New report shows progress in sustainable aviation fuel uptake across the EU
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published its first annual report on the implementation of the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation today. The report provides a comprehensive overview of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) uptake across the EU in 2024 and assesses the market’s readiness to meet upcoming obligations under the Regulation.
According to the findings, implementation of ReFuelEU Aviation has already stimulated increased SAF production capacity within the EU. This positive trend confirms that the EU is on track to meet the overall mandatory SAF blending target in 2030, which is 6%.
The report confirms that almost all SAF used in 2024 was biofuel, produced from used cooking oil (81%) and waste animal fats (17%). This shows that the development of synthetic fuels (eSAF) remains in its early stages in the EU. The SAF market also remains concentrated: 25 fuel suppliers provided SAF to 33 EU airports across 12 Member States. However, airports in five Member States (France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden) accounted for 99% of supply.
The Commission is currently preparing a Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP), designed to boost investments in renewable and low-carbon transport fuels, including SAF.
Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said: ‘The EU is making steady progress in adopting sustainable aviation fuels, and the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation is already helping to increase SAF production and use across Member States. Our focus now is on supporting the industry and Member States to ensure a smooth and fair transition to cleaner aviation fuels.”
For the next annual report, the data from 2025 will be used to assess whether ReFuelEU’s first blending mandate, the obligation to supply at least 2% of total aviation fuel as SAF in EU airports, has been met.
More information on key findings can be found in EASA’s press release.
(For more information: Anna-Kaisa Itkonen – Tel.: +32 2 295 75 01; Anni Juusola – Tel.: +32 2 296 09 86)
Commission approves pound 61.5 million Italian scheme to support cleantech manufacturing capacity, in line with Clean Industrial Deal objectives
The European Commission has approved a pound 61.5 million Italian scheme to support strategic investments that add manufacturing capacity in line with the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal in the region of Emilia Romagna. This measure will contribute to the transition towards a net-zero economy. The scheme was approved under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) adopted by the Commission on 25 June 2025.
Under the scheme, the aid will take the form of direct grants, subsidised interest rates and loans. The scheme will be open to all companies that carry out investments in Emilia Romagna that add manufacturing capacity for the production of net-zero technologies listed in Annex II of the CISAF, as well as the production of the main specific components of these technologies. The scheme also includes aid to produce new or recovered critical raw materials necessary for the production of the final products or main specific components. The aid may be granted until 31 December 2030.
The Commission found that the Italian scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the CISAF. In particular, the aid will incentivise the production of clean technologies, as well as their main specific components and related critical raw materials, and it. Therefore, the Commission concluded that the scheme is necessary and appropriate to accelerate the transition towards a net-zero economy and facilitate the development of certain economic activities, which are of importance for the implementation of the Clean Industrial Deal. Finally, the Commission found that the scheme is proportionate, as the aid is limited to the minimum necessary and has a limited impact on competition and trade between Member States. On this basis, the Commission approved the Italian scheme under EU State aid rules.
More information on the CISAF can be found online. The non-confidential version of today’s decision will be made available under the case number SA.118614 in the State aid register on the Commission’s competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved.
(For more information: Guillaume Mercier – Tel.: +32 460 75 53 11; Luuk de Klein – Tel.: +32 229 94774)
First ever EU-Egypt Summit takes place in Brussels
Today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will participate in the first EU-Egypt Summit held in Brussels, together with the President of the European Council António Costa, and the President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
The Summit will take stock of bilateral relations and aims to deepen political and economic ties, as set out in the EU-Egypt Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership signed in March 2024.
The EU and Egypt will sign three agreements. These include the Memorandum of Understanding for second Macro-Financial Assistance to Egypt worth pound 4 billion; a Financing Agreement worth pound 75 million, which will support the implementation of socio-economic reforms at local level; and the Agreement formalising Egypt’s association to the Horizon programme. The agreements will be signed by Commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis, Dubravka Šuica and Ekaterina Zaharieva.
In the margins of the Summit, the Commission will host an EU-Egypt High-Level Event on investments, competitiveness and innovation. Participants will discuss how Egypt and the EU can deepen economic cooperation and unlock strategic investments, foster reforms, how to strengthen joint industrial competitiveness and how to benefit from Egypt’s association to Horizon Europe. More information on the event is available online.
Audiovisual coverage for the Summit will be provided on EBS this evening. President von der Leyen’s press statement with Presidents Costa and El-Sisi will be broadcast live, at around 19:40.
(For more information: Paula Pinho – Tel: +32 229-20815; Guillaume Mercier – Tel.: +32 229-80564)
President von der Leyen participates in Berlin Global Dialogue 2025
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will participate in the Berlin Global Dialogue (BGD) 2025 taking place from 23 to 25 October under the theme ‘Shifting Power, Shaping Prosperity.’ The event will explore how multipolarity can act as a catalyst for global growth and stability, and will bring together leaders from government, business, and academia. Valdis Dombrovskis, Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Implementation and Simplification, and Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space, will also participate in the event.
On 25 October, President von der Leyen will deliver a keynote speech at around 11:30, which will be livestreamed.
On 23 October, Commissioner Dombrovskis will participate in a panel on ‘Smart Regulation for a Competitive Europe: Advancing Innovation through Simplification,’ alongside Katharina Reiche, Germany’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy. That same day, Commissioner Kubilius will join the panel ‘Securing Europe: Aligning Industry and Investment for a New Era of Defence’, with Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other high-level leaders. Both panels will be livestreamed. On the sidelines of the BGD, Commissioner Kubilius will hold a bilateral meeting with Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank. Still on Thursday, Commissioner Dombrovskis will also hold a bilateral meeting with Minister Reiche to discuss competitiveness and simplification measures in the energy sector.
On 24 October, Commissioner Dombrovskis will meet Karsten Wildberger, German Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation, to discuss State modernisation in Germany and how this is linked to the Country-Specific Recommendations under the European Semester. They will also touch upon the digitalisation of the German economy, the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and simplification measures. Additionally, Commissioner Dombrovskis will meet Joachim Nagel, President of the German Federal Bank, to discuss the international role of the euro, euro area competitiveness, simplification of financial services, and the digital euro.