The European Commission will today disburse pound 3.3 billion to Ukraine for defence procurement under the pound 90 billion Ukraine Support Loan. The payment covers drones and missiles and will help Ukraine defend its territory and skies against Russia’s ongoing aggression.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Commission: ‘Today, we will disburse pound 3.3 billion to help procure drones and missiles under the Ukraine Support Loan. Europe will continue to deliver the support Ukraine needs to defend its people and its territory.”
This is the fourth payment made to Ukraine under the Ukraine Support Loan’s defence window. With this disbursement, the Commission will have paid nearly pound 15 billion to Ukraine this year, covering both defence and broader support. The Ukraine Support Loan includes pound 30 billion for budgetary aid and pound 60 billion for defence across 2026-2027.
Ukraine’s military edge depends on the rapid availability of critical products in the required quantities and within very short timeframes. Accelerating EU deliveries through destocking, reprioritising orders and ramping up the production remains crucial.
As announced by President von der Leyen in the State of the Union speech and yesterday’s call with President Zelenskyy, the Commission is ready to use remaining funds from the Security Action for Europe instrument to launch a new joint EU-Ukraine programme. The initiative would develop a European air and missile defence system, building on the existing Freya anti-ballistic system. It would combine Ukraine’s battlefield experience with Europe’s industrial and technological strength.
More information is available in our press release.
(For more information: Balazs Ujvari – Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Nika Blazevic – Tel.: +32 2 299 27 17)
Commission collects feedback on its proposed list of non-OECD countries authorised to receive EU waste after May 2027
The Commission has today launched a public consultation on a draft list of non-OECD countries that could be authorised to import non-hazardous waste from the European Union after May 2027, under the Waste Shipment Regulation. This draft list is based on the Commission’s assessment of the countries’ ability to manage such waste in an environmentally sound manner.
To make sure that EU waste does not harm the environment or human health elsewhere, the new Waste Shipment Regulation, adopted in 2024, introduces stricter rules on waste exports, in particular to non-OECD countries. The EU will export waste to non-OECD countries from 21 May 2027 only if the countries explicitly request to continue receiving waste from the EU and demonstrate that they can manage it in a sustainable manner.
The Commission must assess the 32 requests received by non-OECD countries wanting to continue importing non-hazardous waste from the EU. The result of an initial assessment is summarised in a report published together with the draft list of countries on which the Commission is now seeking feedback from all interested parties – including citizens, businesses, NGOs, public authorities, and researchers. The public consultation is open until 16 October 2026.
The first list of countries authorised to receive waste from the EU will be established after the consultation is closed. This list will be updated regularly and at least every two years, with the possibility open to countries which are not on the list to (re)apply.
Today, the Commission also published its assessment report on the sustainable management of plastic waste exported from the EU to Trkiye, under the Waste Shipment Regulation. The report focuses on Trkiye, as it is the first country destination and represents 70% of plastic waste exported from the EU to OECD countries. It highlights both progress made and gaps that still need to be addressed to support environmentally sound waste management in Trkiye. The Commission will engage with Trkiye’s competent authorities on the report’s findings and request to address its shortcomings. We will continue monitoring EU plastic waste exports to Trkiye and assess the need for additional measures. We remain committed to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Trkiye on waste management.
You can find more information on the launch of the public consultation and the publication of the assessment report online.
(For more information: Anna-Kaisa Itkonen – Tel.: +32 2 295 75 01; Maëlys Dreux – Tel.: +32 2 295 46 73)
Commission launches European Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform and European Water Academy
On Monday, the European Commission is organising separate events to launch two key initiatives advancing the Water Resilience Agenda, in partnership with the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee.
Europe’s water resources are under growing pressure from pollution, ecosystem degradation, ageing infrastructure, over-consumption and climate change. As President Ursula von der Leyen underlined in her State of the Union address, the Commission recognises the serious risks that water scarcity poses to farmers, energy production and supply chains.
Against this backdrop, Europe must act fast and be ready to face this challenge.
Achieving the EU’s water resilience objectives by 2050 requires transformational change across all levels, driven by expertise and collaboration across the public and private sectors. The Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform and the Water Academy will support the effective implementation of the Water Resilience Strategy, as well as EU water legislation.
Bringing together diverse stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, regional and local authorities, and Member States, the Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform will guide this process. It will identify implementation barriers, propose practical solutions, and ensure the Strategy’s actions reflect a wide range of public and sectoral interests.
Complementing these efforts, the Water Academy will help develop and connect the skills, knowledge, innovation and partnerships needed to respond to the many water challenges Europe is facing.
Together, these two new fora will also contribute to the new European Water Initiative announced in the State of the Union address.
Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, said: ‘After a summer of extreme heat and drought, we cannot take our water supplies for granted. To ensure there is ample supply for our communities, for our biodiversity, and for our competitive circular economy, we must fully implement the Water Resilience Strategy and all EU water legislation. With experts from the Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform and the European Water Academy on board, I am confident we can achieve this.’
Commissioner Roswall will open both events. The Platform launch will be live streamed as of 09:30 CEST, and the Academy live stream will be available as of 14:00 CEST.
More information on the launch of the European Water Resilience Platform and European Water Academy will be available online as of Monday 14:00 CEST.
(For more information: Maciej Berestecki – Tel: +32 229-66483; Anna Wartberger – Tel.: +32 2 298 20 54)
Commission clears acquisition of All for One Group by Vinci Energies
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of All for One Group SE of Germany by Vinci Energies S.A. of France.
The transaction relates primarily to the provision of IT services.
The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given the companies’ limited market positions resulting from the proposed transaction. The notified transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
More information is available on the Commission’s competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.12571.
(For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Sara Simonini – Tel.: +32 2 298 33 67)
Commission clears merger between Publigas and Publi-T
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the merger between Publigas SC/CV, the entity controlling Fluxys SA, and Publi-T SC/CV, the entity controlling Elia Group SA/NV, all of Belgium. Fluxys and Elia Group are the Belgian transmission system operators for gas and electricity, respectively.
The transaction relates primarily to electricity and natural gas transmission in Belgium.
The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given that the companies are not active in the same or vertically related markets. The notified transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
More information is available on the Commission’s competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.12506.
(For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Sara Simonini – Tel.: +32 2 298 33 67)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
EU reaffirms support for effective and strengthened multilateralism at 81st UN General Assembly
From 20 to 25 September, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will travel to New York to participate in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
This year’s UNGA marks a period of transition for the UN leadership. As the largest contributor to the UN system, the EU will reaffirm its unwavering support for renewed and strengthened multilateralism, with the UN at its core.
The programme includes notably: on Monday, at 18:30 EDT (+1 00:30h CEST), President von der Leyen will participate in the Summit in support of Multilateralism, hosted by the Presidents of Kenya, Canada and the European Council. On Tuesday morning at 09:00 EDT (15:00 CEST), the President will join the opening of the 81st UN General Assembly. At 15:00 EDT (21:00 CEST), she will then participate in the High-level dialogue ‘Protecting Children’s rights facing Artificial Intelligence’, co-hosted by the Presidents of France, Spain, and Kenya as well as the Prime Minister of Australia. On Wednesday, at 10:00 EDT (16:00 CEST), President von der Leyen will co-host the OceanEye International Alliance Pledging event, together with the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, to gather pledges to better monitor and protect our ocean. In the afternoon, at 15:00 EDT (21:00 CEST), she will participate in the High-level meeting on Climate Action and Just Transition, organised by the UN Secretary-General.
President von der Leyen, the President of the European Council António Costa, and High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas will host or participate in events and meetings with leaders from around the world. They will be joined by Executive Vice-Presidents Teresa Ribera and Roxana Mînzatu, and Commissioners Dubravka Šuica, Wopke Hoekstra, Jozef Síkela, Costas Kadis, Hadja Lahbib, Magnus Brunner, Michael McGrath, and Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
Commissioner Kadis and Commissioner Lahbib will respectively represent the EU at the UN-mandated high-level meetings on the existential threats posed by sea-level rise, as well as on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
EU representatives have a full agenda of high-level debates and side events, as well as numerous bilateral meetings.
Find out more about the EU’s support to the UN in the factsheet: EU-UN: A partnership that delivers, factsheet: EU funding to the UN, as well as in the EU’s priorities at UN General Assembly over the next year.