DAILY NEWS
Brussels, 22 May 2025
European Vaccine Hub to enhance health preparedness across EU
To strengthen Europe's vaccine readiness and responsiveness in times of pandemics, the European Vaccine Hub (EHV) was inaugurated in Siena. The initiative consist of key actions, that will amongst others, speed-up vaccine development to less than four months from identifying a pathogen's genomic sequence.
The Hub will bring together nationally-funded vaccine research and development investments at EU level.
The Hub will be made up of a consortium of leading European organisations in vaccine development and national pandemic preparedness programmes. Each will leverage their extensive expertise in vaccine discovery, development, clinical trials, and manufacturing.
The EVH project is funded by the Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) through the EU4Health programme with up to €102 million.
Key objectives and actions of the Hub
The Hub will revolutionise vaccine development through its agile, decentralized structure. It will organise collaborative research across Europe, as well as ensure sustainability and continued operation beyond initial funding. Ultimately it will enhance Europe's capability to protect its citizens and bolster its economy against global health threats.
The EVH will focus on a number of key actions, including:
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic, along with previous health emergencies, highlighted the urgent need to boost technologies that facilitate rapid responses in crises. A crucial aspect of this preparedness is the development and accessibility of prototype vaccines. These vaccines form an integral cornerstone of pandemic readiness.
The Commission is committed to establishing a decentralised European hub for vaccine development. This hub will bring together critical knowledge and expertise in key areas of vaccine development and integrate them with broader international initiatives.
The EVH comprises a Steering Committee for strategic decision making and a Coordination Team for operational management. These bodies are supported by a stakeholders Group, and an External Advisory Committee.
More information
HERA website
Quote(s)
With the launch of the European Vaccine Hub, we take a significant step forward in ensuring that Europe is prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to future pandemics. This initiative embodies the spirit of European collaboration, uniting our finest minds and resources across borders to protect the health of our citizens and strengthen our global leadership in vaccine development. Europe is investing in a resilient, sustainable future where we can rapidly deliver life-saving vaccines to those who need them most.
Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management
Commission welcomes political agreement on compulsory licensing to enhance EU crisis resilience
The European Commission welcomes the political agreement between the European Parliament and the EU Member States on new rules for compulsory licensing, an important intellectual property tool to the existing EU crisis response toolkit.
The new Regulation establishes an EU-level framework to efficiently grant a compulsory licence in clearly defined cross-border crisis or emergency situations. Under the new Regulation, the Commission may grant an EU-wide compulsory licence for the use of a protected invention concerning crisis-relevant products, where a crisis or emergency has been declared or activated under the relevant EU crisis instruments.
Currently, compulsory licensing is governed solely at national level, resulting in 27 distinct regimes. This fragmentation creates uncertainty and procedural delays in EU-wide crises requiring rapid and coordinated action. By establishing an EU-level mechanism for issuing compulsory licences in defined crisis situations, the new Regulation closes this gap. The proposal would also make it possible to grant a Union compulsory licence for export purposes, in addition to the already existing possibility at national level.
The compulsory licensing mechanism is strictly designed as a measure of last resort. It is subject to clearly defined conditions to ensure that its use remains targeted, proportionate, and limited in time. The framework includes robust safeguards, such as clear limitations on the scope and duration of licences, and the requirement to provide fair and adequate remuneration to rights holders, in compliance with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. While national compulsory licensing regimes remain fully in place, this Regulation offers a coordinated solution for situations that require cross-border action. It also reinforces the integrity of the Single Market by ensuring the free movement and availability of crisis-relevant goods in emergencies.
Next Steps
The provisional agreement reached in the trilogue must now be formally approved by both the European Parliament and the Council. Once adopted by the co-legislators, the Regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force on the day of its publication.
Compulsory licensing is a legal mechanism that enables public authorities to exceptionally allow the use of a patented invention without the consent of the right holder – the person or organisation that legally owns the patent - under defined conditions. In crises, such as pandemics or natural disasters, a compulsory licence can serve as a last-resort solution to enable access to patented products when voluntary agreements to share the patent – for example, a company refusing to license a medicine or charging unaffordable prices - are not available or don't meet the requirement of urgency.
The Union compulsory licensing Regulation is a key element of the EU's broader crisis preparedness and response framework and is listed in the action plan of the Preparedness Union Strategy. It complements existing Union instruments, including Regulation (EU) 2022/2371, which allows the Commission to recognise a public health emergency at Union level, Regulation (EU) 2022/2372, establishing rules to secure the availability of crisis-relevant medical countermeasures, and the Regulation (EU) 2024/2747 establishing a framework of measures related to an internal market emergency and to the resilience of the internal market and amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2679/98. It also complements the Unitary Patent system, operational since 1 June 2023, helping to build a more integrated and effective EU patent landscape in the Single Market.
For More Information
Compulsory licensing - European Commission
I welcome the political agreement on the EU wide compulsory licensing scheme. This is another tool to strengthen the EU resilience and preparedness to crises. Learning from the past, we are making smart use of intellectual property law. The agreement reflects a well-balanced outcome that supports both innovation and competitiveness, and shows that intellectual property can be a powerful tool in responding to future challenges.
Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy
Commission calls on Member States to fully transpose rules on recognition of professional qualifications of nurses trained in Romania
Today, the European Commission decided to open infringement procedures by sending letters of formal notice to 14 Member States for failing to notify their measures fully incorporating into national law Directive (EU) 2024/505 on the recognition of professional qualifications of nurses responsible for general care trained in Romania. The transposition deadline was 4 March 2025. The Directive introduces specific amendments to the Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications. The amendments aim to facilitate the recognition of Romanian diplomas obtained before the country's accession to the EU by nurses responsible for general care who followed a special upgrading programme. This programme enabled its participants to upgrade their qualifications and meet the minimum requirements set out in Directive 2005/36/EC. Full implementation of the legislation is key to ensure that graduates of the programme can have their qualifications recognised more easily in other Member States. Until now, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal failed to communicate to the Commission the respective measures fully incorporating the new rules into national law. The Commission is therefore sending letters of formal notice to these Member States, which now have two months to respond to complete their incorporation at national level and notify their measures to the Commission. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.
(For more information: Stefan de Keersmaecker – Tel.: +32 2 29 84680)
EU Commission leads the way in regulatory openness among OECD members
The European Commission has been ranked first among 38 OECD members in transparency, stakeholder engagement, and impact assessment, according to the OECD Regulatory Policy Outlook 2025. The Head of OECD Regulatory Policy Division will present these findings today at the Regulatory Scrutiny Board conference hosted by the Commission.
The event will gather senior policymakers, international experts, and stakeholders to discuss regulatory best practices and future priorities. An EU-specific OECD report will follow this summer, providing detailed analysis of regulatory practices in all EU Member States. Preliminary findings from this report will be shared with Member States at the Working Party on Better Regulation under the COMPET Council on 27 October.
These Outlook results underline the strength and effectiveness of the Commission's approach to regulatory practices, especially in terms of openness and meaningful consultation. They provide a strong baseline for the broader institutional changes taking place within the Commission, including ambitious measures aimed at simplifying legislation and significantly reducing administrative burdens for businesses and citizens. These efforts form part of a comprehensive change of corporate culture, explicitly designed to strengthen competitiveness and improve accountability at EU level.
(For more information: Olof Gill – Tel.: +32 2 296 59 66; Ana Apse-Paese – Tel.: +32 2 298 73 48)
New digital hub to strengthen Europe's nuclear industry
Today, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) launched a new modelling hub aimed at providing reliable nuclear modelling and data to stakeholders across Europe.
The purpose of this digital modelling is to describe and predict the behaviour nuclear reactors in critical conditions.
The modelling hub aims to help Europe's nuclear industry develop and deploy applications such as Small Modular Reactors, which may contribute to decarbonising the EU's economy, particularly in heavy industry. The hub is also a useful tool for policymakers by acting as a centralised platform to support designing and assessing European policies at the intersection between energy, environment, and economy.
The new hub builds on the JRC's unique strengths, combining advanced computing tools with decades of expertise in nuclear research.
(For more information: Thomas Regnier — Tel.: + 32 2 299 10 99; Marine Strauss — Tel.: + 32 2 298 91 03)
EU advances in nature protection, but bird and insect losses persist
Nearly half of the more than 100 actions in the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 have been completed, according to a new report from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. Key achievements include progress on legally protecting 30% of EU land and sea, new laws like the Nature Restoration Regulation, and increased tree planting across member states. Reaching the targets still requires implementation work in the Member States.
But the report warns biodiversity is still declining – especially among pollinators and common birds – and calls for faster progress and tougher enforcement of environmental rules to stay on track, including the full application of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.
Biodiversity progress also remains hard to measure due to data gaps. To address this issue, the Commission and the European Environment Agency will use the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity to close data gaps and better align monitoring systems at national, EU and global levels. Improved tracking is seen as crucial for shaping environmental policy and meeting international commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The EU biodiversity strategy, adopted in 2020 under the European Green Deal, aims to restore ecosystems and reverse nature loss by 2030 through laws, monitoring, and national action.
More information on the report is available online.
Commission publishes country benchmarking to help fight deforestation worldwide
The European Commission has published the first benchmarking list, which classifies countries according to their ‘low', ‘standard', or ‘high' risk of deforestation. This country classification takes into account the production of the seven commodities covered by the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), namely cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood. These commodities have been chosen on the basis of a thorough impact assessment identifying them as the main driver of deforestation due to agricultural expansion. The publication of the benchmarking list follows a positive opinion by consensus of all EU Member States.
The risk classification defines the extent of compliance checks that Member States' competent authorities have to foresee for a country (1% for ‘low risk', 3% for ‘standard' and 9% for ‘high risk'). Sourcing from low-risk countries entails simplified due diligence obligations for operators and traders. Concretely, this means that they need to collect information, but not assess and mitigate risks.
The countries which are identified in the high-risk category in this first country benchmarking list are subject to sanctions from the UN Security Council or the Council of the EU on imports or exports of the relevant commodities and relevant products.
The country benchmarking will ensure a simple, fair and cost-efficient implementation of the EUDR, which is already delivering positive developments on the ground to fight deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss.
Today's publication of the country benchmarking is an important milestone ahead of the entry into application of the law on 30 December 2025 for large companies and 30 June 2026 for micro- and small enterprises.
Today's publication of the benchmarking list is accompanied by a Staff Working Document outlining the methodology on which the benchmarking is based.
(For more information: Maciej Berestecki — Tel.: + 32 2 296 64 83; Maëlys Dreux – Tel.: +32 2 295 46 73)
Recommendations for Member States to help tackle transport poverty and promote fair, sustainable mobility
The European Commission today adopted recommendations to Member States on how to address the complex challenges of transport poverty across the EU notably in the context of the upcoming Social Climate Plans.
The Social Climate Fund is expected to mobilise at least €86.7 billion as from 2026. It will provide significant financial support to help Member States implement structural reforms and advance sustainable, inclusive mobility.
To access this funding, Member States are required to develop national Social Climate Plans by end of June, outlining targeted measures and investments to support vulnerable groups affected by the new emissions trading system.
One possibility is through social leasing schemes for zero-emission vehicles, targeting vulnerable transport users, as outlined in the Automotive Action Plan. Additionally, the Commission recommends improving transport services in low-income areas, developing public transport infrastructure to connect these areas to city centers, and implementing voucher programs for public transport, zero-emission on-demand services, and enhanced accessibility for people with disabilities.
In support of these efforts, the Joint Research Centre has launched the Transport Poverty Hub, an online platform providing high-resolution maps, that help visually identify areas with well-developed and underdeveloped transport networks, providing valuable insights to policymakers into regional connectivity.
Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said: “Transport poverty is more than an economic challenge. It's a barrier to social and climate justice. Today's recommendation sets a strategy to break down those barriers, ensuring that all Europeans, regardless of where they live or what their income is, have fair access to affordable and reliable transport and the opportunities it creates.”
You can find more information on the Commission's Recommendations on transport poverty online.
(For more information: Anna-Kaisa Itkonen – Tel.: +32 2 295 75 01; Anna Wartberger – Tel.: +32 2 298 25 04)
European Investment Fund invests €40 million in European defence and security Tech fund under InvestEU
As Europe faces an unprecedented level of security threat, innovation in defence, security, and space technologies has become a strategic imperative
The European Investment Fund (EIF) today announced an effort to enhance the availability of capital for defence-focused ventures in Europe, with a €40 million investment in Keen's European Defence and Security Tech Fund. The fund aims to support companies that are pioneering solutions in areas such as cyber defence, robotics, space technologies, or artificial intelligence (AI).
Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy Stephane Séjourné said: “Strengthening Europe's defence technological and industrial base is about securing our strategic autonomy and protecting our citizens—on land, at sea, in the air, in cyberspace, and in space. It's about ensuring that European companies can deliver the technologies we need. We are moving from declarations to delivery, with investments to match our ambition.”
The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment. As of January 2025, the fund has mobilised €300 billion in investment.
More information is available in a press release online.
(For more information: Lea Zuber – Tel.: +32 2 295 62 98; Quentin Cortès - Tel.: +32 2 291 32 83)
Commissioner Kubilius in London to engage with Europe's defence sector
Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space, travels to London to engage with the defence and space industries at the annual Convention of The Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD Europe). The visit comes after the EU-UK summit where the EU and UK identified areas of future work to strengthen EU-United Kingdom relations concluded a comprehensive, balanced and mutually beneficial Security and Defence Partnership. The visit will allow the Commissioner to engage with the European defence industry and explore how it can enhance European defence readiness through increased production and innovation.
In London, Commissioner Kubilius will participate in the "Investing in Europe's Defence Future" breakfast discussion, attend the board meeting of ASD Europe and will deliver a keynote speech at ASD Europe's General Assembly. Representing more than 4,000 companies across 21 European countries, ASD Europe is a key consortium for the continent's Aerospace, Security, and Defence industries.
Additionally, Commissioner Kubilius will meet with General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom, to discuss advancements in defence innovation, further broadening the scope of European collaboration in defence.
Commissioner Albuquerque visits Greece for talks on the Savings and Investments Union, competitiveness and simplification in the finance sector
Maria Luís Albuquerque, Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union, is visiting Greece from today to Friday, 23 May. The Commissioner will engage with the Greek government, policymakers, industry representatives and civil society.
During the visit, the Commissioner will meet with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, and Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras. The Commissioner will also speak with multiple financial industry representatives, business associations, members of the regulatory and supervisory communities, as well as trade union representatives. On Friday, the Commissioner will meet with students of Piraeus University to hear the views of young people.
A central theme of the visit will be the Savings and Investments Union, which seeks to enhance the financial system's capability to connect EU citizens' savings with productive investments. Other key topics will include the boosting of EU competitiveness and simplifying financial sector regulations.
(For more information: Olof Gill – Tel.: +32 2 296 59 66; Marta Perez-Cejuela Romero - Tel.: +32 2 296 37 70)