The European Commission has approved a Spanish state aid scheme worth €74 million to support shipping companies affected by rising fuel prices due to the crisis in the Middle East. The scheme has been approved under the Temporary Framework for State Aid in Response to the Middle East Crisis (METSAF), adopted by the Commission on […]
The EU is sending aircraft and firefighters to tackle the devastating forest fires ravaging France and Spain
The EU has deployed assistance to France and Spain through the European Civil Protection Mechanism (ECPM) in response to the forest fires that have triggered one of the largest evacuation operations in Europe, displacing more than 300,000 people in both countries. In France, the EU has deployed seven aeroplanes and four helicopters from the Czech […]
The Commission approves advance payments for Malta, Portugal and Spain under the EUSF to help them recover from the storms
The European Commission has approved advance payments totalling 103.6 million euros for Malta, Portugal and Spain under the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF), with the aim of alleviating the financial burden of reconstruction efforts following the damage caused by the devastating storms that struck these countries in January and February 2026. The advance payments have […]
The European Commission approves amendments and an increase in the state aid budget relating to fuel prices
The European Commission has approved amendments — as well as a budget increase of €65 million — to two Spanish state aid schemes aimed at agricultural and fisheries businesses facing rising fuel prices due to the crisis in the Middle East. The amendments have been approved under the Temporary Framework for Aid in Response to […]
The Commission is taking Ireland, Spain, France and the Netherlands to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to transpose the cybersecurity rules
The European Commission has decided to refer Ireland, Spain, France and the Netherlands to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to notify the measures transposing the SRI 2 Directive on the security of network and information systems into national law [Directive (EU) 2022/2555]. The Directive strengthens the EU’s cybersecurity by setting […]
Aid of 120 million has been approved for Spain following the fires in August 2025
On Tuesday, the European Parliament gave the go-ahead for a grant of 144.1 million euros to help Spain, Romania and Cyprus cope with the damage caused by forest fires, floods and heatwaves. MEPs backed the proposal to release funds from the EU Solidarity Fund by 642 votes in favour, 13 against and one abstention. The […]
The EU is deploying aid to help fight forest fires and tackle the numerous blazes ravaging Portugal and France
As Europe is fighting wildfires in several Member States, the Commission is swiftly mobilising assistance via the EU civil protection mechanism (UCPM). Over the weekend, Portugal and France have activated the UCPM due to devastating wildfires, with several of them active simultaneously and burning thousands of hectares. France activated the UCPM on 5 July. The European Commission […]
The Commission has approved Spain’s sixth payment request, worth EUR 5,700 million, under the NextGenerationEU programme
On 2 July, the European Commission gave partial approval to Spain’s sixth payment request, worth EUR 5,700 million, under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. At the same time, it has approved a payment for two milestones that had previously been suspended under the fifth payment request. This is an important step […]
Energy Union: New Spain-Portugal power interconnector inaugurated
On 2 July, the European Commission celebrated the inauguration of the electricity interconnector between Spain and Portugal. The commissioning of this new infrastructure project linking northern Portugal and Galicia, in north-western Spain, marks a key milestone in the energy sector. The project increases cross-border electricity transmission capacity by 1,000 MW, bringing the total to 4,200 MW […]