The European Commission and the European AI Board have published a formal opinion, confirming that the General-Purpose AI (GPAI) Code of Practice, developed by independent experts, is an adequate voluntary tool for providers of GPAI models to demonstrate compliance with the EU AI Act.

The European Commission and the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) have launched a consultation on draft Joint Guidelines addressing the interplay between the EU Digital Markets Act (EU DMA) and Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)). The Joint Guidelines aim to ensure coherent and effective application of the two regulatory frameworks, which have complementary objectives and several points of intersection, while respecting the distinct competences of both the Commission and the EDPB. The guidelines provide guidance to gatekeepers on how to interpret and comply with both sets of rules. The consultation seeks feedback particularly from business users, including small and medium enterprises, and end users of gatekeepers' digital services within the scope of the DMA, as well as associations representing these users. The Commission and the EDPB will review all submissions before adopting the final Joint Guidelines in 2026. The consultation closes on 4 December 2025.

The European Commission and the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) have published the submissions received in response to their October 2025 consultation on draft joint guidelines addressing the interplay between the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)). More than 100 contributions were submitted, reflecting broad support among respondents for the initiative and for enhanced cross-regulatory dialogue. The Commission and the EDPB are currently reviewing the submissions to determine whether and how to adapt the draft joint guidelines, with the final guidelines expected to be adopted in Q4 2026. The guidelines are intended to improve legal clarity and certainty for businesses and citizens in the EU, while ensuring consistency between DMA enforcement and the protection of fundamental rights under the GDPR.

The European Commission and the European Union Intellectual Property Office have launched the 2025 SME Fund, offering financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises for intellectual property protection. The scheme provides grants of up to €1,000 for patent registration, €1,500 for European patent application costs, and €750 for trademark or design registration. Building on the success of previous years, where over 23,500 SMEs received support in 2024, the fund aims to encourage more businesses to safeguard their intangible assets and enhance their investment appeal.

The European Commission, in partnership with EUROCONTROL, has launched the third version of the Non-CO₂ Aviation Effects Tracking System (NEATS V3), which introduces full functionality for the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of aviation’s climate impacts. The upgraded platform enables aircraft operators, accredited verifiers and authorities to complete the entire MRV workflow within a single system. It also enhances annual reporting by allowing data to feed directly into annual non-CO₂ aviation effects reports, although manual input may still be required where data is incomplete. In addition, the system expands data coverage through integration with external sources, including EUROCONTROL’s Environment Management Information Service, to automatically fill gaps in missing or incomplete flight information, and allows users to select the applicable MRV scope and calculation method. NEATS V3 was developed under the Cooperation Agreement between EUROCONTROL and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action.

The European Commission and EUROCONTROL have launched the Non-CO₂ Aviation Effects Tracking System (NEATS), an IT tool for monitoring, reporting and verifying the non-CO₂ climate impacts of aviation. Developed under the Cooperation Agreement between EUROCONTROL and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate Action, the first version of NEATS enables aircraft operators to input primary data they monitor or measure, such as flight trajectories, engine identifiers, aircraft mass and fuel flow. Version two, scheduled for release by the end of 2025, will allow business validation of primary data and non-CO₂ aviation effects calculations, while version three will add further reporting capabilities and dedicated interfaces for aircraft operators, verifiers and competent authorities. Updated user guidance will be published alongside future updates of the tool. The system is intended to support implementation of the EU Emissions Trading System Directive by streamlining the monitoring, reporting and verification process for non-CO₂ aviation effects, including contrails and nitrogen oxides.

The European Commission and the High Representative have presented a new international strategy for securing Europe’s place in global markets titled EU global climate and energy vision. The strategy uses diplomacy to protect the EU’s core interests, promote fair transition standards and address new security threats. It adds an external dimension to the Clean Industrial Deal and aims to expand the EU’s clean technology manufacturing capacity to 15% of the global market while strengthening industrial competitiveness in line with the Clean Industrial Goal—seeking to fulfil the objectives set out in the Paris Agreement. The European Commission has also published a Questions and Answers page to provide further clarity on the objectives and implementation of the vision

The European Commission and the Swiss Confederation have signed a broad package of agreements to deepen and expand the EU-Switzerland relationship. The package aims to provide legal certainty and simplify trade in goods such as medical devices and food products by aligning standards and rules in closely integrated areas. It also introduces a new health agreement enabling Switzerland to participate in EU mechanisms and bodies addressing serious cross-border threats to health, including the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the Early Warning and Response System. Furthermore, the agreement opens the way for Switzerland to take part in Horizon Europe, Euratom Research and Training, International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)/Fusion for Energy (F4E) (Fusion for Energy), Digital Europe, Erasmus+ and EU4Health.

The European Commission and the United States have announced a joint framework agreement that establishes new trade and investment parameters designed to restore stability and predictability in their bilateral economic relations. The framework introduces a maximum tariff ceiling of 15% on most EU exports to the US, covering strategic sectors such as cars, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and lumber, while exempting goods that already incur MFN tariffs of 15% or higher. From 1 September 2025, specific product groups will benefit from a special regime applying only MFN tariffs.

A process for recovery of documents.

The European Commission has announced plans to introduce a Quantum Act in 2026 as part of its new EU Quantum Strategy launched on 2 July 2025. The proposed legislation aims to strengthen the EU's quantum technology ecosystem and industrialisation efforts by creating incentives for Member States, companies, investors and researchers to invest in production facilities. The Act forms part of a broader strategy that includes €50m in public funding for quantum chips facilities and the establishment of quantum research initiatives, though specific legislative details remain to be outlined in 2026.

The European Commission has announced the adoption of a Charter of Access for Industrial Users to Research and Technology Infrastructures to improve companies' access to research and technology infrastructures across Europe. The voluntary Charter sets out six principles to improve the visibility, transparency and accessibility of infrastructure services, simplify contractual procedures, support intellectual property management, improve access to data, and strengthen cooperation between research and technology infrastructures. The Commission states that the Charter will help companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), start-ups and scale-ups, develop, test and validate new technologies more efficiently and bring products to market more quickly. The Commission has invited research and technology infrastructures to endorse the Charter and launched an outreach campaign, including webinars, events and a repository of good practices, to support its implementation. It states that the Charter forms part of the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, supports the European strategy on research and technology infrastructures and complements the European Charter for Access to Research Infrastructures.