DAILY NEWS
Brussels, 18 August 2026
EU mobilises civil protection assistance for earthquake-hit Colombia
The European Union continues to mobilise assistance for Colombia following the devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake. Sweden has offered 150 tents and 360 blankets, Germany is sending 3,000 kitchen sets and 2,500 water filters, while Luxembourg has offered 79 tents through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
The Commission has also deployed a Rapid Response Coordinator to Colombia to support the coordination of EU Civil Protection Mechanism and humanitarian assistance on the ground.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: Europe's heart is with the people of Colombia after the devastating earthquake. In moments of tragedy, solidarity means action. We are sending tents, water filters, food and other essential supplies to support communities in need. We stand with the Colombian people through this emergency and the recovery ahead.
The civil protection assistance complements the €2.1 million in emergency humanitarian funding announced by the European Commission on 12 August. EU humanitarian partners are providing health, water, sanitation and hygiene assistance, as well as shelter, food, protection and cash support to affected communities.
EU support was mobilised from the first hours following the earthquake. The Commission activated the Copernicus satellite mapping service to support rescue operations and provide initial damage assessments. The EU's humanitarian partner, the German Red Cross, also immediately reallocated €100,000 from an EU-funded project to address the immediate needs of 2,500 affected families in Chocó and Valle del Cauca.
More information is available in the press release.
(For more information: Eva Hrncirova – Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Quentin Cortes - Tel: +32 2 291 32 83)
Commission boosts Ebola response with €2.5 million of rapid diagnostic tests
The European Commission is procuring diagnostic tests to help respond to the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The tests, worth €2.5 million in total, will be donated to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
With the support of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency, the Commission will provide €2.5 million worth of rapid molecular point-of-care tests and testing instruments to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The first deliveries will begin in August. In parallel, a further agreement in collaboration with the World Health Organization for additional tests is in preparation.
Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said: “This action directly follows my visit to Ituri, where our partners made clear that faster and stronger diagnostic capacity is urgently needed. In an Ebola outbreak, every hour matters. These tests will help detect cases earlier, get patients into care sooner, and prevent the virus from spreading further. Europe is turning what we heard on the ground into concrete support, working together with Africa CDC and the WHO.”
The Commission response to the outbreak has been coordinated from day one with Member States, international bodies and partners. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the outbreak had recorded 3,381 confirmed cases and 1,489 confirmed deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Uganda, there have been 20 confirmed cases and two confirmed deaths.
The Commission has mobilised €493 million euros in emergency aid, vaccines, treatment and health security in the Great Lakes and Uganda region. The ECDC currently assesses the risk of Ebola to people in Europe as very low.
Commission clears acquisition of InPost by A&R, FedEx and Advent
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of InPost S.A. of Luxembourg by A&R Investments Limited (‘A&R') of Malta, FedEx Corporation (‘FedEx') and IS Iris Financial Investor S.à r.l. (‘Advent'), both of the US.
The transaction relates primarily to small parcel delivery services in Poland, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given its limited impact on competition in the markets where the companies are active. In particular, the Commission found that the activities of InPost and FedEx are largely complementary and rely on different business models. The increase in market shares is minimal, and the parties will continue to face effective competition from several established operators. Customers generally multisource and can readily switch between suppliers. The notified transaction was examined under the normal merger review procedure.
More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.12362.
(For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83)
Commission clears acquisition of Avenir by SNL and NYK
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of Avenir LNG Limited (‘Avenir') by Stolt-Nielsen Limited (‘SNL'), both of Bermuda, and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (‘NYK') of Japan.
The transaction relates primarily to the supply of LNG to the off-grid industry, power generation, and transport fuel sectors.
The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given that the joint venture has negligible activities in the European Economic Area. 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.12325.
Commission clears acquisition of Netfonds by Warburg Pincus
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of Netfonds AG of Germany by Warburg Pincus LLC of the US.
The transaction relates primarily to the financial sector in Germany.
The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given the companies' limited combined market position 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.12436.
Commission clears acquisition of Ebury by Centerbridge and Santander
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of Ebury Partners Limited (‘Ebury') of the UK by Centerbridge Partners, L.P. (‘Centerbridge') of the US and Banco Santander, S.A. (‘Santander') of Spain.
The transaction relates primarily to banking and payment 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.12481.
Commission clears acquisition of joint control over Oftalvist by HLA Vistahermosa and Sanoptis
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control over Oftalmología Vistahermosa, S.L. (‘Oftalvist') by Clínica Vistahermosa Grupo HLA, S.L.U. (‘HLA Vistahermosa') and Sanoptis España, S.L.U. (‘Sanoptis'), all of Spain.
The transaction relates primarily to ophthalmology services and private health insurance.
The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given that the joint venture has negligible activities in the European Economic Area and the companies' limited combined market position 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.12464.
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