EU steps up international support for Palestinians with major initiative for Gaza’s early recovery and stronger international coordination
Today, the European Commission is convening the second meeting of the Palestine Donor Group (PDG), co-chaired by Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica and Palestinian Authority’s (PA) Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. 65 delegations gather in Brussels for the launch of a new Initiative for early recovery in Gaza and to discuss the Palestinian Authority’s Reform Agenda.
The meeting is delivering on two key outcomes: increased financial pledges through the PEGASE mechanism, and the launch of the Team Gaza Initiative. Participants include Ministers and senior officials from EU Member States and partner countries, as well as representatives of international and regional organisations and financial institutions. The meeting is attended for the first time by the High Representative of the Board of Peace, Nikolay Mladenov, and the Head of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, Ali Shaath.
Commission adopts measures to support implementation of EU Deforestation Regulation
Today, the European Commission adopted measures on the product scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and the functioning of its Information System. Together with the amendments agreed last December, the updated Guidance document – available in the coming days in all EU languages – and Frequently Asked Questions, these measures will provide greater legal certainty and predictability for businesses and Member States while ensuring the Regulation can be applied effectively as of December 2026.
The delegated act updates and simplifies the list of products covered by the Regulation. Following stakeholder consultation, public feedback, and assessment with the methodology from the Staff Working Document, cattle hides, skins, leather, re-treaded tyres, soybeans for sowing, articles of vulcanised rubber, conveyor and transmission belts, and aircraft and motor vehicle seats are removed from the scope of the Regulation. At the same time, soluble coffee, certain palm oil derivatives and frozen cattle tongues are added to the list of products. To allow businesses sufficient time to prepare, the new products added to the scope will become subject to the Regulation from 30 December 2027. The Delegated Act will now be sent to the European Parliament and Council for scrutiny before entry into force.
The implementing act sets out the functioning of the Information System, updating it to reflect the changes introduced by the revised Regulation and enhance the user friendliness of the system. The updated system introduces operational simplifications, including simplified declarations for micro and small primary operators and updated technical specifications for automated application programming interfaces. The IT system is accessible again since June 2026. Companies can already start familiarising themselves with new functionalities and entering their data well ahead of the entry into application. Additional functionalities will be introduced later this summer. The Commission will also continue to improve the system and remain in close contact with companies.
Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, said: ‘With this package, we are providing the clarity and predictability that businesses, Member States and our international partners need to prepare for the application of the EU Deforestation Regulation end 2026. Following the agreement reached by the co-legislators, we have completed the simplification review and put in place the necessary measures to ensure a smooth and effective implementation.’
EU and Bahrain launch Strategic Partnership Agreement negotiations
Yesterday, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, officially launched the negotiations for an EU-Bahrain Strategic Partnership Agreement.
This decision further strengthens the robust partnership between the EU and Bahrain, building on the 2022 EU Joint Communication, which outlined a vision for a deeper partnership with the Gulf, and the joint agenda launched by Gulf and European leaders at the 2024 EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Brussels.
High Representative/Vice-President Kallas said: ‘Europe is a reliable partner to the Gulf. The launch of negotiations with Bahrain for a new Strategic Partnership Agreement makes clear we want to deepen our ties. At a time of great instability in the region, partnerships matter more than ever. Once in place, this new framework will bring benefits for both sides and the wider Gulf. In short, the EU and Bahrain will be working much closer in areas of shared interest: common security, stability and trade across our two regions.’
Commissioner Šuica said: ‘Bahrain is a key partner for the EU. With this Strategic Partnership Agreement, we are opening a bold new chapter – deepening cooperation across a wide range of areas, boosting economic cooperation, resilience, innovation, and delivering shared prosperity. Together, we also look forward to working in trilateral cooperation to advance stability, peace and prosperity across the wider region.’
More information on the EU’s relations with Bahrain are available in the joint statement and a dedicated factsheet.
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