The European Commission has released an elections toolkit to guide national regulators, known as Digital Services Coordinators, on applying the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) Election Guidelines during electoral processes. The toolkit compiles best practices for managing risks on Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs), addressing issues like hate speech and manipulation. It offers recommendations in stakeholder management, communication, incident response, and risk monitoring to safeguard EU electoral integrity.

The European Commission has published an evaluation of Directive 2014/23/EU, Directive 2014/24/EU and Directive 2014/25/EU (EU Public Procurement Directives), concluding that they have only partially met their intended objectives. The evaluation found that the Directives did not improve legal clarity or flexibility, with new sector-specific rules adding further complexity. While transparency has improved and contract values have doubled, corruption risks remain and data gaps continue to hinder compliance checks. Competition results were mixed: the average number of bids per tender has declined, although large contracts continue to attract strong interest and SMEs account for 71% of contract awards. Direct cross-border participation within the EU remains limited and progress on green, social and innovative procurement is uneven across Member States. EU procurement rules currently apply to approximately a quarter of the EU’s €616bn annual public procurement expenditure. The evaluation represents the first step towards revising the EU Public Procurement Directives as part of the EU’s broader strategic agenda.

The European Commission has published a Staff Working Document presenting evidence to support a legislative proposal aimed at reinforcing the availability, supply security, and production of critical medicinal products within the EU. The document underpins proposed amendments to Regulation (EU) 2024/795 and outlines a framework to address persistent medicine shortages and supply chain vulnerabilities. It recommends measures to reduce reliance on non-EU suppliers, improve access to medicines of common interest, and enhance manufacturing capacity through investment, regulatory coordination, and strategic procurement. The evidence includes assessments of economic, environmental, and social impacts, and incorporates input from the Critical Medicines Alliance to inform implementation.

The European Commission has published a factsheet setting out proposed revisions to the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) and In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation (IVDR), aimed at promoting competitiveness and innovation while maintaining patient safety standards. The reforms establish a single regulatory framework for AI-enabled medical devices and introduce measures to reduce administrative burden, enhance coordination and streamline procedures for market participants. Key changes include increased digitalisation, more proportionate requirements for low and medium risk devices, enhanced legal certainty through shorter certification timelines and improved EU-level coordination of notified bodies. The reforms also seek to address the needs of small and medium sized enterprises, which account for around 90% of medical device manufacturers in Europe.

The European Commission has published a factsheet tracking EU legislation entering into force or becoming applicable during the period between 1 August 2026 and 15 September 2026. The measures span a wide range of policy areas, including artificial intelligence (AI), antimicrobial resistance, packaging waste, electronic evidence in criminal proceedings, digital identity, rail interoperability, cybersecurity and data access.

The European Commission has published its fifth State of the Schengen report, reviewing progress in the Schengen area and setting priorities for 2026–2027. The Commission states that the Schengen area remains resilient due to joint action by the EU and Member States to strengthen border management, migration procedures and internal security cooperation. The report states that illegal border crossings fell by 26% in 2025 compared with 2024, while the return rate for people without the right to stay in the EU reached 28%, the highest level in the past 10 years. The Commission also highlights the launch of the Entry/Exit System (EES) in April 2026, which recorded more than 66 million entries and exits in its first six months and refused entry to 32,000 people without the right to enter the EU. It also notes that the EU’s first Visa Strategy was adopted in January 2026. The Commission says further action is needed to address geopolitical and security challenges, with priorities for the next Schengen cycle including stronger visa policy, continued digitalisation of border procedures through the EES and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) systems, improved return procedures, and closer cooperation between Member States on internal security and border controls. The report also confirms that work will continue on Cyprus joining the Schengen area, implementing Schengen internal security rules in Ireland, and cooperation with enlargement countries. The Commission has invited the Schengen Council to discuss the report and adopt the new priorities at the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in June 2026.

The European Commission published the final version of the General-Purpose AI (GPAI) Code of Practice. Developed by 13 independent experts with input from over 1,000 stakeholders, the voluntary Code is designed to help providers comply with the EU AI Act’s rules for GPAI models on transparency, copyright, and systemic risk. It will be assessed by Member States and supplemented by Commission guidelines before the relevant obligations on GPAI models under the EU AI Act starts to apply on 2 August 2025.

The European Commission has published the first two roadmaps under the Clean Transport Corridor Initiative (CTCI), endorsed by nine Member States at the Transport Council in Luxembourg. The roadmaps cover the Scandinavian–Mediterranean and North Sea–Baltic Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) corridors, identifying priority actions, infrastructure gaps and investment needs, including in the energy sector, to enable efficient zero-emission truck operations by 2030. The initiative is intended to accelerate the large-scale deployment of charging infrastructure, improve cross-border co-ordination and provide greater certainty for investors and operators. The Commission also published an updated mapping of existing and planned charging projects along the corridors. The CTCI is expected to be extended to all TEN-T corridors later in 2026.

The European Commission has published the first draft of the Code of Practice on marking and labelling of AI-generated content, designed to support compliance with Article 50 transparency obligations under the EU AI Act. The draft Code comprises two sections: rules for marking and detecting AI content applicable to providers of generative AI systems, and labelling requirements for deepfakes and AI-generated text on matters of public interest applicable to deployers of generative AI systems. The Commission will collect feedback on the first draft from participants and observers until 23 January 2026, with a second draft expected by mid-March 2026 and finalisation scheduled for June 2026. The transparency obligations for AI-generated content will become applicable on 2 August 2026. The Code serves as a voluntary tool to demonstrate compliance with obligations requiring providers to mark AI-generated content in machine-readable format and deployers to clearly label deepfakes and AI-text publications on matters of public interest.

The European Commission has published its first review of the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), concluding that it remains fit for purpose and does not require revision after two years in force. The Commission found that the EU DMA has contributed to making digital markets fairer and more contestable, while creating new opportunities for businesses and developers and giving users more control over their devices and digital experiences. The review highlights improved data portability when switching between services and devices, increased choice of alternative search engines and web browsers over default providers and greater control over whether to allow gatekeepers to combine personal data across services. It also notes enhanced interoperability for connected device manufacturers with gatekeeper operating systems, the emergence of alternative app stores as operating systems have opened up to third-party app providers and the launch of new messaging apps enabled by interoperability obligations. However, while implementation of the EU DMA is progressing positively, the Commission emphasises the need for robust supervision, ongoing regulatory dialogue supported by guidance and enforcement action where necessary.

The European Commission has published a fitness check assessing the EU regulations on gas supply security and electricity risk preparedness, originally introduced in 2017 and 2019. The review finds that while these regulations have generally enhanced energy supply stability, they proved inadequate during the 2021–23 energy crisis, necessitating additional emergency measures. In response, the Commission intends to publish revised legislative proposals in the first half of 2026. These proposals will adopt a more robust, cross-sectoral approach to energy security, addressing emerging challenges such as physical and cyber threats, climate risks, and geopolitical tensions.

The European Commission has published five reports drawing on Horizon Europe-funded projects to inform the forthcoming EU Circular Economy Act. The reports identify key barriers to, and success factors for, scaling circular solutions across regions, borders, sectors and material streams. They cover circular public procurement, extended producer responsibility (EPR), recycled and bio-based content and end-of-waste criteria, waste electrical and electronic equipment, the recovery of critical raw materials and transnational and regional initiatives. Identified constraints include regulatory fragmentation, limited data interoperability and insufficient cross-border co-ordination. Recommendations include life cycle-based EPR schemes, harmonised end-of-waste criteria and procurement tools. The reports also emphasise the importance of territorially grounded circular policies, the deployment of Digital Product Passports and the development of integrated reverse supply chains for critical raw materials.