Strategies

- 28th Regime for Innovative Companies (legislative, Articles 50 and 114 TFEU, Q1 2026) - European Innovation Act (legislative, Articles 114, 173 and 182 TFEU, Q1 2026) - Public Procurement Act (legislative, Article 114 TFEU, Q2 2026) - Advanced Materials Act (legislative, Articles 114 and 173 TFEU, Q4 2026) - Cloud and AI Development Act (legislative, Article 114 TFEU) - Chips Act (legislative, Articles 114 and 173 TFEU) (Q1 2026) - Critical Raw Materials Centre (legislative, Article 114 TFEU, Q2 2026) - European Research Area Act (legislative, Article 182 TFEU, Q3 2026) - European Biotech Act II (legislative, Article 114 TFEU, Q3 2026) - Quantum Act (legislative, Articles 173, 180 and 184 TFEU, Q2 2026) - Circular Economy Act (legislative, Article 114 TFEU, Q3 2026) - European Product Act: - Update of the new legislative framework of product rules (legislative, Article 114 TFEU, Q3 2026). - Update of rules on the market surveillance and compliance of products (legislative, Articles 33 and 114 TFEU, Q3 2026) - Update of rules on standardisation (legislative, Article 114 TFEU, Q3 2026) - Electrification action plan, including heating and cooling (non-legislative, Q1 2026) - Update of the governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action including the phase-out of fossil fuels subsidies (legislative, Articles 192 and 194 TFEU, Q4 2026 - Energy Union package for the decade ahead: - Development of the CO2 transportation infrastructure and markets (legislative, Article 194 TFEU, Q3 2026). - Setting-up of the energy efficiency framework (legislative, Article 194 TFEU, Q3 2026). - Setting-up of the renewable energy framework (legislative, Article 194 TFEU, Q3 2026) - Update of rules on shareholder rights (legislative, Articles 50 and 114 TFEU, Q4 2026) - Update of the European venture capital funds Regulation (legislative, Article 114 TFEU, Q3 2026) - Update of antitrust procedural rules (legislative, Article 103 TFEU, Q3 2026) - Communication on better regulation (non-legislative, Q2 2026) - European Space Shield – action plan (non-legislative, Q2 2026) - Strengthening Frontex (legislative, Articles 77 and 79 TFEU, Q3 2026) - Digitalisation of the return process (legislative, Article 79 TFEU, Q3 2026) - Strengthening Europol (legislative, Article 88 TFEU, Q2 2026) - Creation of a European critical communication system (legislative, Article 87 TFEU, Q3 2026) - Quality Jobs Act (legislative, Article 153 TFEU, Q4 2026) - - European school alliances and Basic Skills Support Scheme (non-legislative, Q3 2026) - - 2030 Roadmap on the future of digital education and skills (non-legislative, Q3 2026) - Fair labour mobility package: - Proposal for a European Social Security Pass (legislative, Article 48 TFEU, Q3 2026). - Strengthen the European Labour Authority (legislative, Articles 46 and 48 TFEU, Q3 2026). - Skills portability initiative (legislative, Articles 46, 53 and 62 TFEU, Q3 2026) - Intergenerational fairness strategy (non-legislative, Q1 2026) - Digital Fairness Act (legislative, Article 114 TFEU, Q4 2026) - Strengthening Eurojust (legislative, Article 85 TFEU, Q2 2026) - Update of rules on audiovisual media services (legislative, Articles 53 and 62 TFEU, Q3 2026) - Action plan against cyberbullying (non-legislative, Q1 2026)

◆2025-10-21

- Start-up and Scale-up Strategy [Q2 2025] - 28th regime [Q4 2025 – Q1 2026] - European Innovation Act [Q4 2025 – Q1 2026] - European Research Area Act [2026] - AI Factories Initiative [Q1 2025], Apply AI, AI in Science, and Data Union Strategies [Q3 2025] - EU Cloud and AI Development Act [Q4 2025 – Q1 2026] - EU Quantum Strategy [Q2 2025] and a Quantum Act [Q4 2025] - European Biotech Act and Bioeconomy Strategy [2025-2026] - Life Sciences Strategy [Q2 2025] - Advanced Materials Act [2026] - Space Act [Q2 2025] - Review of the Horizontal Merger Control Guidelines - Digital Networks Act [Q4 2025] - Clean Industrial Deal and an Action Plan on Affordable Energy [Q1 2025] - Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act [Q4 2025] - Electrification Action Plan and European Grids Package [Q1 2026] - New State Aid Framework [Q2 2025] - Steel and metals action plan [2025] - Chemicals industry package [Q4 2025] - Strategic dialogue on the future of the European automotive industry and Industrial Action Plan [Q1 2025]. - Sustainable Transport Investment Plan [Q3 2025] - European Port Strategy and Industrial Maritime Strategy [2025] - High Speed Rail Plan [2025] - Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism Review [2025] - Circular Economy Act [Q4 2026] - Vision for Agriculture and Food [Q1 2025] - Oceans Pact [Q2 2025] - Amendment of the Climate Law [2025] - Conclude and implement ambitious trade agreements, Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships - Trans-Mediterranean Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation initiative [Q4 2025] - Joint purchasing platform for Critical Raw Minerals [Q2-3 2025] - Revision of directives on Public Procurement [2026] - White Paper on the Future of European Defence [Q1 2025] - Preparedness Union Strategy [Q1 2025] - Internal Security Strategy [Q1 2025] - Critical Medicines Act [Q1 2025] - European Climate Adaptation Plan [2026] - Water Resilience Strategy [Q2 2025] - Omnibus simplification and definition of small mid-caps [26/2/2025] - European Business Wallet [2025] - Single Market Strategy [Q2 2025] - Revision of the Standardisation Regulation [2026] - Savings and Investments Union [Q1 2025] - Next MFF, including Competitiveness Fund and a Competitiveness Coordination Tool [2025] - Union of Skills [Q1 2025] - Quality jobs roadmap [Q4 2025] - Skills Portability Initiative [2026]

◆2025-01-29

- Adopt simplification omnibus packages to reduce unnecessary burden to safeguard effective implementation of policy objectives such as the Digital Omnibus aimed at streamlining and simplifying certain elements of the EU digital acquis and the Omnibus to ease compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility obligations (ongoing) - Competitiveness Checks during the impact assessment phase to ensure Single Market consistency and further innovation (ongoing) - Review of national and European agencies in the field of the Single Market with a view to effective application of the law (Q1 2026) - Revise the Public Procurement framework to centralise and streamline its fragmented and complex provisions, and to mainstream the use of sustainability, resilience, social and, in certain technologies and strategic sectors, European preference criteria in EU public procurement while ensuring competitive tenders (2026) - In coordination with the revision of the Public Procurement framework, revise the Directive on defence and sensitive security procurements19 to simplify and harmonise rules and procedures for defence procurements and to take into account a possible European preference (2026) - Call a first meeting of the high-level Single Market Sherpas (Q4 2025) - Organise a first SMET annual high-level political meeting (Q4 2025) - Propose a Single Market Barriers Prevention Act (Q3 2027, if necessary, based on the assessment of the functioning of existing preventive tools) - Establish common rules to facilitate the digital setup of businesses and their operations across the Single Market (Legislative proposal on ‘28th regime’ - Q1 2026) - Revise the Commission Recommendation on business transfers26 (Q4 2025) - Explore EU legislation to address barriers to the mobility of workers. - Make the procedures for the recognition of professional qualifications faster and more efficient through the greater use of digital tools (Q4 2026) - Facilitate the recognition of professional qualifications by extending automatic recognition schemes, for instance via Common Training Frameworks (Q4 2026) - Explore EU legislation to establish common rules for the recognition and validation of qualifications and skills of third country nationals (Q4 2026) - Allow the Commission to establish common specifications when needed (Omnibus proposal adopted together with the Strategy) - Review the Standardisation Regulation (Legislative proposal - Q2 2026) - Harmonise labelling rules via sectoral legislation and facilitate rollout of digital - labelling solutions via the Digital Product Passport (DPP) (progressive introduction of DPP, including possible inclusion via the New Legislative Framework review in Q2 2026) - Remove unjustified authorised representative requirements from EPR schemes and reduce reporting obligations, including by limiting them to an annual frequency (Omnibus proposal Q4 2025) - Address the fragmentation created by heterogenous national EPR schemes through further harmonisation, simplification and digitalisation, including through a digital one- stop shop for information, registration and reporting (as part of the legislative proposal for a Circular Economy Act Q4 2026) - Reform end-of-waste and by-product criteria and provide a more harmonised, leaner framework in the Single Market for reaching end-of-waste and by-product status. Ease the adoption of EU-wide end-of-waste criteria and enable the adoption of such criteria for priority waste feedstocks. Facilitate cross-border shipments of waste feedstocks for recycling (as part of the legislative proposal for a Circular Economy Act - Q4 2026). - Take effective action to increase product compliance by tapping into synergies with capacities of the EU and national customs and market surveillance authorities and potentially establishing an EU Market Surveillance Authority (as of Q3 2025) - Modernise product legislation framework to harness digitalisation, promote circularity and strengthen safeguards (Review of the New Legislative Framework – possible legislative proposal Q2 2026) - Launch an initiative to facilitate the provision of pan-EU services by providers authorised or certified in one Member State on the basis of EU law, potentially including the harmonisation of such authorisation and certification schemes (Q2 2026) - Develop legal guidance and recommendations to Member States to provide clarity on the right to provide services cross-border on a temporary basis (Q2 2026) - Continue supporting the co-legislators to conclude negotiations on: - the revision of Regulations (EC) Nos 883/2004 and 987/2009 on social security coordination; - the proposal for a public interface for the declaration of posting of workers (COM 2024/531). - Launch a Fair Labour Mobility Package (2026), including – inter alia: - Following up to the ongoing pilot activities, proposal of a European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS) - Proposal for strengthening of the European Labour Authority (ELA) including reviewing its mandate - Consider measures to make it easier to temporarily provide services cross- border, while protecting workers’ rights - Develop tools to act against unjustified Territorial Supply Constraints to cover situations beyond those captured by competition law, such as unilateral practices of large manufacturers (Proposal - Q4 2026) - Propose a Construction Services Act to lower barriers to cross-border market access for construction and installation services (Q4 2026) - Work with Member States to simplify permitting and planning procedures to increase the supply of housing in the context of the European Affordable Housing Plan and the European Strategy for Housing Construction (Q1 2026) - Launch initiative to facilitate the cross-border provision of industry-related services such as installation, maintenance and repair services (Q4 2025) - Issue guidance and recommendations to Member States to free regulated business services from unnecessary regulation hindering investment and trade (Q1 2026) - Develop guidance to Member States on the proportionality of their retail regulation (Q4 2026) - Propose a new EU Delivery Act, to replace the Postal Services Directive and Cross-border Parcels Regulation (legislative proposal Q4 2026) - Propose a Digital Networks Act to simplify the legal framework and foster the completion of a Single Market for electronic communications (Q4 2025) - Launch initiative for single digital booking and ticketing for rail (Q4 2025) - Launch initiative for paperless mobility for passengers and goods (Q4 2026) - Launch initiative on cross-border car rentals (Q3 2025) - Ensure harmonised implementation and enforcement of the existing horizontal legal framework (EU Services Directive57) (ongoing) - Provide an SME ID tool based on self-declaration available in all EU languages to facilitate proof of SME status, where appropriate (together with the Single Market Strategy) - Reinforce the Network of SME Envoys, including to encourage the voluntary adoption of measures encouraging SME cross-border trade and contribute to the administrative burden reduction agenda (Q3 2025) - Publish best practice examples of SME-friendly provisions that can be systematically considered for inclusion in draft legislative acts and negotiations (Q3 2025) - Adopt a definition of small mid-caps and an SMC omnibus (together with the Single Market Strategy) - Extend the existing SME fund, implemented by the EUIPO, for 2026 and possibly 2027 (Q4 2025) - Adopt a Commission Recommendation for a ‘Voluntary SME’ standard (VSME) to manage sustainability requests to SMEs stemming from their value chain and financial partners (Q3 2025) - Develop a voluntary streamlined approach to help SMEs demonstrate their sustainability efforts and improve their access to sustainable finance, including by assessing the need to amend the Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act to allow financial institutions to better reflect their financing activities of those SMEs (Q1 2026 / Q2 2026)

◆2025-05-21

- The Commission will propose a European 28th regime which will provide a single set of rules for companies. It would include an EU corporate legal framework, based on digital-by-default solutions, and will help companies overcome barriers in setting up, scaling up and operating companies across the Single Market. To do so, it will simplify applicable rules and reduce the cost of failure, by addressing specific aspects within relevant areas of law, including insolvency, labour and tax law. It will explore the possibility of enabling companies to establish in Europe more rapidly, ideally within 48 hours (Q1 2026). - The Commission will propose the European Business Wallet as the cornerstone of doing business simply and digitally in the EU, establishing a digital identity for all economic operators and providing a framework for sharing verified data and credentials to enable seamless digital interactions between economic operators and public administrations across the Union (Q4 2025). - The Commission will propose a European Innovation Act which will also promote regulatory sandboxes, to allow innovators to develop and test new ideas. It will contain a common legal definition and basic principles regarding the establishment of regulatory sandboxes, including cross-border or place-based regulatory sandboxes, while ensuring sector specific needs (Q1 2026). - The Commission will propose a voluntary ‘Innovation Stress Test’ by Member States, consisting of recommendations for Member States to systematically assess the potential impact on innovation when preparing new or revised national legislation (Q12026). - The Commission will put forward proposals to reduce regulatory burdens in strategic sectors through forthcoming sectoral legislative and non-legislative proposals, such as the EU Biotech Act, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, the EU Life Science Strategy, the Advanced Materials Act the Medical Devices Regulation and the Omnibus Defence Simplification Package (as of 2025). - The Commission will revise the Standardisation Regulation to make standard- setting processes faster and more accessible, particularly for SMEs and startups (Q2 2026). - The Commission will launch a study to assess the extent to which corporate restructuring is organised and regulated at EU and Member State levels creates obstacles for startups, scaleups and innovative companies for business adaptation and innovation in different sectors of the economy, based on firm-level data (2026). This study will support the implementation of the Quality Jobs Roadmap and the Fair Labour Mobility package. - The Commission will expand the European Innovation Council and simplify ist rules. The EIC will increase its focus on challenge-driven, staged funding for high-risk innovations by introducing more ARPA-like processes. It will also expand its Trusted Investor Network and better engage with EU centaurs and unicorns for policy feedback (2025). - The Commission will work with private investors to deploy, as part of the EIC Fund, a market-based, privately managed and privately co-financed Scaleup Europe Fund, with a focused investment strategy aimed at bridging the financing gap of deep tech scaleup companies. The Scaleup Europe Fund will mobilise significant private funds and make direct equity investments in strategic sectors, to contribute to Europe’s technological sovereignty and economic security. The deployment of the Scaleup Europe Fund is without prejudice to the next Multiannual Financial Framework. The Scaleup Europe Fund will work in close cooperation with InvestEU and in complementarity with the European Tech Champions Initiative and other instruments of the EIB Group (2026). - The Commission, in coordination with the EIB Group, will work with large institutional investors to develop a voluntary European Innovation Investment Pact for those who commit to invest part of their assets under management into EU funds- of-funds, venture capital funds and unlisted scaleups (2026). - The Commission will leverage and reinforce existing instruments and develop new instruments to invest in European security and defence startups and scaleups, in line with the White Paper on Defence29 and based on the upcoming Omnibus Defence Simplification Package. These instruments could include more flexible and adaptive funding approaches for emerging defence innovators, including also from Ukraine, such as targeted support to single entities; as well as reinforcing and broadening the scope of available EU funding options, including equity and debt instruments (2026). - The Commission will develop a framework for IP valuation for IP-backed financing in cooperation with the European Union Intellectual Property Office. It will also expand the evidence base to develop concrete IP finance instruments. (Q2 2027). - The Commission will support European business angels and their networks in order to create more possibilities for young startups to grow (2026). - The Commission will, in the context of the upcoming review of the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines, review the definition of ‘undertaking in difficulty’ taking into account the possible obstacles for certain startups and scaleups, which are not at risk of going out of business, to benefit from other types of State aid (as of Q2 2025). - The Commission will review the Horizontal and Non-Horizontal merger Guidelines bearing in mind dynamic criteria such as innovation competition (2027). - The Commission will create a European Corporate Network to better integrate large companies, corporate venture investors and corporate procurers into the EU’s innovation ecosystem and benefit from innovative solutions developed by startups. The Network members would advise on related policy, engage in matchmaking with startups and make a voluntary commitment to privilege European startups when they engage, invest and procure innovative solutions, especially when they use public funding or when they operate critical research or technology infrastructures (2026). - The Commission will launch a Lab to Unicorn Initiative to accelerate the commercialisation of research results. Under this initiative, the Commission will: - support leading European Startup & Scaleup Hubs, rooted in strong university ecosystems, to network and collaborate across borders to provide access to startups and scaleups to each other’s respective services, infrastructures and corporates. Synergies with existing networks will be harnessed where relevant (2026). - develop a blueprint for licensing, royalty- and revenue-sharing and equity participation for academic institutions and their inventors when commercialising IP and creating spinoffs, following best commercial practice. The Commission will support capacity-building of Technology Transfer Offices and the creation of ‘venture builders’ roles in research performing organisations, including Research and Technology Organisations, research infrastructures and universities (2026). - provide legal and implementation guidance on the applicable State aid rules to support startups by clarifying the conditions under which universities and public research organisations can grant IP rights in compliance with State aid rules (2026). - The Commission will propose a set of measures for pro-innovation procurement. In particular: - In the context of the revision of the EU public procurement directives, the Commission will seek ways to improve and simplify the access to public procurement, taking into account the needs of startups and scaleups. The public consultation would also look into issues particularly relevant for startups and scaleups, such as limiting overspecification and excessive financial requirements in tender documents and introducing more innovation-friendly IPR provisions and value engineering. - In the context of the revision of the EU public procurement directive in the field of defence and security, the Commission will seek ways foster the inclusion of startups and scaleups in procurements and take into account a possible EU preference in procurements to reinforce EU competitiveness and technological sovereignty. - In the context of the European Innovation Act, complementing the above, the Commission will seek ways to increase total investments in public and private innovation procurement across Europe i) provide a fast-track procedure for public procurement of R&D services that fall outside of the EU public procurement directives, including pre-commercial procurements; ii) incentivise innovation-minded sourcing strategies for private procurers. - The Commission will launch a Blue Carpet initiative to support the attraction and retention of highly skilled and diverse talent from within the EU and from non-EU countries. As part of this initiative, the Commission will (2025-2026): - Actively promote and further strengthen entrepreneurial education and upskilling, including through the EIT, promoting gender balanced and diverse participation. - develop a blueprint for an academic career development framework that rewards research commercialisation activities, including transitioning from university to industry and back, such as in the academic staff evaluation and promotion criteria, as part of the Competence framework of academic staff announced in the Union of Skills. - explore best practices concerning the treatment of employee stock options for startups, including considering legislative measures to harmonise certain aspects of their treatment. - propose a recommendation to eliminate tax obstacles for remote cross-border employees for startups and scaleups. - present a Fair Labour Mobility Package, including clarification of social security coordination rules in case of cross-border remote work and a Skills Portability Initiative to further facilitate and simplify the recognition of qualifications, including for third country nationals (2026). - adopt an EU Visa Strategy which will include measures to better attract highly skilled students, researchers, entrepreneurs and trained workers from third countries to come to the EU, for example by making the most of the Students and Researchers Directive and the Blue Card Directive in particular for startup founders (Q4 2025). - pilot the Multipurpose Legal Gateway Offices initiative with a specific focus on ICT skills (Q4 2025). The pilot will serve as a one-stop-shop for information and assistance to highly skilled professionals, students and researchers in the ICT sector, who are interested to work in the EU. - roll-out targeted information activities to promote the EU Blue Card Directive, among highly skilled non-EU workers and employers about the benefits of the EU Blue Card, including the possibility for the EU Blue Card holder and its family members to get easier access to the EU long-term residence status. - encourage Member States to put in place fast-track schemes allowing eligible startup founders to obtain a residence and work permit under simplified and expedited procedures. - simplify and reinforce existing EURAXESS services for innovators, including by offering bespoke support to non-EU talent, with essential information on the respective procedures across the different EU Member States. - The Commission will develop a Charter of Access for industrial users to research and technology infrastructures, including for startups and scaleups, and, where necessary, simplify and harmonise diverging access and contractual conditions. The Commission will financially support access to AI computing facilities for startups (2025). - Building on the Charter, the European Innovation Act will further promote the access of innovative companies to European research and technology infrastructures through legislative measures (Q1 2026). - The Commission will provide legal and implementation guidance on the applicable State Aid rules to clarify the conditions under which universities and public research organisations can grant access to infrastructure in compliance with State Aid rules (2026). - The Commission will propose a definition of startups, scaleups and innovative companies, taking into account existing definitions of SMEs and small mid-caps (Q1 2026). - The Commission will set up a European Startup and Scaleup Scoreboard that will measure, based on a set of indicators the performance of the European and national startup and scaleup ecosystems. Indicators will include, among others, the number of startups, scaleups, centaurs and unicorns. It will also be used to measure the impact of the Strategy by using three Key Performance Indicators: 1) the increase in the number of startups in the EU, 2) the increase in the number of centaurs in the EU and 3) the increase in the number of unicorns in the EU (as of 2026), and how these compare with global competitors. - The Commission will carry out an annual startup and scaleup survey to assess the perception of innovative company founders of the improvement in the EU’s regulatory environment over time (as of 2026).

◆2025-05-28

- Action Plan on Affordable Energy Q1 2025 - EIB pilot offering financial guarantees for PPA off takers, with a focus on SMEs and energy-intensive industry Q2 2025 - Legislative proposal on the extension of the Gas Storage Regulation Q1 2025 - Clean Industrial Deal State aid framework Q2 2025 - Recommendation on network charges Q2 2025 - Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: Speed-up permitting for industrial access to energy and industrial decarbonisation Q4 2025 - Recommendation on energy taxation Q4 2025 - Guidance on CfD design, including on combining CfDs and PPAs Q4 2025 - Guidance on promoting remuneration of flexibility in retail contracts Q4 2025 - European Grids Package Q1 2026 - Delegated act on low carbon hydrogen, providing regulatory certainty to producers of low carbon hydrogen Q1 2025 - Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: - Establish a low-carbon product label - Apply sustainability, resilience and minimum EU content requirement in public and private procurement in strategic sectors to ensure lead markets for low-carbon products Q4 2025 - Communication and legislative proposal on greening corporate fleets 2025/2026 - Revision of Public Procurement Directives to mainstream the use of non-price criteria Q4 2026 - Increase InvestEU’s risk bearing capacity Q1 2025 - IPCEI Design Support Hub 2025 - Clean Industrial Deal State aid framework Q2 2025 - Recommendation to Member States to adopt tax incentives to support the Clean Industrial Deal Q2 2025 - Flagship call under Horizon Europe Q4 2025 - Pilot auction under the Innovation Fund 2025 - Industrial Decarbonisation Bank Q2 2026 - TechEU investment programme on scale-ups with the EIB Group and private sector 2026 - First list of Strategic Projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act Q1 2025 - Ecodesign Work Plan adoption Q2 2025 - EU Critical Raw Materials Centre for joint purchases and management of strategic stockpiles Q4 2026 - Circular Economy Act Q4 2026 - Green VAT initiative Q4 2026 - Trans-Regional Circularity Hubs Q4 2026 - Launch negotiations for the first Clean Trade and Investment Partnership Q1 2025 - Simplification of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) Q1 2025 - Comprehensive CBAM review assessing the feasibility of extending the CBAM scope to other EU ETS sectors at risk of carbon leakage, to downstream sectors and to indirect emissions and support to exporters, closing loopholes Q3 2025 - Trans-mediterranean Energy and Clean tech cooperation initiative Q4 2025 - Legislative proposal on an extension of CBAM Q1 2026 - Guidelines on Foreign Subsidies Regulation Q1 2026 - Union of Skills Q1 2025 - Quality Jobs Roadmap Q4 2025 - Guidance on social leasing for clean products 2025 - European Fair Transition Observatory Q1 2026 - Skills Portability Initiative 2026 - Review of State aid GBER rules for social enterprises and recruitment of disadvantaged workers Q4 2027

◆2025-02-26

- Set up and deploy selected AI Factories and their services (Q2 2025); - Set up a single-entry point for all users across Europe for access to AI Factories and their services (Q2 2025) - Launch procurement of the first AI-optimised Factory supercomputers (Q2/Q3 2025); - Launch a Call for Proposal to establish AI Factories Antennas (Q2 2025) - Launch a Call for networking all the AI Factories and AI Factories Antennas activities (Q2 2025) - Issue a call for expression of interest to invest in AI Gigafactories (9 April 2025); - Define the InvestAI Facility with EIBG (Q3/Q4 2025); - Launch the official call on AI Gigafactories under the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (Q4 2025); - Address the financing gap of startups and scaleups and facilitate their access to markets, public procurement, services and talent in the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy (Q2 2025). - Adopt a proposal for the Cloud and AI Development Act (Q4 2025 - Q1 2026), preceded by the launch of a public consultation (9 April 2025); - Adopt a Strategic roadmap for digitalisation and AI in the energy sector (2026); - Support Member States in their work on designing possible future IPCEIs in the field of AI and data processing infrastructure. - Launch a public consultation on the Data Union Strategy in order to better understand industry’s data needs (Q2 2025) before presenting the Data Union Strategy (Communication, Q3 2025); - Set up Data Labs associated with the AI factories (Q3-Q4 2025); - Continue supporting the deployment of Common European Data Spaces (including the use of common software and use of shared technical building blocks to ensure interoperability) and fostering their links with AI factories (Digital Europe Programme 2025-2027). - Launch a public consultation and Call for Evidence to identify stakeholders’ priorities and inform the Apply AI Strategy (9 April 2025); - Launch a Call for Evidence and targeted consultation activities with the scientific community to inform the AI in Science Strategy (Q2 2025); - Organise structured dialogues with industry and public sector representatives to identify sector-specific AI-related deliverables and KPIs and inform the Apply AI Strategy (Q2-Q3 2025); - Adapt the mission of European Digital Innovation Hubs to ensure they fully support the adoption of relevant AI solutions in strategic sectors (Q2-Q3 2025); - Adopt the Apply AI Strategy jointly with the AI in Science Strategy (Q3 2025); - Adopt R&I work programme Horizon Europe 2026-2027, further boosting development and deployment of AI/generative AI in strategic sectors (Q4 2025); - As part of the GenAI4EU initiative, launch calls from Horizon Europe and Digital Europe Programme – in health, cybersecurity, energy, pharma/drug, electronic communications, aerospace, robotics, manufacturing, public sector, science etc. – reaching close to EUR 700 M investment (Q1 2026); - Launch a pilot phase of the RAISE, the European AI Research Council (2026). - Support the increase in provision of EU bachelors and masters degrees as well as PhDs focusing on key technologies, including AI (Q2 2025); - Launch the AI Skills Academy (Q2 2025), including: - AI fellowship schemes to attract EU and non-EU PhD candidates, researchers and young professionals living abroad; - (together with AI Factories) a pilot certified generative AI-focused degree to facilitate top-level teaching and research of AI fellows; - a pilot AI apprenticeship programme with industry; - scholarship and returnship schemes for female professionals; - Organise Advanced Digital Skills Competitions in key technologies, including AI (Q2 2025); - Contribute to attracting and retaining skilled AI talent from non-EU countries, including via the ‘MSCA Choose Europe’ scheme for researchers (Q4 2025-2026); - Support continuous learning by workers in SMEs, mid-caps, startups and public-sector organisations with the European Digital Innovation Hubs (Q2 2025); - Promote AI literacy via dissemination activities and a repository of AI literacy initiatives (Q2 2025); - Launch a pilot, leveraging existing Talent Partnerships and the Multipurpose Legal Gateway Offices to promote the mobility of highly skilled non-EU workers in the AI sector (Q4/2025). - Launch an AI Act Service Desk in the EU AI Office (July 2025); - Launch, as part of Apply AI Strategy’s public consultation, a process to identify stakeholders’ regulatory challenges and inform possible further measures to facilitate compliance and possible simplification of the AI Act (April 2025).

◆2025-05-09

- Action Plan on Basic Skills [Q1 2025] - Basic Skills Support Scheme (pilot) [2026] - 2030 Roadmap on the future of digital education and skills [Q4 2025] - AI in education initiative [2026] - STEM Education Strategic Plan [Q1 2025] - EU Teachers and Trainers Agenda [2026] - European competence framework for academic staff [2026] - European Strategy for vocational education and training (VET) [2026] - Increasing accessibility of higher education [2027] - Intergenerational fairness strategy [Q1 2026] - Pilot a Skills Guarantee for workers [2025] - Roll-out of targeted EU Skills Academies, after a review of existing ones [2026] - Pilot transnational university-business partnerships for sectors with severe skills gaps [2026] - Skills Portability Initiative [2026] - Common European framework for the automatic recognition of study qualifications and learning periods abroad in school, VET and higher education [2027] - Launch of innovative joint European study programmes with a European degree/label [2026] - A legal status for European Universities alliances [2027] - Pilot a European VET diploma [2025-2026] - Pilot European School Alliances [2026] - Launch of the EU Talent Pool IT Platform Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action ‘MSCA Choose Europe’ Pilot [Q4 2025] - A new Visa Strategy [Q4 2025] - Launch of Multipurpose Legal Gateway Offices [2026]

◆2025-03-05

- Systematic Implementation Strategies: The Commission will prepare a dedicated implementation strategy for each major legislative act, identifying transposition challenges, tracking arrangements, and support measures including for SMEs; directives will be accompanied by explanatory templates and transposition roadmaps for Member States. [from 2025] - Implementation Dialogues: Each Commissioner will host at least two stakeholder dialogues per year to assess progress and identify areas needing policy attention, with outcomes reported in annual enforcement and implementation progress reports. [from H1 2025] - Administrative Burden Reduction Targets: The Commission expands its burden reduction targets from reporting costs to all recurring administrative costs, aiming to cut the EUR 150 billion EU-wide baseline by at least 25% for companies and 35% for SMEs by end of mandate. [2025–2029] - Omnibus Package on Sustainability: Simplifies CSRD, CSDDD, and EU Taxonomy requirements to reduce supply-chain trickle-down effects on SMEs, ease CBAM obligations for smaller importers, and better align sustainability reporting with investor needs. [2025] - Omnibus Package on Investment Simplification: Facilitates deployment of InvestEU and the European Fund for Strategic Investments and streamlines related reporting requirements. [2025] - Omnibus Package on Small Mid-Caps and Paper Removal: Introduces proportionate requirements for small mid-cap companies and removes paper-format obligations from product legislation. [2025] - Cybersecurity Act Review and Digital Acquis Fitness Check: Reviews the Cybersecurity Act to enable streamlined multi-purpose reporting and avoid duplication, as part of a broader first-year assessment of whether the digital acquis adequately reflects the needs of SMEs and small mid-caps. [2025] - European Data Union Strategy: Addresses existing data rules to create a simplified and coherent legal framework enabling businesses and administrations to share data seamlessly and at scale, while maintaining privacy and security standards. [2025] - CAP Simplification Package: Addresses sources of complexity and excessive administrative burden for farmers and national administrations in managing, monitoring, and reporting under the Common Agricultural Policy, leveraging digitalisation. [2025] - Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: Extends accelerated permitting procedures to additional sectors in transition, broadening the scope of streamlined authorisation processes beyond the Renewable Energy Directive. [2025] - REACH Targeted Revision: Simplifies EU chemicals rules to reduce compliance burdens for the chemicals industry without lowering health, safety, or environmental protection standards. [2025] - European Business Wallet: Enables businesses to manage national, cross-border, and EU regulatory requirements, notifications, and compliance processes in one unified, user-friendly digital platform, building on the Digital Wallet. [2025] - MFF Simplification Proposal: Presents a new long-term EU budget designed to reduce financial landscape fragmentation, ease administrative burdens for beneficiaries and implementing authorities, and improve access to EU funds while retaining financial safeguards. [2025] - Stress-Testing of EU Acquis: Continuous cross-portfolio review of the entire body of EU legislation for cumulative impacts, inconsistencies, and simplification potential, with each Commissioner responsible for their area and results feeding annually into the Commission Work Programme. [from 2025] - Reality Checks: Hands-on exchanges with practitioners, particularly SMEs and small mid-caps, to verify the real-world assumptions underpinning EU legislation, identify practical hurdles, and feed findings into stress-testing and future simplification proposals. [from H1 2025] - Reinforced SME and Competitiveness Checks: Systematic application of reinforced SME and competitiveness impact assessments to all legislation affecting companies, covering cost competitiveness, international position, innovation capacity, and cumulative sectoral effects, with stronger sector focus informed by the Draghi report. [from 2025] - Impact Assessments for Delegated and Implementing Acts: Delegated and implementing acts involving significant policy choices or impacts not previously assessed will be subject to dedicated impact assessments or cost-savings analyses, with particular attention to SME effects. [from 2025] - Digital-Ready Policymaking — Embeds digital considerations from the outset of legislative design, including use of regulatory sandboxes, cross-border interoperability for public administrations, expansion of the Single Digital Gateway, and systematic application of 'digital by default' and 'once-only' principles. [from 2025] - Methodology for Co-Legislator Amendment Assessment: The Commission will propose a simple methodology enabling the European Parliament and Council to estimate the administrative costs of significant amendments without delaying legislative negotiations. [Q2 2025] - Annual Overview Report on Implementation and Simplification: Annual cross-Commission report presenting progress on burden reduction targets, enforcement actions, and national implementation, with interactive data published on Europa. [from 2025] - IIA Better Lawmaking Renewal: The Commission will work with the European Parliament and Council to renew the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Lawmaking, clarifying institutional roles in delivering simpler and more effective rules. [2025]

◆2025-02-11

- Competitiveness Compass (non-legislative, Q1 2025) - Single Market Strategy (non-legislative, Q2 2025) - Third Omnibus package, including on small mid-caps and removal of paper requirements (legislative, Q2 2025) - Digital package (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Q4 2025) - European Business Wallet (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 114 TFEU, Q4 2025) - Clean Industrial Deal (non-legislative, Q1 2025) - Action plan on affordable energy (non-legislative, Q1 2025) - Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 114 TFEU, Q4 2025) - EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy (non-legislative, Q2 2025) - Communication on a Savings and Investments Union (non-legislative, Q1 2025) - Digital Networks Act (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 114 TFEU, Q4 2025) - AI Continent Action Plan (non-legislative, Q1 2025) - Quantum Strategy of EU (non-legislative, Q2 2025) - EU Space Act (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 114 TFEU, Q2 2025) - Bioeconomy Strategy (non-legislative or legislative, Q4 2025) - White Paper on the Future of European Defence (non-legislative, Q1 2025) - EU Preparedness Union Strategy (non-legislative, Q1 2025) - New European Internal Security Strategy (non-legislative, Q1 2025) - Action plan on the cybersecurity of hospitals and healthcare providers (non-legislative, Q1 2025) - Quality jobs roadmap (non-legislative, Q4 2025) - Union of Skills (non-legislative, Q1 2025) - 2030 Consumer Agenda, including an action plan for consumers in the Single Market (non-legislative, Q4 2025) - European Democracy Shield (non-legislative, Q3 2025) - Pact for the Mediterranean (non-legislative, Q3 2025) - Joint Communication on a new Strategic EU-India Agenda (non-legislative, Q2 2025)

◆2025-02-11

- They will work with a Vice-President for Implementation, Simplification and Interinstitutional Relations to stress-test the entire EU acquis. On this basis, we will make proposals to simplify, consolidate and codify legislation to eliminate any overlaps and contradictions while maintaining high standards. - To support this, I will propose a new EU-wide legal status to help innovative companies grow. This will take the form of a so-called 28th regime to allow companies to benefit from a simpler, harmonised set of rules in certain areas. - We will introduce a new category of small midcaps and assess where existing regulation applying to large companies is too burdensome, disproportionate or a hindrance to their competitive development. - In this spirit I will propose to renew Interinstitutional agreement on simplification and better law making that each institution assesses the impact and cost of its amendments in the same way. - We will put forward an Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act to support industries and companies through the transition. - We will continue to bring down energy prices by moving further away from fossil fuels, reinforcing joint procurement for fuels, and developing the governance needed for a true Energy Union. We will scale-up and prioritise investment in clean energy infrastructure and technologies. - We will work on new Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships to help secure supply of raw materials, clean energy and clean tech from across the world. - To this end we will propose a Single Digital Booking and Ticketing Regulation, to ensure that Europeans can buy one single ticket on one single platform and get passengers’ rights for their whole trip. - This will be the purpose of a new Circular Economy Act, helping to create market demand for secondary materials and a single market for waste, notably in relation to critical raw materials. - We must also do more to protect the security of our health systems, which are increasingly the target of cyber and ransomware attacks. To improve threat detection, preparedness and crisis response, I will propose a European action plan on the cybersecurity of hospitals and healthcare providers in the first 100 days of the mandate. - We must now focus our efforts on becoming a global leader in AI innovation. In the first 100 days, we will ensure access to new, tailored supercomputing capacity for AI start-ups and industry through an AI Factories initiative. We will also develop with Member States, industry and civil society an Apply AI Strategy to boost new industrial uses of AI and to improve the delivery of a variety of public services, such as healthcare. In this spirit, I will propose to set up a European AI Research Council where we can pool all of our resources, similar to the approach taken with CERN. - This is why we will put forward a Europea Data Union Strategy. This will draw on existing data rules to ensure a simplified, clear and coherent legal framework for businesses and administrations to share data seamlessly and at scale, while respecting high privacy and security standards. - To do this, we will expand the European Research Council and the European Innovation Council. - In order to make it easier to bring biotech from the laboratory to factory and then onto the market we will propose a new European Biotech Act in 2025. This will be part of a broader Strategy for European Life Sciences to look at how we can support our green and digital transitions and develop high-value technologies. - I will propose a revision of the Public Procurement Directive. This will enable preference to be given to European products in public procurement for certain strategic sectors. It will help ensure EU added value for our citizens, along with security of supply for vital technologies, products and services. It will also modernise and simplify our public procurement rules, in particular with EU start-ups and innovators in mind. - This is why I will put forward a new European Competitiveness Fund as part of our proposal for a new and reinforced budget in the next multiannual financial framework. This investment capacity will invest in strategic technologies – from AI to space, clean tech to biotech - to ensure that we develop strategic technologies and manufacture them here in Europe. And it will ensure that we use the power of our budget to leverage and de-risk private investment in our common goals. The European Competitiveness Fund will support Important Projects of Common Interest (IPCEIs) so that Europe can use its collective strength to invest together in ambitious common projects – as has already been done on a smaller scale with batteries, hydrogen and microelectronics. I will make IPCEIs simpler and faster to get financed and off the ground. The first new set of common projects will be proposed in early 2025. - To do so, we will establish a Union of Skills – focusing on investment, adult and lifelong learning, skill retention and the recognition of different types of training to enable people to work across our Union. Central to this will be embedding lifelong learning into education and careers and supporting the training and the career prospects of teachers. We will focus on improving basic skills and propose a STEM Education Strategic Plan. This will aim to address the worrying decline in performance and the lack of qualified teachers in areas linked to science, technology, engineering and maths. It should also bring more girls and women into STEM education and careers. It is also important to give vocational education and training (VET) the prominence it deserves. It prepares people for work and gives them the skills that companies are looking for. This is why I will propose a European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training, notably to boost the number of people with a secondary VET degree. - We need to make sure that we benefit from all high-quality skills irrespective of where and how they were acquired. This is why we will continue to work towards a European Degree and will put forward a Skills Portability Initiative to ensure a skill acquired in one country is recognised in another. - We will make the EU the most advanced travel destination in the world, with a fully functional European digital border management. - This is why I will propose a new European Democracy Shield. As part of this, we will work to counter foreign information manipulation and interference online, building on the examples of Viginum in France or the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency. The aim is to increase situational awareness, by detecting, analysing and proactively countering disinformation and information manipulation. We will focus on societal resilience and preparedness, through increased digital and media literacy and boosting prevention through pre-bunking. We will create a European network of fact-checkers and make it available in all languages. We will also continue to step up digital enforcement to ensure that manipulated or misleading information is detected, flagged and, where appropriate, removed in line with the Digital Services Act. Finally, we will also address the ever-more realistic deepfakes that have impacted elections across Europe. We will ensure that transparency requirements in the AI Act are implemented and that we strengthen our approach to AI-produced content. In protecting our democracy, we will always respect our enduring commitment to preserving and promoting free speech. - This is why I will put forward a Quality Jobs Roadmap, developed together with the social partners. It will support fair wages, good working conditions, training and fair job transitions for workers and self-employed people, notably by increasing collective bargaining coverage. - We will tackle unethical techniques used by online platforms by taking action on the addictive design of online services, such as infinite scroll, default auto play or constant push. We will also firmly combat the growing trend of abusive behaviour online with an action plan against cyberbullying. - At the same time, we must be more assertive in protecting our economy from key technology leakage and security concerns. This issue is particularly acute when dealing with those who are also strategic competitors and systemic rivals. This will be based on a clear-eyed risk assessment and our principle of ‘de-risking not decoupling’. The third strand of our economic foreign policy is partnerships and investing together in our interests and our partners through Global Gateway, our initiative to invest in infrastructure projects worldwide. We will take Global Gateway to the next level by proposing an integrated offer to our partners – with infrastructure investment, trade, macro-economic support part of the package. - I believe we need an ambitious reform agenda to ensure the proper functioning of a larger Union, to ensure we are equipped to tackle our geopolitical challenges and to improve democratic legitimacy, notably through citizens’ participation. This includes continuing to follow up on the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe. I believe we need Treaty change where it can improve our Union.

◆2024-07-18

- Our proposals will cut EUR 8 billion a year of bureaucratic costs for European companies. A digital Euro for example will make it easier for companies and consumers alike. And further omnibuses are on their way – for example on military mobility or digital. For innovative companies, we are preparing the so-called 28th regime and speeding up the work on the Savings and Investments Union. Because we have many high potential startups in key technologies like quantum, AI or biotech. As they grow, the limited availability of risk capital forces them to turn to foreign investors. This is wealth and jobs going elsewhere. And it jeopardises our tech sovereignty. This is why the Commission will partner with private investors on a multi-billion-euro Scaleup Europe Fund. It will help make major investments in young, fast-growing companies in critical tech areas. Because we want the best of Europe to Choose Europe. We need clear political deadlines. This is why we will present a Single Market Roadmap to 2028. On capital, services, energy, telecoms, the 28th regime and the fifth freedom for knowledge and innovation. Only what gets measured, gets done. - This will also support our investment in the technologies that will fuel our economy. Clean and digital. Take artificial intelligence. A European AI is essential for our future independence. It will help power our industries and our societies. From healthcare to defence. So – we will focus on the first key building blocks – that's from the Cloud and AI Development Act to the Quantum Sandbox. We are massively investing in European AI Gigafactories. They support our innovative start-ups to develop, train, and deploy their next-generation AI models. When we called on the private sector to join forces with us, the response was overwhelming. And later today I will meet CEOs from some of the largest European tech champions. They will hand over their European AI & Tech Declaration. This is their commitment to invest in Europe's tech sovereignty. And we must also take the same approach on clean tech – from steel to batteries. Europe's clean tech sector must stay in Europe – and we have to take urgent action. - I am convinced: the future of clean tech will continue to be made in Europe. But for that, we also need to make sure that our industry has the materials here in Europe. And the only answer here is creating a truly circular economy. So we need to move faster on the Circular Economy Act. And move ahead in those sectors that are ready. Finally, we need to keep up the speed. So the Commission will propose an Industrial Accelerator Act for key strategic sectors and technologies. In sum, when it comes to digital and clean tech: faster, smarter and more European. - This is why we will propose a new Grids Package to strengthen our grid infrastructure and speed up permitting. And to go with that, I am presenting today a new initiative called Energy Highways. We have identified eight critical bottlenecks in our energy infrastructure. From the Øresund Strait to the Sicilian Canal. We will now work to remove these bottlenecks one by one. We will bring governments and utilities together, to address all outstanding issues. Because Europeans need affordable energy right now. - In some communities across Europe, traditional media are struggling. In many rural areas, the days of going out for a local paper is a nostalgic memory. This has created many news deserts where disinformation thrives. And this is very dangerous for our democracy. Because informed citizens who can trust what they read and hear are essential to keep those-in-power accountable. And when independent media are dismantled or neutralised, our ability to monitor corruption and preserve democracy is severely weakened. This is why the first step in an autocrat's playbook is always to capture independent media. Because this enables backsliding and corruption to happen in the dark. So we need to do more to protect our media and independent press. This is why we will launch a new Media Resilience Programme – it will support independent journalism and media literacy. But we also need to invest to address some of the root causes of this trend. This is why in the next budget, we have proposed to significantly boost funding for media. We also need to enable private equity. We will therefore use our tools to support independent and local media. A free press is the backbone of any democracy. And we will support Europe's press to remain free. - Online bullying. Adult content. Promoting self-harm. And algorithms that prey on children's vulnerabilities with the explicit purpose of creating addictions. Too often mums and dads feel powerless and helpless. That they are drowning against the tsunami of Big Tech flooding their family homes. I strongly believe that parents, not algorithms, should be raising our children. Their voice must be heard. This is why today I am here to tell you that I am listening. Just as in my days – we as a society – taught our children that they could not smoke, drink and watch adult content until a certain age. I believe it is time we consider doing the same for social media. Our friends in Australia are pioneering a social media restriction. I am watching the implementation of their policy closely to see what next steps we can take here in Europe. I will commission a panel of experts to advise me by the end of this year on the best approach for Europe. We will approach this carefully and listen to everyone. And in all of this work we will be guided by the need to empower parents and build a safer Europe for our children. Because when it comes to our kids' safety online, Europe believes in parents, not profits. - I am working on legislative packages to empower this pro-European majority. And I am so delighted, dear Roberta, that we have managed to renew the Framework Agreement between the Commission and Parliament. This will only strengthen our cooperation. And it will be an enabler for us to work on the real reforms that are needed. Because I support the right of initiative of the European Parliament. And I believe that we need to move to qualified majority in some areas, for example in foreign policy. It is time to break free from the shackles of unanimity.

◆2025-09-10

Amend the EuroHPC JU Regulation to extend its remit to all quantum technologies and,as a first step, transfer present Horizon Europe Pillar 2 R&I quantum activities into the JU [Q3 2025] Present the Quantum Act proposal [2026] Publish the EU Quantum Computing and Simulation Roadmap [2026] Expand the number and capacity of EuroHPC-based quantum computing systems [2026 onwards] and set up a monitoring framework for quantum computing [2026] Deploy the first EU-interconnected experimental quantum terrestrial and space secure communication network [by 2030] Publish a Quantum Communication Roadmap [2026] Launch a pilot facility for the European Quantum Internet [2026] Deploy a distributed system of gravimeters across Europe [2026 onwards] Publish a Quantum Sensing Roadmap [2026] Establish a European Q-MRI Pilot Infrastructure and scale it up across Europe [2025 onwards] Establish six new quantum pilot production lines under the Chips Joint Undertaking to scale technologies from lab to the market [2025] Release a Quantum Chips Industrialisation Roadmap [2026] Launch a quantum design facility [2026] Publish a European Quantum Standards Roadmap [2026] Expand the network of quantum competence clusters [2026] Carry out and finalise EU-wide assessments of supply chain vulnerabilities[2025-2026] Sign a cooperation agreement with ESA for the development of a Quantum Technology Roadmap in space [Q2 2025] Develop a quantum sensing space & defence technology roadmap [2026] Contribute to the European Armament Technological Roadmap [Q4 2025] Launch spin-in initiatives to bring-in civil companies and academia for defence applications [as of 2026, onwards] Establish the European Quantum Skills Academy [2026] Launch European Advanced Digital Skills Competitions in quantum [as of 2026, onwards] Launch a Pilot Programme for Researchers-in-Residence in Quantum Technology Startups [2025] Launch the European Quantum Talent Mobility Programme [2026, onwards] Extend and launch new bilateral and multilateral cooperation initiatives with like-minded countries [2025 onwards] Work with the Member States on a European Quantum International Cooperation Framework [2025 onwards]

◆2025-07-02

(Flagship) The Commission will propose an investment plan for clinical research to facilitate funding for multi-country clinical trials, in compliance with competition rules, and to further develop and streamline European research infrastructures in the field of clinical research. (Flagship) The Commission will create a network of European Centres of Excellence in advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) to coordinate their further development, together with the Member States, taking into account existing centres, with EUR 4 million financial support from the Horizon Europe work programme 2026-202754 The Commission will continue to support, monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Clinical Trials Regulation with the overall aim to make Europe more competitive for clinical trials and medical research investments. The Commission will launch a pilot for phased, stepwise funding of collaborative research under the Horizon Europe work programme 2026-202755, leveraging results from past EU projects, to accelerate the development of promising health technologies. The Commission will explore a pilot to identify and exploit collaboration opportunities between EU Biotech clusters across the EU, with a focus on supporting the scaling-up of their startups as well as on enhancing their global industrial innovation standing. The action should build upon existing actions, such as the European Cluster Collaboration Platform. (Flagship) The Commission will promote One Health approaches in research and innovation by collaborating with Member States and other stakeholders to: identify further priority areas that would benefit from One Health approaches for consideration for financial support, leveraging existing data and repositories, and develop guidance to support inter- and transdisciplinary R&I in One Health. (Flagship) The Commission ambitions to make the EU a world-class innovator in One Health microbiome-based solutions, including by mobilising close to EUR 100 million under the Horizon Europe work programmes for 2026-2027 to support development and deployment of such solutions. (Flagship) The Commission will implement the new strategic research and innovation agenda on health and climate change, including through mobilising EUR 170 million Horizon Europe funding and invites Member States and industry to contribute.The Commission will also propose a global research collaboration to foster alignment between global funders and to support the development of solutions to increase our resilience and to support climate adaptation and mitigation. The Commission will develop a strategic R&I agenda on food systems to foster development of competitive, sustainable and resilient food systems solutions, complementing the forthcoming strategic approach to R&I in agriculture, forestry and rural areas announced in the Vision for agriculture and food64 (Flagship) The Commission will establish a European Life Sciences R&I Data Assembly bringing together a range of EU and Member State authorities working in data-related domains and key EU R&I bodies to support consistent interpretation and harmonisation of relevant legal data frameworks and to strengthen cross-regulatory coordination and collaboration. The Commission will support activities to develop and populate strategic biodata resources, including non-human biodata, and enable access for European and global users in complement to the European Data Union strategy. The Commission will invest EUR 50 million in integration of multi-modal generative AI technologies into multidisciplinary biomedical research via the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025. The Commission will invest EUR 25 million from the Digital Europe work programme 2026 to boost the European genomic data infrastructure, in alignment with the EHDS. The Commission will support research and innovation in cross-sectoral life science technologies to develop new products that can drive industrial innovation and sustainability (including novel molecules and advanced materials), improve the efficiency of biomanufacturing and other industrial biotechnology processes, and support bioremediation. This includes mobilising EUR 200 million under the Horizon Europe work programme 2026-2027. The Commission will support the scale-up and uptake of sustainable advanced fermentation by promoting innovation through public-private partnerships and supporting the scaling-up of startups and other SMEs operating in this area and by organising an annual conference on advanced fermentation to connect stakeholders, foster collaboration and promote knowledge exchange. The Commission will support life sciences research and innovation to promote the leadership position of the European Union for bioeconomy solutions and sustainable management of biomass. This includes mobilising more than EUR 150 million under the Horizon Europe work programme 2026-2027. The Commission will collaborate with Member States, industry, academia and regulators to support development, validation and uptake of new approach methodologies to de-risk the development of new medicinal products and medical devices through a new European Research Area (ERA) policy action85 . In addition, the Horizon Europe programme will allocate EUR 50 million to these methodologies through its work programme 2026-2027. The Commission will continue to support the emergence and adoption of the next generation of virtual human twins solutions in the context of the European Virtual Human Twins Initiative. The Commission will dedicate EUR 8 million for a Virtual Human Twins Incubator to support uptake of virtual human twin solutions in the European market and their use in clinical research (e.g. clinical trials, clinical investigations) through the Digital Europe Work Programme 2025-2027. (Flagship) The Commission will take action to support the career development of life science researchers and to help researchers from non-EU countries set up in the EU, including through the 'Choose Europe’ initiative, and work in synergy with similar activities run by the Member States The Commission will launch a foresight study to identify the competences, skills and training needs for the life sciences, including for optimising the uptake of artificial intelligence. With EUR 1 million financial support from the Horizon Europe work programme 2026-2027, the study will complement relevant data and analysis by the European Skills Intelligence Observatory. (Flagship) The Commission will propose an EU Biotech Act to make the EU regulatory system more conducive to biotech innovation in various biotech sectors, alongside supportive measures. (Flagship) The Commission will be ready to propose legislation that strikes a balance between simplifying EU regulations related to medical devices and in vitro diagnostics, with a view to facilitate businesses’ operations across the EU single market, and effectively protecting patient safety and public health. The Commission will create an AI-powered interactive tool to help researchers and innovators navigate the EU regulatory landscape, particularly in the early stages of research and development. (Flagship) To fast-track life science startups in their journey to the market,the Commission will launch a matchmaking strategic interface connecting life science startups, industry and investors, leveraging the EIC’s portfolios, the EIC’s Trusted Investors Network (TIN) and other key European stakeholders. The Commission will, through Horizon Europe and EU4Health, stimulate the procurement of life science innovation through dedicated calls in areas such as adaptation to climate change, next-generation vaccines or affordable solutions for cancer, backed by funding of approximately EUR 300 million107. The Commission will mobilise EUR 2 million financial support from the Horizon Europe work programme 2026-2027 to support life science stakeholders and policy makers in public outreach by setting up a repository of tools and best practices in responsible R&I, risk and science communication, and pilot public outreach measures. (Flagship) The Commission will reinforce the coordination of its services and set up a ‘Life Science Coordination Group’ within the Commission to ensure innovation- friendly coherent policies, funding and activities. The Coordination Group will also: organise high-level topical discussions between policy makers and stakeholders; monitor progress in implementing this strategy; manage the European Life Science R&I Data Assembly; support the development of an interactive tool to help European researchers and innovators navigate the life science regulatory landscape and provide information on data services and tools; organise and manage other activities, such as: creating a stakeholder forum for life sciences to encourage broad dialogue and engagement; developing and coordinating horizon-scanning capabilities to identify promising emerging technologies with high potential for life sciences.

◆2025-07-02

Digital Partnership Network: New coordination structure connecting existing EU Digital Partnerships and Dialogues into an operational network for technical exchanges, joint projects, and high-level engagement among partner countries, the EU, and Member States. New Digital Partnerships and Dialogues: Preparation of additional bilateral and regional digital partnerships in a Team Europe approach, prioritised on the basis of existing cooperation frameworks and EU strategic interests. Digital Trade Agreement Network Expansion: Extension of the EU's bilateral digital trade agreement network beyond concluded agreements with Singapore and Korea, including in the context of ongoing FTA negotiations with India, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia. New Pact for the Mediterranean: Digital Dimension — Deepening of EU digital cooperation with Southern Neighbourhood partners as part of the broader Mediterranean Pact, building on the 2021 Agenda for the Mediterranean. - EU Tech Business Offer: Integrated modular package combining secure connectivity, Digital Public Infrastructure, AI, and software solutions for deployment in trusted partner countries; managed as a Tech Team Europe initiative involving EU companies, development finance institutions, and export credit agencies, with the D4D Hub and EU4Digital as facilitators. Arctic Submarine Cable Initiative: EU support for new submarine cable routes in the Arctic region, using the Connecting Europe Facility to catalyse public and private investment. BELLA Cable Extension: Extension of the first transatlantic optical fibre cable between the EU and Latin America/Caribbean across Central America and the Caribbean, supporting High-Performance Computing growth in the region. MEDUSA Submarine Cable: Commission- and EIB-supported high-speed cable linking the northern and southern Mediterranean shores, extended to West Africa. Blue-Raman Submarine Cable: Planned 11,700km secure cable connecting Europe to India via the Middle East and Eastern Africa along the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Black Sea Digital Links: Investment in secure, high-capacity internet infrastructure linking Europe to the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Eastern Partnership region, subject to conditions on the ground. Central Asia Secure Satellite Connectivity: Team Europe Initiative providing EU private-sector satellite connectivity to unserved and underserved areas in Central Asia. IRIS² Sub-Saharan Africa Pilots: Early-stage pilot projects in Sub-Saharan Africa under the EU's secure satellite constellation programme ahead of full constellation deployment. EU-ASEAN Copernicus Mirror Site Expansion: Extension of the Copernicus mirror site from the Philippines to additional ASEAN countries including Indonesia and Thailand, under the EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Team Europe Initiative. EU-Japan/Korea/Canada Quantum R&I Projects: Joint research and innovation projects on quantum technologies with Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Canada. EU-India Semiconductor Talent Exchange: Dedicated programme under the EU-India Trade and Technology Council to facilitate talent exchanges and build semiconductor skills among students and young professionals. HPC Federation: Latin America and Caribbean — Partnership under the EU-LAC Digital Alliance to federate High-Performance Computing resources in Latin America and the Caribbean and integrate them with the European HPC ecosystem. EU-African Union AI Governance Follow-Up: Implementation of commitments from the EU-AU Ministerial Meeting (May 2025) to develop regional AI innovation ecosystems and digital governance frameworks. [from Q2 2025] AI Factories in Partner Countries: Deployment of AI Factory compute infrastructure in trusted partner countries, connected securely to the EU AI Factories ecosystem. AI in CFSP/CSDP: Commission/Member State work to identify concrete areas where AI can support implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Common Security and Defence Policy. EUDIS-Ukraine Collaboration: Exploration of enhanced defence innovation cooperation with Ukraine under the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS). HEDI Synergies: Exploration, with Norway and Ukraine, of new cooperation modalities to support the Hub for European Defence Innovation (HEDI). CRA Mutual Recognition Agreements: Exploratory engagement with partner countries on mutual recognition of product cybersecurity requirements under the Cyber Resilience Act framework. Global Cyber Resilience Capacity-Building: Global Gateway-anchored programme supporting critical infrastructure security and cyber ecosystem development in partner countries through regulatory frameworks, policy support, and cyber hygiene measures. Cyber Attribution and Sanctions Strengthening: Reinforcement of EU capacity to attribute cyber-attacks to malicious state and non-state actors, with development of associated sanctions mechanisms. - FIMI Attribution Expansion: Extension of EU attribution methodology from cyber-attacks to Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference incidents, building on existing cyber attribution tools. EU Digital Identity Wallet: Partner Country Deployment — Development and export of trust services and digital identity solutions based on EUDI Wallet specifications as interoperable building blocks for the digital transformation of partner country public administrations and businesses. EUDI Wallet Integration: Ukraine, Moldova, Western Balkans — Preparatory work for gradual integration of Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans into the EU Digital Identity Wallet ecosystem. DPI Interoperability: India, Egypt, Uruguay, Brazil — Bilateral cooperation on e-signatures and Digital Public Infrastructure interoperability to generate cross-border benefits for businesses and citizens. European Interoperability Framework: International Deployment — Promotion of an interoperability-by-default approach based on the EIF to facilitate seamless cross-border data exchange with partner countries. eInvoicing Standard: International Promotion — Promotion of the EU eInvoicing standard and interoperable technical specifications with Japan, India, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia. Global Digital Compact: Implementation and Review — EU engagement in UN GDC follow-up and review processes to defend EU achievements and ensure coherence with existing global digital architecture, including the Internet Governance framework. WSIS+20 Review: Team Europe coordination to secure a suitable multilateral outcome to the World Summit on the Information Society 20-year review negotiations. Open Internet Stack: International Extension — Support for the international broadening of foundational internet protocols to address partner countries' connectivity, trust, and security needs.

◆2025-06-05

Network Charges Reform:The Commission will design new tariff methodologies to incentivise grid flexibility and electrification investment, with guidance on using public budgets to lower network charges and on anticipatory grid investment, followed by a legislative proposal if needed to make the framework legally binding. [Q2 2025] Energy Taxation Directive Revision: The Council is called to finalise the 2021 ETD revision to align energy taxation with climate policy and remove fossil fuel exemptions; the Commission will issue a recommendation to Member States on applying existing flexibilities to reduce electricity taxation across all sectors. [from ETD adoption; Q4 2025] Citizens' Energy Package: Proposes measures to increase citizens' participation in the energy transition, including guidance to Member States on removing supplier-switching barriers, measures to reduce energy poverty, and rules enabling consumers and communities to produce, sell and consume their own renewable energy. [Q3 2025] Long-Term Electricity Supply Contracts (PPA Support): Launches a EUR 500 million EIB pilot programme to counter-party Power Purchase Agreements for energy-intensive industries, provides guidance on contracts for difference, and adopts new rules to develop European forward markets and expand hedging opportunities for businesses. [Q2 2025 – Q4 2025] Clean Energy and Grid Permitting Acceleration: Expands the AcceleRES implementation plan, provides guidance on innovative renewables deployment and grid acceleration areas, and will put forward legislative proposals as part of the European Grid Package to streamline environmental assessments and shorten permitting deadlines for renewables, storage and grids; also assesses licensing streamlining for Small Modular Reactors. [mid-2025; legislative proposals with Grid Package; SMR Communication 2026] European Grid Package: Legislative and non-legislative measures to simplify TEN-E, ensure cross-border integrated planning, streamline permitting, enhance distribution grid planning, boost digitalisation, and develop effective cost-sharing mechanisms for interconnectors; includes an EIB grids manufacturing counter-guarantee package of at least EUR 1.5 billion. [Q1 2026] Electricity System Flexibility Rules: Clarifies State aid requirements for non-fossil flexibility schemes, adopts new demand response rules to remove remaining market access barriers for storage and consumers, and consults Member States on a clean flexibility instrument based on PPAs. [Q2 2025 State aid framework; Q1 2026 demand response rules] Retail Flexibility Remuneration Guidance: Develops guidance and standardised market-based systems to ensure consumers and industry are fairly remunerated in retail contracts for the flexibility services they provide to the electricity system. [Q4 2025] Gas Market Task Force: Established to scrutinise EU natural gas markets and prevent commercial practices distorting market-based pricing; will consult on legislative changes to align energy and financial market rules (MiFID/REMIT), create a joint harmonised market-data database, and strengthen regulatory oversight of spot markets. [concludes Q4 2025] EU LNG Demand Aggregation and Purchasing: Engages directly with reliable LNG suppliers to identify cost-competitive import options, proposes demand aggregation for EU companies entering tolling contracts at LNG plants worldwide, and explores longer-term contractual models including investment in export infrastructure abroad. [Q1–Q2 2025] European Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition: Through the Coalition and in cooperation with the EIB Group, develops an EU guarantee scheme to double the energy efficiency services market for businesses and SMEs, with a blueprint for the scheme and an assessment of an EU-wide energy savings certification scheme. [Q3 2025 partnership launch; Q4 2025 guarantee blueprint] Energy Labelling and Ecodesign Update: Updates EU energy labelling and ecodesign rules, improves market surveillance IT tools, and provides clearer compliance guidance to operators, while supporting Member States in incentivising consumers to replace old appliances with energy-efficient alternatives. [from 2025] Energy Union Task Force: A high-level body comprising Commission, relevant EU agencies, Member States and stakeholders will examine technical and regulatory adjustments needed to enhance Energy Union governance and report regularly to the President of the Commission, the European Council, the Energy Council and the European Parliament. [2025] Clean Energy Investment Strategy and Nuclear Illustrative Programme (PINC): Presents a strategy to mobilise private capital and close the clean energy investment gap, alongside an updated Nuclear Illustrative Programme assessing nuclear investment needs and supporting next-generation technologies. [2025] Fusion Strategy: Proposes a dedicated EU Fusion Strategy including the creation of a Public-Private Partnership to accelerate commercialisation of fusion as a future decarbonised energy source. [2025] White Paper on Deeper Electricity Market Integration: Sets out the Commission's vision for a fully integrated EU electricity market with a cohesive governance framework aligning national and EU-level objectives and ensuring cross-border decisions are taken at the appropriate level. [early 2026] Electrification Action Plan: Promotes the rapid electrification of industry, transport, and heating and cooling sectors to reduce fossil fuel dependence and lower system costs, with the aim of increasing electricity's share of final energy consumption to around 32–33% by 2030. [Q1 2026] Strategic Roadmap for Digitalisation and AI in the Energy Sector: Accelerates the rollout of EU AI solutions for grid optimisation, building energy efficiency and demand-side flexibility, while fostering AI-driven innovation and ensuring robust cybersecurity and data privacy safeguards. [2026] Heating and Cooling Strategy: Supports decarbonisation of the heating and cooling sector through expanded heat pump deployment, waste heat recovery and improved building efficiency, reducing fossil fuel import dependence by an estimated EUR 60 billion by 2030. [Q1 2026] Governance Regulation Revision: Revises the Energy Union and Climate Action Governance Regulation to simplify reporting, modernise NECP processes as strategic investment plans, and prepare the EU for the post-2030 energy and climate policy framework. [mid-2027] Tripartite Contract for Affordable Energy: A cross-sectoral agreement between governments, clean energy producers and energy-intensive industry to align long-term off-take commitments, stable energy supply, and supportive regulatory frameworks, reducing investment risk and lowering costs across the energy value chain. [2025] Energy Security Framework Revision: Legislative proposal to revise the EU's energy security regulatory framework, incorporating lessons from the 2021–2023 energy crisis to strengthen supply resilience and reduce price volatility. [early 2026] Peak Demand Reduction Guidance: Commission guidance to Member States on designing and implementing consumer remuneration schemes to lower peak electricity demand during periods of system stress or price spikes, with TSOs activating demand-shift measures when needed. [ongoing; deployed during price spikes] Emergency Cross-Border Capacity Coordination: Coordination with TSOs and national regulatory authorities to temporarily increase available cross-border interconnection capacities during regional price crises and to align maintenance outage planning across borders to avoid restricting electricity flows. [when necessary]

◆2025-02-26

EU Internal Security Threat Analyses: The Commission will produce and present regular threat analyses for EU internal security, drawing on SOCTA, TE-SAT, JCAR, and financial crime assessments, to inform agile and responsive security policy, feed into Security College discussions, and contribute to the all-hazards risk assessment under the Preparedness Union Strategy. [from 2025] Commission Integrated Security Operations Centre (ISOC): The Commission will establish an Integrated Security Operations Centre to protect people, physical assets, and operations across all Commission sites, while revising its corporate security governance framework and boosting analytical capacity for identifying and mitigating hybrid threats. [from 2025] Europol Mandate Overhaul: The Commission will present a legislative proposal to transform Europol into a fully operational police agency, expanding its mandate to cover sabotage, hybrid threats and information manipulation, strengthening its technological capacity, enhancing coordination with other agencies, and reinforcing oversight arrangements. [2026] Eurojust Mandate Revision: The Commission will present a legislative proposal to strengthen Eurojust's mandate for more effective judicial cooperation, enhancing its analytical capacity and proactive support to national judiciaries, and deepening its complementarity and cooperation with Europol. [2026] Frontex Reinforcement: The Commission will present a legislative proposal to reinforce Frontex's role and tasks, including tripling the European Border and Coast Guard to 30 000 over time, equipping it with advanced surveillance technology and intelligence capabilities, and strengthening its support for returns of third-country nationals posing security risks. [2026] European Critical Communications System (EUCCS): A legislative proposal will establish a harmonised pan-European communications system linking Member States' next-generation critical communications networks, built on operational mobility, resilience and strategic autonomy, and extended via the IRIS² satellite system to ensure interoperability for first responders across borders. [2026] Roadmap on Lawful and Effective Access to Data: The Commission will present a roadmap setting out legal and practical measures to ensure law enforcement authorities can access data lawfully and effectively, prioritising a review of EU data retention rules and a Technology Roadmap on encryption to identify solutions enabling lawful access while safeguarding cybersecurity and fundamental rights. [Roadmap H1 2025; encryption roadmap 2026] Data Retention Rules Review: The Commission will prepare an impact assessment on updating EU data retention rules, with a view to rebalancing investigative access to digital evidence against fundamental rights safeguards in a manner consistent with Court of Justice jurisprudence. [2025] High-Level Group on Operational Law Enforcement Cooperation: The Commission will create a high-level group to develop a shared strategic vision for cross-border operational law enforcement cooperation, addressing challenges faced by law enforcement officers conducting surveillance and urgent interventions across internal borders and in countering hybrid threats. Security Research and Innovation Campus (JRC): The Commission will establish a Security Research and Innovation Campus at its Joint Research Centre to shorten the cycle from research to innovation and deployment, reducing development and validation costs for internal security solutions including AI-based tools for law enforcement. [2026] EMPACT Architecture Strengthening: Working with Council Presidencies and Member States, the Commission will maximise the potential of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats for the 2026–2029 cycle, strengthening its focus on the most threatening criminal networks, cross-border intelligence, joint investigations, follow-the-money approaches, and anti-recruitment measures. [from 2025] Interoperability Architecture and Prüm II Rollout: The Commission, Member States and eu-LISA will work towards swift deployment of the EU's large-scale information system interoperability architecture and the Prüm II automated data exchange system, enabling secure cross-border sharing of fingerprints, DNA, vehicle registration data, facial images, and police records. [from 2025] Travel Information Framework Strengthening: The Commission will extend passenger data collection and transfer requirements to private flights, evaluate PNR processing rules, assess maritime travel information streamlining, and explore expanded use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems with SIS integration, to close the current gap in tracking criminal and terrorist movements across transport modes. [from 2025] Schengen Information System (SIS) Enhancement: The SIS will be updated to enable Member States to enter alerts about third-country nationals involved in terrorism and serious crime based on data shared by third countries through Europol, strengthening external border checks and identity verification for individuals posing security threats. [2026] Cybersecurity Act Revision: The Commission will revise the Cybersecurity Act to simplify the EU cybersecurity framework, modernise ENISA's mandate, improve the European Cybersecurity Certification Framework for timely scheme adoption, and address ICT supply chain security risks and strategic dependencies on high-risk providers. [2025] Cloud and Telecom Cybersecurity Measures: The Commission will take action to encourage critical entities to choose cloud and telecom services offering appropriate cybersecurity levels, considering both technical and strategic risks, complementing the NIS2 Directive and Cyber Resilience Act obligations. [from 2025] Strategic Planning for Coordinated Cybersecurity Risk Assessments: Building on existing sectoral assessments covering 5G, telecoms, electricity, renewable energy, and connected vehicles, the Commission and Member States will develop a joint strategic framework for coordinated cybersecurity risk assessments across critical sectors. Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Transition: The Commission is working with Member States to implement the 2024 PQC Roadmap, requiring critical entities to identify high-risk cases and achieve quantum-safe encryption by 2030 at the latest, while also developing the EuroQCI quantum communication infrastructure as part of IRIS² for secure data transmission and storage. [by 2030] Counter-Drone Centre of Excellence: The Commission will develop a harmonised testing methodology for counter-drone systems, establish a dedicated counter-drone Centre of Excellence, and assess the need to harmonise Member States' laws and procedures on drone threats used for espionage and attacks. [from 2025] Submarine Cable Integrated Surveillance Mechanism: The Commission will work with Member States to develop and deploy, on a voluntary basis, an integrated surveillance mechanism for submarine cables per sea basin, beginning with a Nordic/Baltic regional hub, to prevent, detect, respond to, and deter threats to undersea infrastructure. [from 2025] EU Ports Strategy: Building on the EU Ports Alliance public-private partnership, the Commission will propose an EU Ports Strategy exploring ways to strengthen maritime security legislation, harmonise national practices, reinforce background checks at ports, and extend air cargo security protocols to the maritime transport chain. [2025] Aviation Security Occurrence System: The Commission will work with Member States to amend implementing legislation in the field of aviation security to enable sharing of classified information on aviation security occurrences, and will consider regulatory measures to address new threats including air cargo incidents and reinforce aviation security standards (AVSEC). [from 2025] Multi-Agency Transport and Supply Chain Security Alert Mechanism: The Commission will propose a multi-agency mechanism to guarantee secure and timely sharing of information needed to anticipate and counter threats to transport and supply chains, drawing on customs, law enforcement, border management, and intelligence sources. [from 2025] Defence and Security Procurement Rules Revision: The Commission will revise EU procurement rules for defence and security to assess whether existing provisions adequately address law enforcement and critical entity resilience needs, including security-by-design requirements for detection equipment, biometric technologies, and drones. [2026] CBRN Preparedness and Response Action Plan: The Commission will present a new CBRN Action Plan to boost preparedness and response capabilities against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, covering threat prioritisation, innovation funding for countermeasures, rescEU capacities, and stockpiling of medical countermeasures, complemented by the EU Strategy on Medical Countermeasures. [2026] Renewed Legal Framework on Organised Crime: The Commission will propose modernised legislation replacing outdated rules to strengthen the criminal justice response to high-risk criminal networks, updating definitions, enforcement tools, and cross-border cooperation mechanisms. [2026] EU Anti-Corruption Strategy: The Commission will present a dedicated EU Anti-Corruption Strategy to foster integrity and strengthen coordination among relevant authorities and stakeholders, complementing the pending Directive on combating corruption. [from 2025] EU-Wide System to Track Organised Crime Profits and Terrorist Financing: The Commission will explore the feasibility of a new integrated EU-wide tracking system covering organised crime profits and terrorist financing, including intra-EU and SEPA transactions, crypto asset transfers, and online payments, to complement the EU-US TFTP Agreement and strengthen Financial Intelligence Unit information flows to law enforcement. Drug Precursors Legal Framework Revision: The Commission will present a legislative proposal to revise the rules on drug precursors to close loopholes exploited by criminal networks in the manufacturing of illicit drugs. [2025] Common Criminal Law Standards on Illicit Firearms Trafficking — The Commission will present a legislative proposal establishing common criminal law standards for illicit firearms trafficking, accompanied by a new EU Action Plan against firearms trafficking targeting the licit market, criminal supply chains, intelligence, and international cooperation with Ukraine and the Western Balkans. [legislation 2025; Action Plan 2026] EU Drugs Strategy and Action Plan against Drug Trafficking: The Commission will propose a new EU Drugs Strategy covering the full drug policy cycle and present an Action Plan against drug trafficking to disrupt trafficking routes and business models, while expanding the EU Ports Alliance to cover smaller and inland ports. [Action Plan 2025] EU Action Plan on Online Fraud: The Commission will present a dedicated Action Plan on Online Fraud to support prevention, more effective law enforcement action, and recovery of funds for victims of online financial crime. [from 2025] DSA Guidelines on Protection of Minors: The Commission will adopt guidelines for online platform providers on ensuring a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors, covering age verification, risk management, and content moderation obligations under the Digital Services Act. [2026] EU Privacy-Protective Age Verification Solution: The Commission will facilitate an interim EU age verification solution to protect minors online ahead of the full rollout of the EU Digital Identity Wallet by end of 2026. [2025] Action Plan on Protection of Children against Crime: The Commission will present a comprehensive Action Plan covering online and offline dimensions of crimes against children, including child sexual abuse, grooming, cyberbullying, and radicalisation, building on the forthcoming EU Centre to prevent and combat child sexual abuse. [2027] Action Plan against Cyberbullying: The Commission will present an EU Action Plan against cyberbullying to support victims, strengthen platform responsibilities, and coordinate Member State and stakeholder responses to online harassment. [2026] EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings (2026–2030): The Commission will present a renewed anti-trafficking strategy covering prevention, prosecution and victim support at EU and international levels, building on the recently updated legal framework. [2026] EU Strategy on Victims' Rights: The Commission will present a new EU Strategy on Victims' Rights to reduce harm from crime and terrorism, strengthen support services, and build societal trust in justice systems, building on the existing Victims' Rights Directive. [2026] EU Agenda on Preventing and Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism: The Commission will adopt a new comprehensive counter-terrorism agenda setting out future EU action on radicalisation prevention, online terrorist content, financing, public space protection, and crisis response, complemented by a new Joint Action Plan with the Western Balkans. [2025] EU Crisis Protocol Amendment: The Commission will amend the EU Crisis Protocol for a joint law enforcement and tech industry response to terrorist attacks, ensuring scalability and flexibility to address the growing online dimension of attacks in coordination with the EU Internet Forum. [2025] Explosives Precursors Regulation Revision: The Commission will present a legislative proposal to revise the Regulation on the marketing and use of explosives precursors, extending coverage to high-risk chemicals used by terrorists, complementing parallel action on firearms. [2026] EU Visa Policy Strategy: The Commission will present a dedicated Visa Policy Strategy to fully integrate security considerations into the EU's visa regime, including measures on misuse of visa-free arrangements and strengthening information-sharing requirements for third countries on individuals posing security threats. [from 2025] Joint Operational Teams and Fusion Centres in Third Countries: The Commission, with the High Representative, will set up joint operational teams and fusion centres bringing together EU and local law enforcement experts in strategic third countries to support real-time information sharing and joint investigations. [from 2025] Joint Inspections in Third Country Ports: The Commission, with the High Representative, will coordinate joint inspections in third country ports to help strengthen the security of logistics hubs abroad and disrupt illicit trafficking at source. [by 2027] EU-Interpol International Agreement: The Commission will finalise negotiations on an EU-Interpol international cooperation agreement to ensure a more unified approach to global security threats and transnational crime. [from 2025]

◆2025-04-01

The Commission will adopt measures (legislative or non-legislative) by Q3 2025 to create a European blueprint for savings and investments accounts or products based on existing best practice. These measures will be accompanied by a recommendation addressed to the Member States on the tax treatment of savings and investments accounts. The Commission will closely monitor the uptake of these accounts and regularly report on progress. The Commission will facilitate agreement between Parliament and Council on the Retail Investment Strategy. However, the Commission will not hesitate to withdraw the proposal if the negotiations fail to meet the intended objectives of the Strategy. The Commission will adopt by Q3 2025 a financial literacy strategy to empower citizens, raise awareness and increase their participation in capital markets, thus creating a more “investment savvy” culture. The strategy will also seek to increase exchanges of best practices among Member States and to provide further guidance on implementing the existing financial competence frameworks. The Commission, together with the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and national promotional banks among others, will explore how to increase opportunities for retail investors to access suitable financial products that allow them to contribute to the funding of EU priorities. The Commission will issue by Q4 2025, recommendations on the use of and best practices for auto-enrolment, pensions tracking systems and pension dashboards that will set out best practices and lessons learned from across the EU and recommend the development of such tools. The Commission will by Q4 2025, review the existing EU frameworks for Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision (IORPs) and the Pan-European Personal Pension Product (PEPP) with the aim of increasing participation in supplementary pensions to ensure adequate income in retirement and improving the capacity of pension funds to direct households’ savings into productive and innovative investment. The Commission will by Q4 2025 take measures to stimulate equity investments by institutional investors. To facilitate investment in equity by insurers, the Commission will specify in the Solvency II delegated act the eligibility criteria for the favourable prudential treatment of long-term investments in equity. For banks, the Commission will give guidance on the use of the favourable prudential treatment for investments under legislative programmes. The Commission will consider replicating such treatment also for insurers under the Solvency II delegated act. For pension funds, the Commission will clarify how such investments can be in line with the prudent person principle enshrined in current legislation. In parallel the Commission will address any further undue barriers to equity investment by institutional investors. The Commission will by Q3 2026, review and upgrade the EuVECA Regulation to make this label more attractive, including by widening the scope of investable assets and strategies. The Commission will work with the EIB Group and private investors to deploy the scaleup TechEU22 investment programme.The Commission will explore ways to support the European Tech-Champions Initiative 2.0 (ETCI)23 that will be launched by the European Investment Fund (EIF) by 2026, and other potential inititatives that aim at crowding in private investment into venture and growth capital, supporting higher-risk innovation and contributing to pan-European capital market integration, will have a particular role to play. The Commission also encourages the EIB Group to explore appropriate mechanisms to facilitate exit opportunities for European companies. The Commission will take action to remove differences in national taxation procedures creating administrative burden and barriers to cross-border investment and also support Member States’ actions for this purpose, e.g. through exchanges of best practices, enforcement of free movement of capital and other single market freedoms, and by issuing recommendations. In implementing the Listing Act, the Commission will ensure that EU listing rules as established in delegated and implementing acts are simple and that burdens are minimised, to increase liquidity and the supply of capital to listed companies, thereby making EU public markets more attractive. The Commission will by Q3 2026, put forward measures to support exits by investors in private companies, possibly through multilateral intermittent trading of private company shares. On securitisation, the Commission will make proposals in Q2 2025 focusing on simplifying due diligence and transparency, and adjusting prudential requirements for banks and insurers. The Commission will set up in Q2 2025 a dedicated channel for all market participants to report on encountered barriers within the single market and will step up enforcement action to accelerate their removal. To address barriers to more integrated trading and post-trading infrastructures, the Commission will come forward in Q4 2025 with an ambitious package of legislative proposals including rules on central securities depositories, financial collateral and settlement and on the trading market structure, with the aim of further removing barriers to cross-border activity, modernising the legislative framework to recognise new technologies and financial developments, as well as ensuring better quality of execution and price formation on EU trading venues, whilst reducing administrative burden and considering replacing Directives with Regulations. The Commission will in Q4 2025 propose legislation to remove remaining barriers – national or at EU level – to the distribution of EU-authorised funds across the EU. The Commission will also come forward with measures to reduce operational barriers affecting cross border groups with a view to simplifying operations of asset managers, both large and more specialised, and ensuring a more efficient access and servicing of clients. The Commission will assess the need for, and consider a potential review of the Shareholders Rights Directive by Q4 2026 to make it easier for investors, intermediaries and issuers to operate across Member States. The Commission calls on the European Supervisory Authorities and National Competent Authorities to make full use of currently available tools andimplement the simplification agenda as outlined in the Simplification Communication. The Commission will propose in Q4 2025 measures to strengthen supervisory convergence tools, and make them more effective. The Commission will also make proposals in Q4 2025 to achieve more unified supervision of capital markets as indicated in the Competitiveness Compass, including by transferring certain tasks to the EU level. The Commission invites the co-legislators to address shortcomings in arrangements to manage the failure of mid-sized banks by agreeing on an ambitious outcome in the crisis management and deposit insurance framework negotiations. The Commission stands ready to provide its full support in this process. In addition, the Commission will follow with decisive steps to further develop the Banking Union, including by identifying a way forward on the European Deposit Insurance Scheme, considering discussions held so far based on the Commission proposal. The Commission will publish in 2026 a report assessing the overall situation of the banking system in the Single Market, including the evaluation of the banking sector’s competitiveness. The Commission continues assessing developments in banking markets to ensure a swift reaction whenever financial stability, the internal market, or international competitiveness of the EU banking sector is threatened. The Commission will publish a Savings and Investments Union mid-term review by Q2 2027. This will give a state of play on overall progress and reflect input received from this outreach and engagement.

◆2025-03-19

- Team Europe Approach: Pool EU, Member States, EIB and EBRD resources, expertise and diplomatic networks into a joined-up delivery method for international partnerships - Global Gateway Strategy: Mobilise up to EUR 300 billion in public and private investment by 2027 to fund smart, clean and secure links in energy, digital and transport, while promoting high social, environmental and financial standards [2021–2027]

◆2024-10-02

EU Comprehensive Risk and Threat Assessment: The Commission and High Representative will develop a cross-sector, all-hazards EU risk and threat assessment integrating internal and external security insights, real-time early warning data, satellite monitoring, and national assessments; the Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity (SIAC) will be reinforced as the single intelligence entry point to feed the exercise. [from 2025] EU Crisis Dashboard: A cross-sectoral crisis dashboard will be developed to aggregate sectoral rapid alert systems and provide decision-makers with a unified operational picture, feeding directly into College of Commissioners discussions in a Security College format. [from 2025] Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) Upgrade: The ERCC will be strengthened to produce regular all-hazard operational-outlook briefings, analyse cascading crisis effects across sectors, and develop crisis scenarios to support proactive rather than reactive emergency management. EU Training Catalogue and Lessons Learned Platform: The Commission and High Representative will develop a catalogue of preparedness training methods and guidelines for Member States, an EU-wide skills development plan covering security, defence, and crisis management, and a cross-institutional lessons-learned exchange platform to improve future response efforts. EU Earth Observation Governmental Service (EOGS): A new governmental Earth observation service will be established to provide secure, persistent, and targeted satellite sensing for emergency management and security purposes, building on and reinforcing existing Copernicus capabilities. Minimum Preparedness Requirements: Building on full transposition of the CER and NIS2 Directives, the Commission will identify additional sectors not covered by existing legislation and put forward recommendations on minimum preparedness requirements with a monitoring mechanism aligned to Disaster Resilience Goals and NATO resilience baseline requirements. Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) Revision: The Commission will revise the UCPM legislative framework to improve effectiveness and efficiency in high-impact emergencies, strengthening European-level coordination and response capacity for complex cross-sectoral crises. EU Stockpiling Strategy: The Commission will propose an integrated EU-wide stockpiling strategy combining centralised EU-level reserves with Member States' contributions and public-private partnerships, covering emergency response, medical countermeasures, critical raw materials, energy equipment, shelter, and agri-food products; a parallel strategy on medical countermeasures against CBRN threats will complement the Critical Medicines Act. European Climate Adaptation Plan: The Commission will present a European Climate Adaptation Plan embedding preparedness-by-design across EU sector policies and investments, strengthening proactive climate, environment and water risk management, and providing common climate reference scenarios for people, businesses and policymakers. European Water Resilience Strategy: The Commission will propose a strategy setting a path toward water security by ensuring availability of clean water, protecting against water-related risks, and promoting nature-based solutions; a Circular Economy Act will complement it by increasing circular and biobased materials in EU value chains to reduce critical raw material import dependence. PreparEU Early Warning Guidelines: The Commission will develop communication guidelines for Member States on warning the population before and during crises, building on the PreparEU initiative and integrating the Copernicus Emergency Management Service and the upcoming Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service (EWSS) for space-based alert dissemination. Annual EU Preparedness Day: The Commission will establish an annual EU Preparedness Day to recognise preparedness efforts by authorities and communities and raise public awareness of disaster risks, complemented by communication guidelines, citizens panels, the EUvsDisinfo portal, and toolkits for countering information manipulation. 72-Hour Population Self-Sufficiency Guidelines: As part of the PreparEU initiative, the Commission will propose guidelines for Member States to achieve population self-sufficiency of at least 72 hours during extreme disruptions, covering essential supplies, shelter, and crisis planning, supported by a new EU online platform providing citizens with tailored risk and preparedness information. Preparedness in School Curricula: The Commission will develop guidelines for integrating preparedness skills — including media literacy, critical thinking, and civic engagement — into school curricula from early childhood onwards, with professional development resources for teachers made available via the European School Education Platform. Preparedness Priority in EU Youth Programmes: A dedicated preparedness strand will be created within Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps to promote crisis resilience, civic engagement, and democratic participation, using a bottom-up funding approach for educational and youth organisations. Talent Attraction for Preparedness Sectors: The EU will explore concrete measures to attract top research talent to Europe and use the EU Talent Pool and Talent Partnerships to recruit and develop skilled workers in critical sectors facing preparedness-related shortages, including from partner countries. Public-Private Preparedness Task Force: The Commission will establish a multi-stakeholder task force drawing on the Industrial Forum, Enterprise Europe Network, and European clusters to facilitate information-sharing on supply chain vulnerabilities, coordinate continuity planning for vital functions, and develop guidance and incentives for private sector minimum preparedness requirements. Public-Private Emergency Protocols: The Commission and Member States will revise legislative and operational frameworks to enable time-bound emergency flexibility, including in public procurement, to ensure rapid availability of critical materials and services; coordinated engagement frameworks for critical private sector actors will be developed through the Preparedness Task Force. Public Procurement Framework Revision: The Commission will propose a revision of the public procurement framework to strengthen security of supply along key value chains, drawing on lessons from COVID-19 and past crises, with targeted provisions to accelerate procedures during emergencies. European Centre of Expertise on Research Security: The Commission will establish a dedicated centre to collect evidence on foreign interference in research and innovation, provide guidance and support to Member States and R&I actors, and implement the Council recommendation on research security. Civil-Military Preparedness Arrangements: The Commission and High Representative will develop comprehensive civil-military preparedness arrangements clarifying roles and responsibilities of EU institutions and Member States, underpinned by standard operating procedures for coordination, and complemented by the work towards a European Civil Defence Mechanism; operational staff-level cooperation with NATO will be strengthened across crisis contexts. Dual-Use Infrastructure Standards: The Commission and High Representative, working with Member States, will identify dual-use infrastructure and assets and define design and planning standards that jointly serve civilian resilience and military needs, including compatibility of TEN-T upgrades with NATO military transport requirements and development of EU-NATO aligned technical standards for dual-use products and infrastructure. Regular EU-Wide Preparedness Exercises: The Commission and High Representative will organise regular cross-sectoral EU-wide preparedness exercises to test decision-making, coordination, and operational responses under the Solidarity and Mutual Assistance clauses, with Member States able to integrate national exercises and with private sector and international partner participation where relevant. EU Crisis Coordination Hub: A cross-sectoral crisis coordination hub will be established within the ERCC to provide integrated situational awareness, facilitate coordination across lead services, monitor overall crisis responses, and link internal crisis management with the EEAS Crisis Response Centre for coherent internal-external action. rescEU Capacity Scaling: The Commission will secure and scale up existing rescEU strategic reserves (aerial firefighting, medical, CBRN, shelters, transport, energy), finalise the European field hospital, and jointly assess with Member States the expansion of reserves to cover additional identified gaps such as critical infrastructure repair and telecommunications. Mutual Resilience with EU Candidate Countries: The EU will associate candidate countries with relevant EU preparedness initiatives and crisis management frameworks through the enlargement process, reinforcing cooperation on preparedness, resilience, security, defence, and countering hybrid, FIMI, and cyber threats. Preparedness Integration in Bilateral and Multilateral Partnerships: The EU will use Security and Defence Partnerships, CSDP missions and operations, and reinforced crisis communication networks to enhance preparedness and resilience cooperation with key partner countries, stepping up multilateral engagement through the UN in line with EU-UN Joint Priorities for 2025-2027. EU-NATO Preparedness and Resilience Integration: Preparedness and resilience commitments will be embedded in EU-NATO Structured Dialogues, cross-briefings, and training, with a focus on military mobility, emerging technologies, cyber, space, defence industry, and hybrid and FIMI threats. Mutual Resilience Through External Economic and Development Policies: The EU will use the Global Gateway, NDICI-Global Europe, IPA III, the forthcoming New Pact for the Mediterranean, Free Trade Agreements, Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships, and Digital Partnerships to diversify supply and value chains in partner countries and reduce EU over-dependencies.

◆2025-03-26

- establish European AI-powered advanced screening centres to accelerate the introduction of innovative tools for prevention and diagnosis making in healthcare facilities and bringing healthcare services to underserved areas. The initiative aims to improve early detection and ensure timely diagnosis, in particular for cardiovascular diseases and cancer. It will pursue an approach to ensure that AI-powered screening and diagnosis take into account gender-specific factors. By deploying AI solutions, these centres will support real-world clinical validation and local performance testing and generate evidence for clinical adoption. The network of these AI-powered centres will facilitate access to high-quality datasets building on the European Health Data Space as well as the European digital infrastructures for the cancer imaging and genomic data, and support testing and validation of promising AI models including for personalised prevention. This will build on the relevant actions under the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, Life Sciences Strategy and the forthcoming EU Cardiovascular Health Plan. - establish a European Network of Expertise on AI Deployment in Healthcare to consolidate guidelines and best practices. It will deliver deployment playbooks, guidelines including on local validation (performance in clinical practice) and post-deployment monitoring, design principles and set the foundations for exchanging best practices on AI deployment in healthcare. - launch an AI drug discovery challenge for potential new drugs that could be used to address unmet medical needs and treat diseases that have proven difficult to cure, such as Alzheimer’s disease or certain cancers. The winner of the challenge would receive dedicated access to AI Factories compute capacity and on advice how to bring their discoveries to the market. - propose appropriate actions to streamline and enable quicker market entry of medical devices without compromising safety. - establish a Catalyst for the uptake of European Robotics, bringing together developers and user industries to accelerate the development and uptake of European solutions replying to market needs. This will be done in collaboration with the AI Data and Robotics Association. In this context, the Commission will fund the development of sectoral Acceleration Pipelines for the adoption of AI-powered robotics, focussing on high-impact use-cases, prioritised in close collaboration with end-user industries, ensuring that innovation aligns with real-world needs. - support the development of frontier AI model and AI agents adapted to manufacturing. Building on the Data Spaces for Manufacturing24 and the forthcoming Data Union Strategy, the Commission will facilitate data pooling across industrial actors through trusted third parties, to ensure a sufficient volume of training data, while preserving intellectual property and data security and making use, as relevant, of the data labs in AI Factories. - fund the development of Acceleration Pipelines for the adoption of AI in manufacturing, bridging the gap between research labs and deployment more effectively. These projects will accelerate the development of AI-powered manufacturing solutions that address industry needs, by providing continuous support, ensuring that these solutions progress from the lab to a high level of maturity suitable for real-world applications. - accelerate the development and deployment European AI-enabled situational awareness and C2 (Command & Control) capacities through the European Defence Fund (EDF), while also incentivising dual use open architecture solutions for border security and critical infrastructure protection, ensuring interoperability in support of defence flagships, including Eastern Flank Watch and the Drone Wall, especially for the integration of autonomous features in different solutions. - deploy a strategic and dedicated European infrastructure of highly secured computing power capacities (e.g. AI factory/gigafactory) for training of defence and space AI models and development of AI defence and space applications. - support AI compliance of EU space manufacturing and operations, including for in-orbit and ground infrastructure, through advanced manufacturing, robotics, dedicated edge/on-orbit computing, space-based data networks, signal processing equipment, command and control systems. - foster the development and uptake of AI solutions29 for internal security purposes, including by supporting applied research and innovation and stimulating the placing on the market of AI solutions tailored for use in internal security. - fund projects to develop and deploy Cybersecurity tools, technologies and services relying on AI addressing threat detection, vulnerability detection, threat mitigation, incident recovery through self-healing, data analysis and data sharing. - support interoperability and trusted integration of AI into cybersecurity architectures, infrastructures and threat surveillance, including Cyber Hubs and the upcoming Cable Security Hubs, as well as for dual-use and defence-relevant digital environments, - leverage AI factories and gigafactories to fast track the development of innovative AI models and common software platforms for automated driving and vehicle management systems under the European Connected and Autonomous Alliance. - launch an “Autonomous Drive Ambition Cities” initiative to accelerate the deployment of operational services working with European providers as part of the large-scale cross-border testbeds announced in the Automotive Action Plan. Building on recommendations issued by the European Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Alliance33, it will focus on AI-enabled self-driving vehicles (robot vehicles) and autonomous point-to-point commuting in cities, establishing operational joint ventures and leveraging the ready to use AI Act’s innovation measures on regulatory sandboxes and real-world testing. - promote EU capacities in edge AI devices by providing dedicated support under the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking and the Chips Joint Undertaking. - create a European Telco AI platform (AI stack pilot action under the Digital Europe Programme) for telecom operators, vendors and user industries to collaboratively36 build AI stack elements, including mediation layers, data engineering, cloud interfaces, and AI services, potentially based on open source. - support the development of AI models that advance forecasting, optimisation, digital twins, and system balancing within the energy system. These activities shall be supported by leveraging cloud-edge-IoT infrastructure, software and AI tools to serve as a digital backbone across all assets of the energy system ensuring secure, efficient, and reliable data sharing across the energy ecosystem. - deploy an open-source AI Earth-system frontier model and related AI-powered applications and services that allow for better weather forecasts, Earth monitoring, and “what-if” scenarios, as next step of Destination Earth. It will be fully trained in EU AI Factories and will follow a multidisciplinary approach integrating different expertise. Through this model, the Commission will make available to local authorities and relevant actors AI-based local digital twins (integrating EU-owned Copernicus43 data) that helps predict risks and reduce impacts of climate change through better preparedness and resilient urban and rural planning44, as well as services for improved disaster management and crisis relief. - foster the creation of a Agri-food AI platform that will facilitate the uptake of specialised farming AI-enabled tools and applications. The platform will facilitate application discovery and integration, increase trust among farmers in AI-enabled applications and promote open source development - foster the development of micro-studios across the EU specialised in AI-enhanced virtual production. In addition, the Commission will support investments in the development and deployment of European AI models focusing on interactive and immersive storytelling, including media, and on the discoverability of online European music and literary content. - help the development of pan-European platforms using multilingual AI technologies to make available real time news and information from professional media outlets across the EU to wider audiences. AI will be harnessed to translate content for relevant channels - including broadcasting - through classification, recognition, linguistic analysis and translation of content. - launch a targeted study to explore the legal challenges related to AI-generated outputs and how cutting-edge technological safeguards and technologies, including AI, could be used to prevent and mitigate the risks of copyright infringing AI content being generated, including by detecting and removing such content. - build an AI toolbox dedicated to public administrations (including judiciary) featuring a shared repository of practical, open-source and reusable tools and solutions to support AI interoperability. This toolbox will also include the AI solutions foreseen in the Roadmap for effective and lawful access to data for law enforcement. On top of that, Public Sector AI & Interoperability Readiness Pathway (PAIR Pathway) will be launched to provide practical step-by-step examples within a user journey that will help administrations develop services tailored to their specific needs. - accelerate the adoption of European scalable and replicable generative AI solutions in public administrations62 with a special focus on education, taking into account the potential risks in this area. This will include the creation of a comprehensive technical and policy toolkit to support the development of generative and agentic AI solutions. This action will improve the quality of services provided to citizens. - revise the European Interoperability Framework to incorporate guidance that enables AI first policies within European public administrations. - launch a call for expression of interest inviting European companies to share their AI models and systems with the network of EDIHs, which can subsequently promote their wide-scale deployment across European strategic sectors. - provide access to practical AI literacy trainings tailored to sectors and job profiles through the AI Skills Academy72, which, in addition to its own offering, will aggregate trainings provided by other EU instruments. The trainings should preferably lead to micro-credentials. - encourage the involvement of industry in AI upskilling and reskilling, including via the Pact for Skills74, and provide access to additional training opportunities to workers in sectors undergoing restructuring or at risk of displacement, including due to AI, via the Skills Guarantee, announced in the Union of Skills - fund “AI for business” (executive master) programmes developing hybrid profiles, such as AI engineers76 with industry-specific expertise via the Digital Europe Programme and potential support of Erasmus+. - establish an “AI entrepreneurs lab” that, building on existing initiatives (e.g. from EIT and European universities alliances), brings together brilliant AI graduates with entrepreneurial mentors from existing AI companies looking to expand their models or pave the way for future partnerships. - launch and coordinate a Frontier AI Initiative to accelerate progress in frontier AI capabilities in Europe by bringing together Europe’s leading industrial and academic actors and supporting strategic efforts. This initiative will focus on unlocking advanced capabilities through cutting-edge AI architectures and high-quality data, leveraging the computing capacity offered by the AI Factories and Gigafactories. To foster the collaboration, the community will be brought together through a call for expressions of interest. The initiative will address ecosystem bottlenecks and downstream demand by Europe’s industry enhancing both competitiveness and sovereignty in frontier AI development. As part of this initiative the Commission will launch major EU-wide competitions to develop open frontier AI models that are major drivers of innovation. These projects will receive free access to EuroHPC supercomputers, and their open models will be made widely available to public authorities across Europe as well as to the European scientific and business communities. - guidelines on the classification of AI systems as high-risk. - guidelines on the AI Act’s interplay with other Union law, covering relevant sectoral legislation (e.g. transport, machinery, radio equipment). - turn the existing AI Alliance into a coordination forum for Apply AI stakeholders and policy makers. By joining the “Apply AI Alliance”, stakeholders will be able to publicly express their interest in participating in sectoral workflows, gaining direct access to policy makers to discuss impact, barriers and opportunities of specific sectoral AI solutions. Serving as an entry point, the Alliance will work closely and complementarily with the other consultative initiatives on AI (including sectoral, regulatory and research and innovation ones), connecting stakeholders to relevant discussions87. It will enable networking among peers and between providers and users of AI solutions - for example, linking a developer of compliance tools with potential adopters. Open to all sectors, relevant academics and civil society organisations, the AI Office will host annual gatherings to discuss AI innovation policies and establish sectoral boards to discuss and monitor the strategy’s implementation. Continuous cooperation between Apply AI Alliance, AI Board and RAISE will also facilitate the upscale of valuable research into development and reaching the European market. - Set up an AI Observatory to provide robust indicators to assess the impact of AI in the currently listed and future sectors, monitor developments and trends and the changes it may bring to the labour market. Based on the monitoring activities, the Commission will make a proposal, in the context of the Digital Decade, of a public and private AI investment target. The Observatory will also support the organisation of sectorial discussions. It will be used for political analysis and decision making as well as for informing the AI community and the broader public about recent developments in the field.

◆2025-10-08

Member States are invited to request the activation of the National Escape Clause by the end of April. The Council is invited to adopt the proposed draft Regulation on Security and Action for Europe (SAFE) as a matter of urgency. The co-legislators are invited to adopt the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) before Summer, including its Ukraine Support Instrument (USI). The co-legislators are invited to consider with priority the changes to the European Regional Development Fund that will by proposed by the end of March 2025. Following the mid-term review of cohesion policies, national, regional and local authorities will be able to voluntarily allocate funds within their current programmes towards emerging priorities including strengthening defence and security capabilities. Member States are invited to swiftly step up collaborative defence procurement in line with the target of at least 40% proposed by the European Defence Industry Strategy (EDIS), including under the aegis of the SAFE instrument. Member States are invited to swiftly agree on an ambitious new military support initiative for Ukraine, including artillery ammunition, air defence and ‘train and equip’. The Commission will promote the integration of Ukrainian defence industry into the Single Market, support the extension of military mobility corridors into Ukraine and explore Ukraine’s access to EU space-based governmental services. The Commission calls on the Board of Governors of the European Investment Bank to urgently step up support to the European defence industry, notably by further narrowing the list of excluded activities and increasing the volume of available funding. The Commission will immediately launch a Strategic Dialogue with the defence industry, also calling on the expertise of the EDA or the EU Military Staff as appropriate. The Commission will present, by June 2025, a Defence Omnibus Simplification proposal. The EU will present a European Armament Technological Roadmap on investment into dual-use advanced technological capabilities in 2025. The Commission and the HR will adopt, by end of 2025, a Joint communication on Military Mobility, accompanied by the necessary legislative proposals.

◆2025-02-28

- launch the RAISE pilot with EU 108 million funding under Horizon Europe WP 2026-27, during the first edition of the AI in Science Summit in Copenhagen on 3-4 November 2025, under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU. - establish initial RAISE coordination for AI in science through a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) under Horizon Europe (WP 2025). - partner with Member States and the private sector to build RAISE. - establish a high-level RAISE academic advisory board. - fund Doctoral Networks on AI in science to train the next generation of researchers (RAISE pilot). - fund thematic Networks of Excellence on AI in science (RAISE pilot). - regularly update the ‘Living Guidelines on the responsible use of generative AI in research’ and other ethics-related operational materials. - create a JRC Scientific AI Hub to monitor and evaluate AI models and systems for strategic scientific research, in close alignment with the European AI Office. - secure dedicated access to AI Gigafactories for EU scientists and startups, including for Horizon Europe specific objectives. Horizon Europe will invest up to EUR 600 million (RAISE pilot). - continue developing the AI computing resources devoted to science through the AI Factories. - support the design of Data Labs, and their linking with Common European Data Spaces, in particular EOSC, to ensure their suitability and the accessibility and reusability of data for scientific research. - support scientists to identify strategic data gaps and gather, curate and integrate the datasets needed through the RAISE Networks (RAISE pilot). - collect evidence on the need to improve access to and reuse of publicly funded research results and the use of publications and data for scientific purposes. - incentivise and coordinate investments in AI in science through an investment agenda in Horizon Europe’s 2026-27 Work Programme (RAISE pilot). - seek to double current Horizon Europe yearly investment figures in AI, including doubling that for AI in science by 2028. - fund scientific laboratory automation and the development and update of scientific foundation models, including in industrial settings (RAISE pilot). - organise AI in Science Summits, annual flagship events bringing together AI in science communities (scientists, policy makers, startups, tech companies). - launch a campaign to encourage pledges from private companies on AI in science. - analyse the implications of the AI Act for the scientific community, for example by - assessing the AI Act research exemption for spin-offs. - coordinate with Member States, Associated Countries and R&I stakeholders in the ERA governance, such as the dedicated ERA Action on AI in science. - monitor the uptake of AI in science with indicators and metrics. - address specific issues of AI in science with relevant third countries and regions in the context of the overall EU international engagement on AI, in line with its priorities, and within the existing framework. - engage through existing regional policy dialogues on R&I to identify joint priorities, co-fund the use of AI in science projects and promote capacity building and mutual learning in the use of AI in science, in alignment with the international cooperation priorities of the EU’s AI strategy. - promote EU principles and values and standards for the responsible use of AI in science through relevant multilateral fora and international organisations, in alignment with the international cooperation priorities of the EU AI strategy.

◆2025-10-08

Calls on the co-legislator to swiftly adopt the Customs Reform proposal, and is ready to work with the co-legislator to explorefurther measures to help address the costs of supervising the overwhelming volumes of small consignments, in particular through a new non-discriminatory handling fee on e-commerce items. Plans to adopt the first action plan under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation by April 2025. Calls on the co-legislator to swiftly adopt the targeted amendment to the Waste Framework Directive. The Commission will work closely with the Member States for a more effective enforcement of this Directive, the Single Use Plastics Directive, the Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment Directive and the Regulations on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products, on Packaging and Packaging Waste and on Batteries vis-à-vis third- country e-commerce retailers. Plans to propose a Circular Economy Act which will explore to further develop Extended Producer Responsibility and how to strengthen enforcement. Proposes a priority control area (PCA) on e-commerce imports shipped directly to consumers, with the cooperation of market surveillance authorities, and a medium-term objective to feed the coordinated application of a wider set of rules, including digital regulation. The Commission calls on Member States’ participation and will release a public report on the lessons learned and findings. Supports a new Coordinated Activity on the Safety of Products and other market surveillance joint actions focused on product safety in e-commerce and calls on the Member States to actively participate. Address the fight against trafficking of illicit goods as well as goods breaching the law linked to circular economy including e-commerce, in line with the priorities of the next EMPACT cycle. Will continue prioritising enforcement actions under the Digital Services Act (DSA) on the compliance by major online marketplaces. The Commission will intensify its DSA supervisory actions, reinforce its capabilities and partnerships with EU agencies, such as EUIPO, and participate in coordinated actions with competent authorities. Calls on the Member States to appoint competent authorities and establish e-commerce task forces, supporting the enforcement of the DSA and the coordinated actions under other legal regimes. The Commission will support the Member States through the newDSA officers in its representations, and through coordination in the European Board for Digital Services. Will evaluate the way that the DSA interacts with other legal acts. Will continue to support the Consumer Protection Coordination Network, including through its evidence-gathering eLab toolbox. Will continue the work on a possible review of the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation. Calls on the co-legislators to swiftly adopt the revised Alternative Dispute Resolution Directive. Will prioritise the enforcement of the Digital Markets Act vis-à-vis the way digital gatekeepers impact the e-commerce sector. Will prioritise the implementation of the Digital Product Passport across different product categories. A first action plan will be adopted by April 2025. Aims at streamlining existing databases into an interoperable system, focusing on the Safety Gate and the Customs Risk Management System (CRMS2) as a first step, early 2025. Will continue to provide to market surveillance authorities the e-Surveillance WebCrawler for reappearing dangerous products, and will make available another web crawler for detecting new listings. Will support, including through the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net), further awareness-raising campaigns, with a focus on non-EU traders. Will support, through the ConsumerPRO programme, the training of consumer professionals in Member States to provide more personal advice to consumers. Calls on the co-legislator to adopt the proposed regulation on CountEmissions EU. Will continue to support and incentivise voluntary cooperation of online marketplaces and other stakeholders through forums such as the Product Safety Pledge+, the Memorandum of Understanding against Counterfeit Products or the EU Internet Forum. Will continue the bilateral cooperation with countries of provenance of imported goods through awareness raising and training activities on EU product safety rules for third-party sellers and bilateral cooperation with third-country authorities. Will assess any evidence relating to the existence of dumping or illegal subsidisation regimes in third countries.

◆2026-02-05

- Our values are our strength. We will protect and promote our founding values – respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities – which remain the cornerstone of our Union. We will promote and safeguard respect for the rule of law, which is the basis of European cooperation, upholding the principles of objectivity, non-discrimination and equal treatment of Member States. We will strengthen our democratic resilience, including by deepening citizen engagement, protecting free and pluralistic media and civil society, tackling foreign interference and countering attempts at destabilisation, including through disinformation and hate speech. We will strengthen democratic discourse and ensure that tech giants take their responsibility for safeguarding democratic dialogue online. We will promote our cultural diversity and heritage. - To strengthen security within the Union, we will fight crime offline and online and prevent and tackle corruption, using all the law enforcement and judicial cooperation tools of our Union. We will be resolute against organised crime and disrupt the flow of illicit profits from cross-border criminal activity. We will fight attempts to sow division, radicalisation, terrorism and violent extremism. The European Union will strengthen its resilience, preparedness, crisis prevention and response capacities, in an all-hazards and whole-of-society approach, to protect our citizens and societies against different crises, including natural disasters and health emergencies. We will step up our collective response to cyber and hybrid warfare, foreign manipulation and interference and threats to our critical infrastructure. We will pay particular attention to enhancing societal resilience. - In parallel, the European Union will undertake the necessary internal reforms to ensure that our policies are fit for the future and financed in a sustainable manner and that the EU institutions continue to function and act effectively. - Our greatest asset in that endeavour is the Single Market, the long-term engine of prosperity and convergence that enables economies of scale. We will therefore deepen it further, notably in the areas of energy, finance and telecommunications. We will remove remaining barriers, particularly in relation to services and essential goods, and ensure equal access to the Single Market through improved connectivity. We will ensure a balanced and effective state aid and competition framework to preserve the integrity of the Single Market and a level playing field. SMEs will remain central to Europe’s economic and social fabric. - To unlock the necessary investment potential, we will accelerate financial integration by achieving the Capital Markets Union and completing the Banking Union. We will create truly integrated European capital markets, which are accessible and attractive to all citizens and businesses and benefit all Member States. Learning from our experience, we will not allow the undermining of our open markets. We will strongly promote the central role of the WTO and pursue an ambitious, robust, open and sustainable trade policy that allows fair trade agreements, opens third country markets to EU companies, defends EU interests, allows resilient and reliable supply chain to develop, guarantees a true level playing field and creates reciprocal market access opportunities. We will strengthen our economic security, reduce harmful dependencies and diversify and secure strategic supply chains, including by enhancing our maritime security. We will build up our own capacity in sensitive sectors and key technologies of the future, such as defence, space, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, semiconductors, 5G/6G, health, biotechnologies, net-zero, technologies, mobility, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and advanced materials. Promoting innovation and research, as well as leveraging tools such as public procurement, is crucial in this endeavour. - We will pursue a just and fair climate transition, with the aim of staying competitive globally and increasing our energy sovereignty. Accelerating the energy transition, we will build a genuine energy union, securing the supply of abundant, affordable and clean energy. This will require ambitious electrification using all net-zero- and low-carbon solutions, and investment in grids, storage and interconnections. We will develop a more circular and resource-efficient economy, driving forward the industrial development of clean technologies, reaping the full benefits of the bioeconomy, embracing clean and smart mobility with adequate network infrastructure. This will increase real income and purchasing power, thereby improving living standards for all EU citizens. We will exploit the untapped potential of data, promote data interoperability, and encourage investment in game-changing digital technologies in Europe, advancing their application throughout the economy, while ensuring privacy and security. This will require cutting-edge digital infrastructure. Building on the EU digital identity, we will create new EU-wide high-quality e-services.

◆2024-06-27