-06 “E-001831/2025 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission Since 2020, the EU has set up a comprehensive regulatory framework to support the scale up of renewable hydrogen, including enabling financing under the European Hydrogen Bank (EHB). After two auctions already implemented under this financial initiative to support hydrogen production in Europe 1 , by the end of 2025 the Commission will launch a third auction, with a budget of up to EUR 1 billion from the Innovation Fund (IF). The IF also provides funding to hydrogen-related projects through its regular grants 2 . By the end of 2025, the results of the latest regular grant call (IF24) will be published and a new call will be opened. Moreover, to enhance impact from its calls, the IF implemented the ‘as-a-Service’ feature 3 , allowing Member States 4 to allocate national funding in addition to the Innovation Fund. This feature will be available again in upcoming calls. The Commission also works to establish joint European auctions for imports of renewable hydrogen. Under a Team Europe approach, willing Member States will be able to pool funding and attract competitive bids from third-country producers, thus further supporting the decarbonisation of their industry and transport sectors as well as contributing to wider goals such as the development of key import infrastructure corridors. The Commission will launch the Mechanism to support market development of hydrogen 5 in the third quarter of 2025. It will bring together buyers and sellers 6 on an online platform, enabling them to find potential commercial partners, and connecting them with financial support. 1 Through the three auction calls, the EHB will have made available EUR 3 billion in grants: https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/eu-funding-climate-action/innovation-fund/competitive-bidding_en. 2 Under the IF, more than 40 projects covering the full hydrogen value chain are already receiving a total of EUR 3 billion in regular grants. 3 https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/eu-funding-climate-action/innovation-fund/competitivebidding_en#auctions-as-a-service-aaas. 4 Germany, Austria, Spain and Lithuania have already contributed, together, with almost EUR 1.2 billion in national resources in the IF23 and IF24 Auctions. 5 In accordance with the mandate received pursuant to Regulation (EU) 1789/2024 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on the internal markets for renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen. 6 The Hydrogen Mechanism covers renewable and low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives (ammonia, methanol, eSAFs).”
  EU industrial funding · Low-carbon hydrogen
• 2025-05-06 “E-001828/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission Loneliness is a complex and widespread issue that affects people of all ages and backgrounds. It is a risk factor for mental and physical health. The Commission, through its flagship initiatives of the Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health 1 , supports Member States 2 in identifying best practices 3 and improving prevention and support strategies for mental health issues 4 , especially for vulnerable populations. The President of the Commission announced in her political guidelines 5 the launch of an EUwide inquiry into how social media affects well-being. The Commission is developing the format, content and modalities for this inquiry. Moreover, the Commission has developed a non-exhaustive mapping of loneliness interventions in the EU 6 , which are mostly carried out by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or local authorities, but often with the financial support of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). The ESF+ supports the development of initiatives that foster social ties through employment, education, and social inclusion. The EU contribution for investments in social inclusion is of EUR 30 billion. All Member States comply with the requirement under the ESF+ Regulation 7 to allocate at least 25% of their resources under shared management to foster social inclusion. This includes targeted actions for vulnerable people and marginalised communities who are at higher risk of loneliness, for example elderly people who are disproportionately affected by loneliness 8 . 1 https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/comprehensive-approach-mental-health_en. 2 https://mentalhealthandwellbeing.eu/the-joint-action/. 3 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/dyna/bp-portal/submission/search?call=Mental%20Health. 4 https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/6317c605-5f5d-4d4f-9c8ad5c93e869814_en?filename=ncd_tracking-framework-mh_en.pdf. 5 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf. 6 https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/projects-and-activities/survey-methods-and-analysiscentre/loneliness/loneliness-interventions_en. 7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1057/oj/eng. 8 In Romania, the Geras (generating efficient, fast, active, sustainable integrated services for the elderly) project tackled isolation among over 220 elderly people with tailored support and community-building initiatives. The total budget from 2019 to 2022 was of EUR 558 647.75 (EU contribution: EUR 474 850.59). https://europeansocial-fund-plus.ec.europa.eu/en/projects/supporting-dignity-and-inclusion-how-geras-project-transformed-livesromania.”
  EU policy on mental health
• 2025-05-06 “E-001832/2025 Answer given by Mr Brunner on behalf of the European Commission To strengthen the EU's capacity to detect, prevent, and combat the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies by organised crime groups, the Commission is taking a multipronged approach. The AI Act 1 requires high-risk AI system developers to implement risk management and mitigation measures, with similar rules for general-purpose AI models. The Horizon program funds research to equip law enforcement with tools to combat AI-related crimes. The Commission and the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation collaborate with digital businesses, such as technology and communication companies, to implement more efficient mechanisms for detecting and responding to the criminal abuse of AI technologies. Furthermore, in line with the EU Internal Security: ProtectEU Strategy 2 and in response to the recommendations of the High-Level Group on access to data, the Commission presented a Roadmap 3 setting out the way forward to ensure law enforcement authorities in the EU have effective and lawful access to data. The measures in this Roadmap will support better detection, prevention, and investigation of digital crimes and the misuse of emerging technologies, including the misuse of AI by criminals and the abuse of emerging technologies to conceal their digital footprints. 1 Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence. 2 Communication on ProtectEU: a European Internal Security Strategy, COM(2025) 148 final, https://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0148. 3 Communication on a Roadmap for lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement, COM(2025) 349 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0349.”
  Privacy & law enforcement · Transparency and oversight of AI-generated content
• 2025-04-30 “E-001741/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission Chemical recycling, in particular for hard-to-recycle waste plastics not suitable for mechanical recycling or where specific quality requirements need to be reached, can play an important role in reducing reliance on virgin resources for plastic production and avoiding incineration. It has the potential to help to meet the EU’s ambitious targets for recycling plastic waste and increasing recycled content in plastics. This will also lower environmental impacts, advancing EU’s circular economy objectives. To foster the business case and provide investment security, the Commission is developing a clear, science-based and technologically neutral framework to ensure that chemical recycling technologies can play an important role in meeting these objectives. The first step will be under the Single-Use Plastics Directive 1 . The mass balance accounting rules will adhere to the definition of ‘recycling’ within the Waste Framework Directive 2 , which excludes converting waste into fuels. These rules will support new state-of-the art installations and existing infrastructure alike. The Commission intends to consult stakeholders on a draft text on these rules and to adopt the implementing decision in 2025. To further support plastic recycling, the Commission will be analysing measures, such as harmonisation of End-of-Waste criteria for the plastic waste. 1 Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, OJ L 155, 12.6.2019, p. 1–19. 2 Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives, OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3–30, as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109–140.”
  Circular economy · EU policy towards plastics
• 2025-04-30 “E-001742/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission Several EU regulations and directives target artificially generated or manipulated content in order to ensure a high level of protection of fundamental rights, including privacy and democracy. As of 2 February 2025, the Artificial Intelligence Act 1 prohibits purposefully deploying manipulative or deceptive artificial intelligence (AI) systems causing significant harm 2 . Moreover, that act sets out transparency obligations for AI systems generating artificially generated or manipulated content, including artistic content, and deepfakes, that will apply as from 2 August 2026 3 . The Digital Services Act 4 obliges providers of very large online platforms (VLOPs) and of very large search engines (VLOSEs) to identify, assess and mitigate the systemic risks stemming from their services 5 , including malicious deepfakes and harmful AI-generated content. Moreover, in March 2024, the Commission sent requests for information to several VLOPs and VLOSEs on generative AI risks and has opened proceedings against Facebook and Instagram on suspected infringements related to the misuse of advertising services that use generative AI to deceive users into financial scam operations. Non-consensual deepfakes disproportionately affect women and girls online. The Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence 6 , which needs to be transposed by 14 June 2027, obliges Member States to punish as a criminal offence the production and subsequent sharing of sexually explicit deepfakes without the person’s consent. Member States need to ensure that such an offence is punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least one year. The Commission is committed to ensure that these rules are implemented in a timely and effective manner and enforced in the EU and across Member States. 1 Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Artificial Intelligence Act). 2 See Article 5 (1) (a) of the AI Act and corresponding Commission Guidelines: https://digitalstrategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/commission-publishes-guidelines-prohibited-artificial-intelligence-ai-practicesdefined-ai-act. 3 Article 50 of the AI Act. 4 Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act. 5 Articles 34 and 35 DSA. 6 Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence.”
  Artificial Intelligence · Transparency and oversight of AI-generated content
• 2025-04-30 “E-001747/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission On 18 February 2025, the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement 1 on the Commission’s legislative proposal for a targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive 2 in order to set legally binding food waste reduction targets to be achieved by Member States by 2030. In that agreement, the co-legislators introduced a strengthened approach on food donation. Upon formal adoption of the amended Directive, which is expected by the end of 2025, Member States will be required to take measures ensuring that economic operators with a significant role in the prevention and generation of food waste (as identified by each Member State) facilitate the donation of unsold food that is safe for human consumption in the context of donation agreements. Furthermore, in order to facilitate the recovery and redistribution of safe, edible food to those in need, a Commission Notice setting out EU guidelines on food donation 3 supports compliance of providers and recipients of surplus food with relevant requirements laid down in the EU regulatory framework (e.g. food safety, food hygiene, traceability, liability, ValueAdded Tax, etc.) and promotes common interpretation by regulatory authorities in the Member States of EU rules applying to the redistribution of surplus food. Finally, the Food donation sub-group of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste 4 is currently identifying and assessing barriers to food donation and opportunities to facilitate this practice across the EU, as well as developing recommendations for actions at EU and national level. 1 https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety-news-0/provisional-agreement-reached-eu-food-waste-reduction-targets2025-02-20_en. 2 Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives, OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3-30, as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109-140. 3 Commission Notice – EU guidelines on food donation (2017/C 361/01). 4 EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste: https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/food-waste/eu-actionsagainst-food-waste/eu-platform-food-losses-and-food-waste_en.”
  Food waste
• 2025-04-30 “E-001748/2025 Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission The Commission Recommendation on integrated child protection systems 1 reaffirms the EU’s commitment to combating all form of violence against children and is driving a coordinated approach to strengthen child protection mechanisms through legislative enhancements, regulatory enforcement and strategic initiatives. The Commission is working closely with Member States, stakeholders and civil society to move forward in the implementation of the Recommendation, drawing on best practices and building on EU-level legislation, policy measures, and funding. Through its Technical Support Instrument, Member States can strengthen their child protection systems to address persistent challenges such as mental health wellbeing and digital safety. The EU’s framework includes several legislative instruments to address digital threats. The Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) 2 , the Digital Services Act (DSA) 3 and the Better Internet for Kids+ strategy 4 are at the core of the EU toolbox to protect and empower children online. Under the DSA, the Commission has opened investigations regarding TikTok and Meta and more recently, commenced proceedings against four porn platforms. The Commission is preparing a package to enhance the toolbox which includes, DSA protection of minors’ guidelines 5 , an Age Verification Solution 6 , an Action Plan against Cyberbullying, an inquiry on social media and mental health, and an evaluation of the AVMSD. The Commission is advancing the EU Strategy to combat child sexual abuse 7 including the recast of Directive 2011/93/EU 8 and a new Regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse 9 . As announced in the Protect EU Strategy 10 , the Commission will present an Action Plan on the Protection of Children Against Crime. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32024H1238. 2 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/audiovisual-and-media-services. 3 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/digital-servicesact_en. 4 https://better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/new-better-internet-kids-strategy-out-introducing-bik. 5 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/commission-seeks-feedback-guidelines-protection-minorsonline-under-digital-services-act. 6 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-age-verification. 7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0607. 8 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2024%3A60%3AFIN. 9 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022PC0209. 10 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0148.”
  EU engagement with youth
• 2025-04-30 “E-001744/2025 Answer given by Ms Lahbib on behalf of the European Commission The constructive dialogue on the EU implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) took place on 11 and 12 March 2025. Following this, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (‘the Committee’) published its Concluding Observations 1 . The issues highlighted by the European Disability Forum in its alternative report were taken up in the Concluding Observations issued by the Committee, which pointed to remaining gaps, as well as to positive aspects of the implementation and progress made by the EU. The Concluding Observations also contain recommendations ahead of the next EU report on the implementation of the UNCRPD, scheduled for 2032. The constructive dialogue is a clear milestone, which will help shape the work on disability under this Commission’s mandate. The Commission is looking into the best way to address the Concluding Observations of the Committee and working with the Member States, the other institutions and other relevant stakeholders to address their concerns. The Commission looks forward to the European Parliament’s own-initiative report on the EU strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities post-2024, which will be taken into account in its work in the area of disability, including in the follow-up to the Concluding Observations of the Committee. 1 Concluding observations on the combined 2nd and 3rd periodic reports of the European Union https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4080772?v=pdf.”
  EU policy on disability inclusion & accessibility
• 2025-04-30 “E-001749/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has been aware of the challenges posed by the new market entrants and the evolving nature of e-commerce to the effective enforcement of the EU digital rules. In order to address these challenges, it adopted in February the Communication on a Comprehensive EU Toolbox for Safe and Sustainable E-commerce 1 . It proposes a series of measures to address challenges posed by e-commerce aiming to bring a level playing field based on effective customs, tax and safety controls and sustainability standards and proper enforcement of EU legislation through a coordinated approach. To strengthen the efficiency of the enforcement actions with respect to EU e-commerce rules, the Commission closely cooperates with national authorities as evidenced by the coordinated actions carried out by the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network, under consumer protection rules. 2 The enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA) 3 in the area of ecommerce is of high priority for the Commission. In this regard, the Commission initiated proceedings against AliExpress (on 14 March 2024) 4 and Temu (on 31 October 2024). 5 The proceedings have developed and on 16 June 2025 the Commission accepted and made binding a series of commitments offered by AliExpress to settle a number of concerns, such as the platform's transparency on advertising and recommender systems. Simultaneously, the Commission preliminarily found AliExpress in breach of its obligation to assess and mitigate risks related to the dissemination of illegal products under the DSA. In parallel, the Commission is supervising whether providers of other very large online marketplaces, such as Amazon and Shein, are complying with their obligations under the DSA. 1 COM/2025/37 final. 2 Commission urges Temu to respect EU consumer protection laws. 3 Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market for Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC. 4 DSA: Commission opens formal proceedings against AliExpress. 5 Commission opens formal proceedings against Temu under the Digital Services Act | Shaping Europe’s digital future.”
  EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports · Liability for online marketplaces
• 2025-04-30 “E-001751/2025 Answer given by Ms Albuquerque on behalf of the European Commission The Commission recognises the importance of financial literacy as a critical life skill, including for young Europeans. The 2024 Council Conclusions on financial literacy 1 also call for the integration of financial education into national school curricula. However, Member States have a sole responsibility for the content of teaching and the organisation of education systems. Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union provides the EU only with a supportive role in education. In light of these considerations, the Commission focuses on supporting initiatives that promote financial literacy for youth. In 2023, the Commission published the EU/OECD financial competency framework for youth 2 . Through existing EU programmes such as Erasmus+ 3 and the European Social Fund+ 4 , the Commission also encourages projects aimed at enhancing financial literacy. In the Savings and Investments Union Communication 5 , the Commission committed to adopting a strategy on financial literacy by the 3 rd quarter of 2025. This strategy will have a broad scope, aiming at enhancing various aspects of financial literacy. The strategy will focus on communication and awareness raising, coordination of best practices, monitoring and evaluation, and increasing funding opportunities. It will facilitate the exchange of best practices among Member States also as regards initiatives linked to financial education. The recently adopted Union of Skills 6 , recognises that financial and entrepreneurial skills gaps exist in Europe and that promoting further STEM 7 approaches are important to facilitate digital and financial literacy by endowing students with the skills needed to understand how the digital and financial systems work. 1 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9930-2024-INIT/en/pdf. 2 https://finance.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-09/230927-financial-competence-framework-childrenyouth_en.pdf. 3 Financial literacy projects with adults, schoolteachers and adult education teachers are funded as part of Erasmus+, for example: https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/resource-centre/content/financial-literacy-adult-education. 4 The European Social Fund Plus (ESF +) also finances projects that include improving financial literacy, for example: https://european-social-fund-plus.ec.europa.eu/en/social-innovation-match/case-study/projekt-domov. 5 COM(2025) 124 final. 6 eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0090. 7 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.”
  Focus of EU policy on education (shaping workers vs citizens)
• 2025-04-30 “E-001746/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission To deliver the clean energy transition, all zero- and low-carbon energy solutions are needed. When part of the energy mix, nuclear has a role to play in building a resilient and clean energy system. Necessary investments will enable the EU to keep its industrial leadership in this sector and upholding the highest standards on safety and management of radioactive waste. The Commission presented the Clean Industrial Deal (CID) 1 and the Action Plan for Affordable Energy 2 to improve competitiveness and reduce energy costs for EU industries in the transition. On 13 June 2025, the Commission adopted the new Nuclear Illustrative Programme (PINC). It assesses costs and investment needs covering the full life cycle of nuclear installations, upskilling, diversification, and the development of competitive supply chains. The PINC also assesses financing models for a faster development and safe deployment of new nuclear technologies, such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), Advanced Modular Reactors and microreactors in Europe. Under the reformed internal energy market legislation, nuclear projects have equal access to financing schemes including Contracts for Difference and Power Purchase Agreements 3 . The Commission works with the European Investment Bank on initiatives announced in the CID, supported by InvestEU, and is preparing a Clean Energy Investment Strategy. The Commission has also announced the design phase of a new potential Important Project of Common European Interest candidate on innovative nuclear technologies. Based on the first deliverables of the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs, the Commission will table a strategic plan on de-risking SMR projects, strengthening the EU supply chain, and attracting private investment. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/clean-industrial-deal_en. 2 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/strategy/affordable-energy_en. 3 Including combining Contracts for Difference and Power Purchase Agreements.”
  Nuclear energy · Energy transition (state support) · EU industrial funding
• 2025-04-30 “E-001743/2025 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission A global solution to address the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy remains the Commission’s preferred option. A proliferation of national or regional measures would generate fragmentation of the international tax landscape and may create double taxation issues. The Commission has taken note of the content of the Executive Order on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) global tax deal issued by the President of the United States. In the statement issued during the 17 th plenary meeting of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) held in April 2025, 1 members reiterated their commitment to the two-Pillar solution and pursue the discussions on both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2. The Commission will continue to engage with the United States in this respect and will liaise with Member States on the best way forward in case a global solution cannot be agreed. Lastly, discussions concerning potential new EU own resources within the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework are ongoing. These deliberations will unfold in due course. 1 https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/topics/policy-issues/beps/statement-oecd-g20-inclusive-frameworkon-beps-april-2025.pdf.”
  Own EU resources
• 2025-04-30 “E-001745/2025 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission The Commission acknowledges the strategic importance of rail infrastructure in enhancing defence preparedness and resilience. The current Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) earmarked EUR 1.7 billion for investment in military mobility transport infrastructure and the entire envelope was spent in three funding calls on 96 dual-use projects in 21 Member States – with almost half of the total budget attributed to rail projects. As mentioned in its replies to written questions E-000700/2025 and E-002584/2024, the Commission and the European External Action Service have together identified four priority military mobility corridors and key bottlenecks along those corridors, including for rail. As indicated in the recently adopted White Paper for European Defence Readiness (March 2025) 1 these bottlenecks need to be addressed as a matter of urgency, while long-term dual-use infrastructure projects would also benefit from greater financial predictability. Additionally, the Commission has proposed to establish the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) 2 which would allow the Member States to carry out urgent and major public investments in support of the European defence industry, including military mobility. Furthermore, the Commission’s proposal for the mid-term review of Cohesion policy 3 gives Member States, including Romania, additional possibilities and incentives to direct their funds allocations towards military mobility. The Commission remains committed to facilitating cooperation and providing guidance to ensure that infrastructure development aligns with strategic defence objectives and encourages Member States to prioritise projects that enhance interoperability and capacity of rail networks. 1 Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030, JOIN/2025/120 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025JC0120. 2 Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION establishing the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) through the reinforcement of European defence industry Instrument, COM/2025/122 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025PC0122. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025PC0123.”
  Cybersecurity investments for critical infrastructure · Defence spending
• 2025-03-20 “P-001191/2025 Answer given by Mr McGrath On behalf of the European Commission The Commission is not aware about the situation described by the Honourable Member. It appears that the cases concern Romanian students, who study and at the same time work in the Netherlands. According to EU law, Article 24(2) of Directive 2004/38 1 , only economically active mobile EU citizens or those having permanent resident status, along with their family members, are entitled to equal treatment with nationals regarding student grants and loans. According to Regulation (EU) No 492/2011 2 on free movement of workers, a benefit like student grant is a social advantage for EU mobile workers covered by equal treatment under that Regulation 3 and should be granted to EU mobile workers under the same conditions as to own nationals. According to the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), the term ‘worker’ has a meaning in EU law and cannot be subject to national definitions or be interpreted restrictively. It covers any person who undertakes genuine and effective work for which he is paid under the direction of someone else. It is the responsibility of the national authorities to undertake, in the light of that definition, a case-by-case evaluation to establish whether those criteria are met 4 . EU law on free movement of workers, Article 45 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Regulation (EU) 492/2011 on the freedom of movement for workers within the EU are directly applicable, allowing EU mobile workers to invoke these rights before national authorities and courts if their rights are not respected. National authorities and courts are best placed to assess each case and apply EU law taking into account specific circumstances of each individual case. 1 Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States, available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02004L0038-20110616. 2 Regulation (EU) No 492/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2011 on freedom of movement for workers within the Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02011R0492-20210801. 3 Article 7 paragraph 2 of Regulation (EU) No 492/2011. 4 Communication from the Commission Reaffirming the free movement of workers: rights and major developments, COM(2010)373 final, Chapter 1.1, page 4. - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52010DC0373.”
  EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination
• 2025-03-19 “E-001165/2025 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/573 on fluorinated gases 1 was adopted on 7 February 2024. With an ambitious quota system phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) over time and a number of restrictions in crucial sectors in refrigeration and air conditioning and heat pumps, it provides clear signals to manufacturers of green technology. Many of these companies are European and/or produce in Europe. A review at this moment, one year after the Regulation has been put in place, would remove this planning certainty for companies. A regular review, as envisaged by the Regulation in 2030, of the cost-efficiency and effectiveness of its measures is however useful in order to ensure the continuation of appropriate policies that reduce emissions in line with the EU’s climate goals and at the same time support innovation in these crucial sectors. 1 http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/573/oj”
  F-gases regulation
• 2025-02-19 “E-000774/2025 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) puts a carbon price on imports that is equivalent to that paid by EU producers under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). The CBAM thereby addresses the risk of carbon leakage, which could undermine the effectiveness of EU’s climate objectives. This makes the CBAM an essential tool for achieving a climateneutral Union at the latest by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement. As announced in the Steel and Metals Action Plan of 19 March 2025, the Commission will make a broad review of CBAM by the end of the year. As part of this review, it will make a first legislative proposal extending CBAM to certain downstream products for which there is a risk of carbon leakage. To mitigate the costs and administrative burden of the green transition as envisaged by the EU Green Deal, the Commission has taken measures to support EU industries. For instance, the Clean Industrial Deal, presented on 26 February 2025, highlights the importance of clean tech, which includes the wind energy sector, in driving future competitiveness, industrial transformation, and decarbonisation. The Clean Industrial Deal alone will mobilise over EUR 100 billion to support clean manufacturing in the EU. Further, the Commission presented on 26 February 2025 a package of CBAM simplifications, which will facilitate compliance with reporting requirements and simplify the authorisation of declarants, the calculation of emissions, and compliance with the financial liability.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• 2025-02-03 “E-000469/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission agrees that the InvestEU Programme 1 has been very successful in mobilising public and private investment in EU priority areas, but risks falling short of demand in the years going forward whilst investment needs remain elevated. Therefore, on 26 February 2025, the Commission published a proposal 2 to increase the InvestEU Fund by EUR 2.5 billion and allow the combination of the portfolios of InvestEU and legacy financial instruments. In this way, the Commission expects to mobilise around EUR 50 billion of public and private investment in support of existing and new policy priorities. The Commission is looking forward to discussing the proposal in the European Parliament and the Council and counts on the co-legislators’ support with a view to its swift adoption. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02021R0523-20240301 2 https://commission.europa.eu/publications/omnibus-ii_en”
  EU industrial funding · EU approach to sustainability criteria in private investments
• 2025-02-03 “E-000465/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission recognizes the need to mitigate the impact of fossil fuels, and in particular volatile gas prices on electricity production costs. The European electricity market design reform strengthens the role of power purchase agreements (PPAs) and two-way contracts for difference (CfDs) to stabilize the prices of electricity supply in the long run, thereby lowering the impact from gas prices and ensuring reaping the benefits from decarbonised electricity. More recently, the Action Plan for Affordable Energy 1 has announced further measures to support the roll out of these long-term contracts. The revision of the Electricity Market Design carried out in 2023 2 also promotes non-fossil flexibility to support the phase out of gas from the electricity mix, and allows consumers to make themselves less dependent on volatile short-term markets. The Commissions reiterates the importance of a swift transposition of this legislation supports Member States in their implementation of these new rules. More generally, the Action Plan for Affordable Energy, part of the Clean Industrial Deal 3 , sets out measures to address these challenges such as efficiency measures, renewable energy deployment, accelerating permitting, grids, storage and reducing systems costs, including an European Investment Bank pilot programme offering counter-guarantees for PPAs undertaken by companies for an indicative amount of EUR 500 million. These efforts will help stabilise energy costs by promoting PPAs and CfDs, improving the efficiency of our energy system and phasing out fossil fuels faster from our energy mix. 1 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/strategy/affordable-energy_en 2 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/markets-and-consumers/electricity-marketdesign_en#:~:text=achieve%20climate%20neutrality.,Reform%20of%20the%20electricity%20market%20design,the%20Green%20Deal%20Industrial%20Plan 3 https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/clean-industrial-deal_en”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• 2025-02-03 “E-000467/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission Addressing market fragmentation, boosting investments and enhancing Europe’s position in gigabit and 5G connectivity are core objectives as outlined in the White Paper ‘How to master Europe’s digital infrastructure needs?’ 1 . They are required to achieve the ambitious digital infrastructure targets for the Digital Decade by 2030, ensure more modern, secure and resilient networks across the EU and complete the single market for connectivity. The Commission is fully aware that Europe is far behind on the Digital Decade targets. That is why, as it is indicated in the communication ‘A Competitiveness Compass for the EU’ 2 , the Commission will propose a Digital Networks Act (DNA), which aims to improve market incentives to build the digital networks of the future, reduce burden and compliance costs, and improve digital connectivity for end-users, by fostering a Single Market for connectivity and a more coordinated EU spectrum policy. The Commission Work Programme 2025 3 stresses that the most important precondition for a thriving digital economy is reliable, high-capacity digital infrastructure and confirms that the DNA will facilitate cross-border network operation and service provision, enhancing industry competitiveness and improving spectrum coordination. Against this background, to address technology and market trends, the Commission will review the current regulatory framework with the objectives of modernisation, simplification and harmonisation in mind. 1 COM(2024) 81 final. 2 COM(2025) 30 final. 3 COM(2025) 45 final.”
  5G · EU policy on accessibility of digital infrastructure
• 2025-02-03 “E-000468/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission To enhance investment in pharmaceutical research and innovation and ensure that the EU remains globally competitive, the Commission has launched a series of strategic initiatives. The proposal for a reform of the EU pharmaceutical general legislation aims at simplifying the regulatory framework, increasing speed and efficiency, and enabling the use of digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence and a conducive research & development investment environment. It aims to reduce administrative burdens and provide a more agile framework for the development, authorisation and commercialisation of cutting-edge innovative medicines. The Critical Medicines Act aims to support the diversification of supply chains and the production development of critical medicines. The Biotechnology Act aims to boost innovation and competitiveness of the biotech sector in the EU by making it easier to bring biotechnology from the laboratory to factory and ultimately to the market. The Life Sciences Strategy 1 , expected to be adopted in the second quarter of 2025, aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Europe in the life sciences area, leading to benefits for our society in the twin digital and green transitions. The Strategy should announce a number of initiatives to capitalise on Europe’s strengths and address its weaknesses. The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform 2 also provides support in the area of biotechnologies. In addition, the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking 3 , the world’s largest public-private partnership in life sciences, has the total budget of EUR 2.4 billion out of which EUR 1 billion comes from Horizon Europe 4 . This is a major initiative to help the European health industry sector keep competitive. 1 https://www.efpia.eu/media/fzkbhzoe/a-competitiveness-strategy-for-european-life-sciences.pdf 2 https://strategic-technologies.europa.eu/about_en 3 https://www.ihi.europa.eu/ 4 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en”
  Pharmaceuticals regulation in EU · Pharma IPRs
• 2025-01-23 “E-000303/2025 Answer given by Ms Albuquerque on behalf of the European Commission The Commission work programme for 2025 contains a proposal to revise the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, planned for the fourth quarter of 2025 1 . This will take into account the feedback received in the consultations carried out in 2023 and summarised in a statement published in May 2024 2 , as well as several other inputs received since then 3 . This feedback generally reflects support for the creation of simple and standardised financial product categories for investments toward sustainability objectives, including one dedicated to facilitating the transition of activities and companies. The Commission will duly consider this feedback in its proposal. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/strategy-documents/commission-workprogramme/commission-work-programme-2025_en 2 https://finance.ec.europa.eu/document/download/0f2cfde1-12b0-4860-b548-0393ac5b592b_en?filename=2023sfdr-implementation-summary-of-responses_en.pdf 3 E.g. ESAs propose improvements to the sustainable finance disclosure regulation: https://www.esma.europa.eu/press-news/esma-news/esas-propose-improvements-sustainable-finance-disclosureregulation ;Platform on Sustainable Finance on the Categorisation of products under SFDR - Report: https://finance.ec.europa.eu/publications/categorisation-products-under-sfdr-proposal-platform-sustainablefinance_en”
  EU approach to sustainability criteria in private investments · Financial regulation
• 2025-01-23 “E-000302/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission will present at the end of May 2025 an ambitious horizontal Single Market Strategy. The Strategy will build on the Commission’s extensive dialogue with stakeholders and the input received through a call for evidence. The Strategy will provide an overarching vision for the Single Market and announce concrete actions on the Single Market for services and goods as well as the horizontal functioning of the Single Market. The Single Market for services will be one of the main focus areas of the Strategy. Services withing the Single Market account for 70% of EU Gross Domestic Product and employment. Yet, the Single Market for services performs below its full potential. Intra-EU trade in services is less than one third of that in goods, and not higher than with third countries. Despite an initial reduction of regulatory barriers following the transposition of the Services Directive 1 , around 60% of the barriers experienced by companies 20 years ago are still of the same type today. Member States restrict access to more than 5700 regulated services, equivalent to one fifth of the labour force. Stakeholders call for a new impulse to reduce regulatory and administrative barriers to the free movement of services in the Single Market, such as sector-specific initiatives to complement horizontal services policies, lighter authorisation regimes and less or simplified declaration obligations as well as improved online information and less burdensome administrative procedures. Especially given the current context of trade tensions, the growth potential of the Single Market needs to be unleashed. The European Single Market is a joint endeavour, unlocking its full potential requires action at both, EU and Member States level. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32006L0123”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2025-01-23 “P-000304/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 obliges providers of very large online platforms (VLOPs) to identify, analyse and assess the systemic risks stemming from their services, and consider the role of algorithmic systems and intentional manipulation, including by inauthentic use or automated exploitation of the service. Artificial intelligence (AI)-generated accounts on social media could therefore be considered in such risk assessments. The risks related to the intentional manipulation stemming from AI-generated accounts and the content generated by them may have negative effects for civic discourse or electoral processes, and negative consequences to mental well-being. The Commission issued guidelines 2 to VLOPs with best practices to mitigate election-related risks, including labels for AI-generated content. The Code of Conduct on Disinformation 3 includes strong measures to address the spread of disinformation via VLOPs signatories, including dissemination of AI-generated content. A workstream has been established as part of the Code’s Taskforce to address the challenges raised by AI for disinformation. Under the AI Act 4 , providers of generative AI must ensure that AI-generated content can be detected. The AI Act also introduces disclosure obligations for certain AI systems, like chatbots, to make users aware that they are interacting with a machine, and a labelling obligation for deep fakes and AI-generated text if it is intended to inform the public on public interest matters. VLOPS under the DSA will also have to accept the EU Digital Identity Wallet 5 for logging into their online services upon the voluntary request of the user. Together, these measures provide an effective set of rules to address the problems raised. 1 Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market for Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act). 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52024XC03014&qid=1714466886277 3 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/code-conduct-disinformation 4 Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Artificial Intelligence Act). 5 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-buildingblocks/sites/display/EUDIGITALIDENTITYWALLET/EU+Digital+Identity+Wallet+Home”
  Transparency and oversight of AI-generated content · Disinformation & online freedoms
• 2025-01-23 “E-000299/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The internal energy market is the best protection against country-specific shocks, as the recent crisis has demonstrated. Its completion will be instrumental to further strengthen energy security and achieve our decarbonisation goals while decreasing price volatility and ensuring affordability. Reducing market fragmentation requires a better use of existing grid and increasing its capacity especially across borders. The European grid could be better used with the implementation of current market rules to maximize cross border trading capacities, and a fair bidding zone configuration reflecting structural congestions. Improved locational signals would foster investments in generation, storage, transmission and flexibility in a cost-effective way. The Trans-European Networks for Energy Regulation 1 provides framework for cross-border infrastructure planning by identifying projects of common interest that contribute to the internal energy market, security of supply and sustainability. It has enabled the implementation of around 100 cross-border infrastructure projects. The EU needs to further strengthen coordination and prioritisation for cross-border infrastructure projects to ensure that cross-border impacts are taken into account also at national level. As part of the Clean Industrial Deal, the Commission adopted an Action Plan for affordable Energy 2 on 26 February 2025 with key actions to lower energy. It outlines the importance to unlock the value of our Energy Union by taking steps towards a fully integrated energy market supported by interconnected and digitalised network. Further integration of the European internal energy market could increase the benefits to up to EUR 40-43 billion per year by 2030. 1 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/infrastructure/trans-european-networks-energy_en 2 Action Plan for Affordable Energy, COM (2025) 79 final.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• 2025-01-23 “E-000297/2025 Answer given by Mr Serafin on behalf of the European Commission As part of the next multiannual financial framework, the Commission intends to propose a European Competitiveness Fund 1 , which will establish an investment capacity to support strategic sectors and technologies critical to the EU competitiveness, including research and innovation, and Important Projects of Common European Interest 2 . At this point, the size of the fund is not yet known. This will depend on a number of factors, including the priorities of the co-legislators. As announced in the Communication on ‘The Road to the next Multiannual Financial Framework' of 11 February 2025 3 , the Commission will make a proposal for the next multiannual financial framework in July 2025, with a view to securing a timely agreement before the start of its implementation in January 2028. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/10017eb1-4722-4333-add2-e0ed18105a34_en 2 https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/state-aid/ipcei_en 3 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/6d47acb4-9206-4d0f-8f9b3b10cad7b1ed_en?filename=Communication%20on%20the%20road%20to%20the%20next%20MFF_en.pdf”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty · EU industrial funding · EU research funding
• 2025-01-23 “E-000301/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is fully aware of the recent rise of global gas prices and the challenge this imposes on EU businesses and citizens. It has already taken action to tackle this issue, such as emergency measures 1 adopted during the crisis and the revision of the Electricity Market Design 2 adopted in 2024. High gas prices impact electricity costs, whose increase is primarily driven by Europe’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. While rolling out clean energy can help provide cheaper, homegrown power, remaining regulatory and market bottlenecks prevent industries and households from fully capturing the benefits of clean energy in their bills. Within the frame of the Competitiveness Compass, the Commission presented the Clean Industrial Deal 3 . Under the Clean Industrial Deal, the Action Plan for Affordable Energy 4 sets out the measures to address the challenges of energy prices for both households and businesses. These measures aim at fostering energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment, accelerating permitting, grids, boosting storage and reducing systems costs. These efforts will help bring down energy costs and so support industry and households. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/1854/oj/eng 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1747/oj/eng; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1760/oj/eng 3 https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/clean-industrial-deal_en 4 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/strategy/affordable-energy_en”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices · Natural gas
• 2025-01-23 “E-000300/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission The Environmental Noise Directive (END) 1 requires Member States to adopt strategic noise maps showing noise exposure in major agglomerations, along major railways, major roads and around major airports. These maps serve as a basis for developing noise action plans. The Commission is committed to seeking to improve the implementation of the END 2 . Also, the Commission agreed to assess the feasibility of introducing EU noise-reduction targets and noise limits in the END, and aligning the noise exposure reporting thresholds as closely as possible with those recommended by the World Health Organization, as recommended by the European Court of Auditors 3 . The Commission will continue to foster exchanges of good practices between competent authorities via the TAIEX-EIR tool 4 . In October 2024, the Commission opened six infringement procedures related to non-reporting of noise maps 5 . The Commission may take further steps should the Member States’ remedial action be deemed unsatisfactory. Regarding possible displacement effects caused by low-emission zones (LEZs) on surrounding urban areas, in line with the principle of subsidiarity, relevant Member States authorities are fully responsible for establishing these zones, as no EU law exists that mandates them. The Ambient Air Quality Directive 6 and the END leave the choice of measures to the Member States, which are tasked with finding a balance between competing priorities. The New EU Urban Mobility Package 7 and its concept for Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans encourage cities to plan comprehensively for transport; by integrating LEZs into broader mobility strategies, cities can balance emissions reduction efforts with the needs of surrounding areas. 1 Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise, OJ L 189 18.7.2002, p. 12. 2 As noted in its 2023 Implementation Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the Implementation of the Environmental Noise Directive in accordance with Article 11 of Directive 2002/49/EC, 20.3.2023. 3 https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/publications/SR-2025-02 4 https://environment.ec.europa.eu/law-and-governance/environmental-implementation-review/peer-2-peer_en 5 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/inf_24_4561 6 Directive (EU) 2024/2881 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (recast), OJ L, 2024/2881, 20.11.2024, as well as its predecessors Directive 2004/107/EC and 2008/50/EC. 7 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - The New EU Urban Mobility Framework (COM(2021) 811/2).”
  Air quality policy · EU policy on urban development
• 2025-01-23 “E-000298/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission shares the views of the Honourable Member and recognises the importance of efficient and accessible intellectual property (IP) systems in today’s knowledge economy. With support from the Draghi report 1 , the Commission is working to strengthen the EU’s IP system. The nine Member States, which have not yet joined the Unitary Patent system 2 , will be encouraged to do so. In 2023 the Commission adopted proposals 3 for a unitary supplementary protection certificate (SPC) that would complement the unitary patent, and for a recast of the national SPC regulations. It is essential that EU small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can easily obtain and enforce IP rights. The SME Fund 4 and the IP Helpdesks 5 play key roles in this respect: The SME Fund partially reimburses registration costs for several types of IP rights, and the costs of initial IP advice on their protection and enforcement. More than 30 800 SMEs benefited from these services in 2024. In order to provide a level playing field for EU companies exporting to or operating in third countries, the Commission continues – through bilateral trade agreements, IP dialogues and IP cooperation projects, as well as action in relevant multilateral fora – its efforts to ensure effective protection and enforcement of EU IP in third countries. In addition, the costs for protection of IP generated during research projects funded under Horizon Europe 6 are eligible for reimbursement. Finally, IP rights must be effectively enforced. In 2019, counterfeit products made up nearly 6% of all EU imports (EUR 119 billion). That is why enforcement remains a priority. The Commission aims to implement its Recommendation to combat counterfeiting, and to introduce new measures and tools to strengthen IP enforcement 7 . 1 https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/draghi-report_en 2 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/industry/strategy/intellectual-property/patent-protectioneu/unitary-patent-system_en 3 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/proposals-regulations-supplementary-protectioncertificates_en 4 https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/sme-corner/sme-fund/2025 5 https://intellectual-property-helpdesk.ec.europa.eu/index_en 6 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en 7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202400915”
  Intellectual property rights (IPR)
• 2024-10-17 “E-002136/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission About two thirds of the fertilisers used in the EU agriculture are nitrogen-based. The raw material used in their production is natural gas, accounting for over 70% of variable production costs. In 2022, the energy crisis led to unprecedented high fertiliser prices and closures of production capacities across the EU. Fertiliser prices have decreased in 2023 but are at levels above those of the past decade, as natural gas prices moved to a higher plateau. The competitiveness of EU production of ammonia, the indispensable precursor of all nitrogen fertilisers, was affected as a result, leading to lower production capacity utilisation rates and even to some plant closures. The Commission already outlined several avenues to ensure the availability and affordability of fertilisers in the EU 1 . At the same time, it is necessary to maintain sufficient production capacity in the EU, including through the substitution of gas-based production with more climate-neutral alternatives. For instance, financial endowments from the Just Transition Fund 2 are earmarked for promoting the production of green ammonia in Romania (Azomureṣ) and Lithuania (AB Achema). In July 2024, the Commission approved a EUR 122 million Lithuanian state aid measure to support the decarbonisation of Achema’s production processes 3 . 1 COM(2022)590: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022DC0590 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32021R1056 3 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/sk/ip_24_3747/IP_24_3747_EN.pdf”
  Use of fertilisers
• 2024-10-17 “E-002135/2024 Answer given by Ms Albuquerque on behalf of the European Commission The Commission fully recognises the importance of financial literacy. The Commission, together with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development International Network on Financial Education developed two financial competence frameworks for adults, children and young people in 2022 1 and 2023 2 respectively. Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union gives the Commission a supporting role in education by encouraging cooperation between Member States and supporting their actions. The Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union 3 has been tasked by the President of the Commission with developing a strategy on financial literacy. This strategy will be looking at ways to support and increase exchanges of best practices among Member States and to provide further guidance to implement the existing financial competence frameworks. The Commission will assess the best way forward in close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders and in collaboration with other members of the College to ensure appropriate measures. The Commission counts on the Parliament’s support, as financial literacy is clearly an area where we all need to work together in a consistent and impactful way. 1 https://finance.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-01/220111-financial-competence-framework-adults_en.pdf 2 https://finance.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-09/230927-financial-competence-framework-childrenyouth_en.pdf 3 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/ac06a896-2645-4857-9958467d2ce6f221_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20ALBUQUERQUE.pdf”
  Financial regulation
• 2024-10-17 “E-002134/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission The Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) was established as a temporary instrument, with the clear objective to help Member States recover from the COVID-19 crisis and increase their resilience by supporting the implementation of reforms and investments to advance the green and digital transition. In line with the temporary nature of this instrument, the RRF has a clear end-date in 2026. Specifically, the legal framework applying to the RRF 1 clearly sets out that all payments related to the RRF must be made by 31 December 2026 and no new net borrowing can take place beyond 2026. In this context, the political guidelines for the 2024-2029 Commission make the full implementation of the RRF a key priority and the Commission remains committed to supporting Member States in the implementation of the reforms and investments agreed in their recovery and resilience plans. The political guidelines 2024-2029 also indicate that the next EU budget will be more focused, to align with priorities and objectives, simpler, with a plan linking reforms and investment for each country, and more impactful, notably with a European competitiveness fund to increase investment capacity in strategic technologies and use the budget to leverage further national, private and institutional financing more effectively. It will be for the colegislators to discuss the future Commission’s proposals and agree on the next multiannual financial framework in line with the EU’s priorities and funding needs. 1 Council Regulation (EU) 2020/2094 of 14 December 2020 establishing a European Union Recovery Instrument to support the recovery in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis (OJ L 433I, 22.12.2020); Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility (OJ L 057, 18.2.2021); Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/2053 of 14 December 2020 on the system of own resources of the European Union and repealing Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom (OJ L 424, 15.12.2020).”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-10-17 “E-002133/2024 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission The Commission plans to publish at the beginning of 2025 two Reports. One is the Commission’s assessment of Member States’ River Basin and Floods Risk Management Plans under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) 1 and the Floods Directive 2 . The other is an assessment of Member States’ programmes of measures under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 3 . These reports include recommendations to help Member States achieve or maintain good status of their waters. These recommendations will feed into the new European Water Resilience Strategy 4 , which will strengthen water security by preserving water quality and quantity and addressing the root causes of water challenges, including pollution, scarcity and the impacts of climate change. The Commission has been working to strengthen rules against water pollution, including nutrients and chemicals, through the recast of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive 5 , and its proposal to update the lists of priority substances and groundwater pollutants under the WFD and its ‘daughter’ directives 6 . Moreover, the Common Agricultural Policy 7 , through Eco-Schemes and Agri-Environment-Climate Commitments 8 , supports interventions improving water quality on 21% of the EU’s agricultural area 9 . Efforts to restore EU’s rivers, lakes and coastal waters to enhance their resilience are required under the new Nature Restoration Law 10 and are supported through the EU Mission ‘Restore 1 Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1. 2 Directive 2007/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2007 on the assessment and management of flood, OJ L 288, 6.11.2007, p. 27–34. 3 Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy, OJ L 164 25.6.2008, p. 19. 4 As stated in the Political Guidelines of the President of the Commission: https://commission.europa.eu/abouteuropean-commission/towards-new-commission-2024-2029_en 5 Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning urban wastewater treatment (recast), COM/2022/541 final. 6 Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, Directive 2006/118/EC on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration and Directive 2008/105/EC on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy, COM/2022/540 final. 7 Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013, OJ L 435, 6.12.2021, p. 1–186. 8 Eco-Schemes and Agri-Environment-Climate Commitments concern interventions beyond mandatory requirements. 9 https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/document/download/a435881e-d02b-4b98-b718104b5a30d1cf_en?filename=csp-at-a-glance-eu-countries_en.pdf 10 Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2024 on nature restoration and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/869, OJ L, 2024/1991, 29.7.2024.”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-10-16 “E-002125/2024 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan 1 puts forward the flagship initiative of a new EU Cancer Screening Scheme, spelled out through the 2022 Council Recommendation on cancer screening 2 , to help Member States ensure that 90% of the eligible EU population are invited to breast, colorectal and cervical cancer screening. Data for this coverage will be collected as part of the monitoring conducted on the implementation of the Council Recommendation, namely the third EU Cancer Screening Monitoring Report, included in the EU4Health Work Programme 2024 3 . The Council Recommendation encompasses recommendations for Member States on how to organise and run screening programmes; how to register, manage, monitor and report data; how to provide training; and on how to enhance participation. The technical annex recommends four specific screening tests and protocols for the three breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer sites and points out further research requirements to enable implementing lung, prostate, and gastric cancer screening. To support Member States with implementing the Council Recommendation, the Commission is providing targeted funding to Member States and stakeholders. Most notably, the Joint Action EUCanScreen 4 (Implementation of cancer screening programmes) was launched in June 2024, with EU co-funding of EUR 31 million. The Joint Action, uniting national authorities from 25 Member States and 4 associated countries, will address barriers and facilitators in cancer screening, conduct implementation research to improve existing programmes, facilitate the implementation of new programmes, and invest in capacitybuilding. 1 https://health.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-02/eu_cancer-plan_en_0.pdf; https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-european-waylife/european-health-union/cancer-plan-europe_en 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2022.473.01.0001.01.ENG 3 https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/2024-eu4health-work-programme_en 4 https://www.dypede.gr/EUCANSCREEN”
  Public and private sectors role in healthcare services · Vaccination
• 2024-10-16 “E-002126/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has launched two pilot projects under the Talent Booster Mechanism as set out in the 2023 Communication ‘Harnessing talent in Europe’s regions’ 1 . The first pilot project is supporting 11 regions in a ‘talent development trap’ 2 , selected as a result of a call for expressions of interest in November 2023 while the second pilot project provides expert support to 10 regions ‘at risk of falling into a talent development trap 3 , selected as a result of a call for expression of interest in February 2024. The work on both projects is ongoing and the intermediary results will be presented during the second high-level event of the Talent Booster Mechanism planned for the first semester of 2025. As these pilot projects are part of a wider framework involving other forms of concrete support for regions and cities, exchanges of experience among peers and access to knowledge via the Harnessing talent platform 4 that are planned until end 2026, no impact evaluations are planned at this stage. 1 COM(2023) 32 of 17.01.2023 available: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/communication/harnessing-talents/harnessing-talentsregions_en.pdf 2 More details on the selected regions and ongoing activities per region available https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/communities-and-networks/harnessing-talent-platform/support-onthe-ground_en#inline-nav-1 3 More details on the selected regions and ongoing activities per region available https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/communities-and-networks/harnessing-talent-platform/support-onthe-ground_en#inline-nav-20 4 Inforegio - Harnessing Talent Platform: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/communities-andnetworks/harnessing-talent-platform_en”
  EU competences on demographic policy · EU policy on brain drain · Youth employment & training
• 2024-10-02 “E-001915/2024 Answer given by Mr Schmit on behalf of the European Commission The Commission takes the risks of extreme heat at work very seriously. High temperatures at work can cause significant health issues, both for outdoor and indoor workplaces. The existing EU legislation on occupational safety and health (OSH) offers robust protection for workers against all types of OSH risks, with the OSH Directive 89/391/EEC 1 addressing general protection, including risks from high temperatures and other weather extremes at work. In addition, the Workplace Directive 89/654/EEC 2 stipulates that during working hours, the temperature in rooms containing workplaces must be adequate for human beings, and that when workers are employed at workstations outdoor, they are protected against inclement weather conditions. Similar provisions, for workers working in indoor and outdoor workplaces exist in the Construction Sites Directive 92/57/EEC 3 , the Fishing Vessels Directive 93/103/EC 4 and the extractive industries Directives 92/104/EEC 5 and 92/91/EEC 6 . EU OSH Directives lay down minimum requirements and Member States may adopt more stringent protective measures including by setting maximum permissible temperatures at the place of work. It is primarily for the national authorities to enforce national measures transposing EU Directives. Tripartite stakeholders of the Advisory Committee for Safety and Health at Work are also currently working on a draft opinion on possible future action in the area of climate change, heat at work and OSH. This will feed the Commission’s reflection as regards the possible way forward. 1 OJ L 183, 29.6.1989, p. 1 - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A31989L0391 2 OJ L 393 30.12.1989, p. 1 - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex:31989L0654 3 OJ L 245, 26.8.1992, p. 6 - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/1992/57/oj 4 OJ L 307, 13.12.1993, p. 1 - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A31993L0103 5 OJ L 404, 31.12.1992, p. 10 - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:31992L0104 6 OJ L 348, 28.11.1992, p. 9 - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:31992L0091”
  EU rules on hazardous working conditions
• 2024-10-02 “E-001912/2024 Answer given by Mr Wojciechowski on behalf of the European Commission The Commission monitors and assesses the impacts of extreme weather events on agricultural markets through market observatories. All information is publicly available in the agri-food data portal 1 . In addition, it produces short and medium-term outlook reports for EU agricultural markets 2 . The Commission is implementing actions to ensure the availability and sustainability of freshwater in a changing climate 3 , proposed a Soil Monitoring Law and is preparing a new European water resilience strategy. The Common Agricultural Policy includes support for strengthening long-term resilience and less water intensive production systems. These includes preventive investments, support for more efficient irrigation and water reuse, or ecoschemes. Member States have an essential role in building a risk management strategy by articulating these interventions in a way that is adapted to the local, regional or national challenges. Food security is not in danger in the EU, as regularly discussed in the European Food Security Crisis preparedness and response mechanism, that monitors risks that have the potential to threaten food supply and food security in the EU. Long-term food security is best guaranteed by further promoting sustainable ways of production and consumption, for example by improving water retention capacities in soils, climate change mitigation, and awareness raising, while providing short-term support such as income support to accompany and de-risk transition. In addition, EU Trade policy is an important instrument to drive the change towards sustainable food systems and the EU is cooperating with third countries at different levels to reach global solutions. 1 https://agridata.ec.europa.eu/extensions/DataPortal/home.html 2 https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/data-and-analysis/markets/outlook_en 3 See ‘Report on the implementation of the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change’, SWV(2023) 338 final.”
  Agricultural funding · EU policy on water management
• 2024-10-02 “E-001917/2024 Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission Protecting democratic processes and values, including the right to stand for public office, is a priority for the Commission. In addition, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act 1 , prohibits certain manipulative or deceptive uses of AI technologies that are likely to cause significant harm 2 . It also imposes transparency obligations on providers and deployers of AI systems generating deep fake contents 3 . Violations are sanctioned by administrative fines. However, deepfakes are not criminalised as such by the AI Act, which is a product safety legislation. The Commission Recommendation on inclusive and resilient elections (EU) 2023/2829, adopted as part of the 2023 Defence of Democracy package, highlights the highest democratic standards in elections. This Recommendation also addresses different challenges to the election information environment, including so called ‘deep fakes’, as a vector of disinformation. It also encourages political parties and campaign organisations to adopt campaign pledges and codes of conduct on election integrity and fair campaigning. In these, political parties and campaigning organisations should commit to refrain from producing, using or disseminating falsified, fabricated, doxed or stolen data or material, including deep fakes generated by artificial intelligence systems. 1 Regulation (EU) 2024/1689. 2 Article 5(1)a) of the AI Act. This provision will apply from 2 February 2025. 3 Article 50(2) and (4) of the AI Act. This provision will apply from 2 August 2026.”
  Transparency and oversight of AI-generated content · Disinformation & online freedoms
• 2024-10-02 “E-001914/2024 Answer given by Ms Simson on behalf of the European Commission The REPowerEU plan 1 set an aspirational target of 10 million tonnes of domestic renewable hydrogen production and 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen imports by 2030 to lower the imports of Russian fossil fuels, proposing to increase the mandatory targets for renewable hydrogen consumption in industry and the transport sector. However, the co-legislators in the Renewable Energy Directive 2 decided to reduce both binding targets and as a result of it the renewable hydrogen demand is lower than the aspirational targets in the REPowerEU plan for 2030. Still, the mandatory targets will ensure future demand for renewable hydrogen, allowing the hydrogen industry to kickstart the supply chains. At the same time, co-legislators agreed on additional mandatory targets for renewable hydrogen consumption in industry in 2035, and laid out pathways in the aviation 3 and maritime 4 sector to promote the uptake of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen up to 2050. The Commission is currently working with Member States, including through an assessment of their National Energy and Climate Plans, to ensure the timely transposition of the mandatory demand volumes in industry and the transport sector. On the basis of that reporting, the Commission shall develop a Union strategy for imported and domestic hydrogen with the aim of promoting the European hydrogen market as well as domestic hydrogen production within the EU as outlined in the Renewable Energy Directive 5 . 1 SWD(2022) 230 final. 2 Directive (EU) 2023/2413. 3 Regulation (EU) 2023/2405. 4 Regulation (EU) 2023/1805. 5 Directive (EU) 2023/2413, article 22a.”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-10-02 “P-001913/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Vestager on behalf of the European Commission The Commission opened a call for applications for strategic projects 1 under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) 2 on 23 May 2024. The Commission received 170 applications by the cut-off date of 22 August 2024. These applications are currently under assessment. The Commission will not communicate about the applications during the assessment since it could undermine the commercial interests of the project promoters. Once the assessment process is finalised, the Commission will publish on its website the list of recognised strategic projects. Strategic projects under the CRMA are expected to contribute to the achievement of the 2030 benchmarks defined in Article 5 of the CRMA. They must also demonstrate that they are technically feasible, implemented sustainably and that they make a meaningful contribution to the security of the EU’s supply of strategic raw materials. The recognition of a project as a strategic project by the Commission has several advantages, including streamlined and predictable permitting procedures and support in gaining access to finance. The CRMA itself does not provide for direct EU funding to the recognised projects. 1 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/critical-rawmaterials/strategic-projects-under-crma_en 2 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 (Text with EEA relevance), https://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401252”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-10-02 “E-001916/2024 Answer given by Ms Ivanova on behalf of the European Commission The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is built around the three core values of sustainability, inclusion, and aesthetics. Inclusion is understood broadly, from valuing diversity to securing accessibility and affordability. A key pillar of inclusion is ensuring that all Europeans, regardless of geographic location or socio-economic status, can benefit from and contribute to the initiative. The NEB contributes to bridging inequalities, for instance by promoting projects in rural communities and lower-income regions. Currently EUR 73 million (EU contribution) is planned for calls with a strong NEB component, stemming from cohesion policy programmes in less developed regions. The NEB Compass, a tool that provides a guidance framework for decision-makers wishing to apply the NEB values and principles in their territory, invites project developers to consider how their project can become more affordable and how the needs of less represented communities can be considered 1 . The NEB Dashboard 2 provides an overview of NEB activities in different Member States. The overview transparently shows that NEB activities are taking place in all Member States, as well as across a wide variety of different regions – each with their unique socio-economic situation. 1 NEB Compass, https://new-european-bauhaus.europa.eu/system/files/2023-01/NEB_Compass_V_4.pdf, p. 12. 2 NEB Dashboard, https://web.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dashboard/NEB/index.html”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “In the European Union is not a marginal issue. 27 million people experience severe material and social deprivation. These realities are shown the level of youth, youth that are not part of work, of education or in training. This is not only a social problem, it's also a problem that affects economic competitiveness in the long term and should be seen as a strategic investment. I support the Commission's proposal that the EU budget for 2028 2030 for at least 40% of member state funding should go to the social area. We're talking about over €100 billion that can make a difference in people's lives if they're directed towards concrete results. It is Essential that we have a budget of at least 20 billion people for the children guarantee a minimum of 10% for member states, where child poverty is above the European average. Moreover, it is important to have a co-financing rate of at least 90% for social projects and even 95% for the eastern regions that have been affected by the war in Ukraine. And I asked the Commission that the next strategy for fighting poverty, that it support member states through a model of good practice that can be integrated in in these partnership, regional and national partnership plans. Thank you.”
  EU expenditure on social policy
• “Commissioner. Colleagues, I would like to begin by thanking my colleagues who deal with the reports that we debate today. And I would like to refer to the need to simplify the cohesion policy. There are still regions in the EU where local authorities and small and medium sized enterprises would rather take bank loans or wait for government funds instead of accessing European funds because there are complex bureaucratic procedures, high costs and strict conditionalities which make it which make European funding difficult to obtain and to manage. This situation is caused by the rules set at European level, but more than anything by the often unnecessary additional rules imposed at national level. That is why I have submitted several amendments to the report on simplification, and I call for a single set of rules for accessing European funds, as well as for the use of a single audit regarding implementation, monitoring and control. This is the only way in which we can make sure that beneficiaries, be they local and regional authorities, SMEs, NGOs or academics focus their resources on developing and implementing European projects and not on overcoming administrative obstacles. At the same time, I support the creation of a single European platform connected with national platforms, which would provide all beneficiaries with quick access to the various European funds relevant to the sector in which they operate.”
  Conditions to access EU budget
• “Commissioner. Colleagues, I would like to start by thanking the European Commission for its proposal to simplify the cap. I would also like to thank my colleagues in the agri committee for their contributions. We have succeeded in cutting red tape, clarifying the rules and adding animal diseases in the list of situations eligible for crisis payments, reducing the loss threshold from 20 to 15%, and very important to increase support for small farmers up to €5,000 per year for small farmers. And. And a one off payment of 75,000 for business development. These measures are undoubtedly welcome, but European agriculture needs clear, flexible and fair rules in the long term. However, in the context of the next EU budget, we are seeing another type of simplification proposed by the European Commission, namely a budget reduction of 20 to 30% in real terms after adjustment for inflation, and the proposal for a merger of pillar two with the Cohesion Funds. This proposal has provoked strong reactions amongst farmers, including in my own community, their discontent risks being exploited by populist forces. Farmers are calling for real simplification, concrete support and citizens expect quality food, healthy food at fair prices. That is why we need a truly common, simplified and properly funded agricultural policy that ensures the dignity of farmers and protects the identity of villages, traditions and quality.”
  Agricultural funding