News

The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) has published the report Women Entrepreneurs in Europe: Data, Barriers, and Recommendations for Support, focusing on women’s participation in entrepreneurship across the EU and the main barriers limiting their growth and development.

According to the report, despite women entrepreneurs’ significant contribution to the EU economy, women remain systematically under-represented across all dimensions of entrepreneurial activity. They account for only 33 per cent of business owners in the EU-27 and tend to run smaller businesses, while gaps also persist in growth prospects, business survival, innovation and internationalisation.

In light of these findings, the report identifies five priorities, improving access to finance by diversifying the financial instruments available to women entrepreneurs, creating more favourable institutional and regulatory conditions, strengthening entrepreneurial skills and self-confidence, increasing the visibility of women entrepreneurs and expanding professional networks, improving the collection, quality and availability of data.

The aim is to strengthen the European ecosystem supporting women’s entrepreneurship and contribute to the EU’s social and economic growth.

On 20 September, the reform of the EU Customs Union entered into force, marking the transition towards a more digital, integrated and data-driven customs system. At the heart of the new framework are the Union Customs Code (UCC), the new European Union Customs Authority (EUCA) and the EU Customs Data Hub.

Established by Regulation (EU) 2026/2108, the new Code aims to further harmonise customs procedures and reduce administrative burdens, while addressing emerging challenges in international trade, from the growth of e-commerce to supply chain security. The Data Hub, managed by EUCA, will play a central role by gradually replacing existing national IT systems, while simplified procedures will be introduced for trusted operators. As regards e-commerce, the customs duty exemption for consignments worth up to €150 was abolished on 1 July 2026 and a temporary €3 duty will apply until 2028. An EU handling fee for small parcels is also due to be introduced from November 2026.

Implementation of the reform will proceed gradually: EUCA is expected to become operational in 2027, while the Data Hub will become mandatory for e-commerce transactions from 1 July 2028.

On 1 October, the European Commission published the Science, Research and Innovation Performance of the EU 2026 report, highlighting the need to strengthen research and innovation to support European competitiveness. While ranking second worldwide in scientific output, the EU struggles to translate research findings into strategic technologies, products and services. Key challenges include fragmented ecosystems, access to finance and barriers to commercialisation. According to the report, an additional €560 billion in investment would be needed to reach the target of spending 3% of GDP on research and development by 2030.

On the legislative front, the Commission is preparing the European Research Area Act to improve policy coordination and the circulation of knowledge and talent. The proposed European Innovation Act aims to help innovative companies scale up by facilitating access to public procurement and intellectual property-backed finance. These initiatives complement the proposed strengthening of the EU research and innovation budget for 2028 - 2034.

On 9 September, the European Commission presented the new European Innovation Act, a key initiative of the EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy and the Competitiveness Compass, designed to foster the growth of innovative businesses within the single market.

The proposal focuses primarily on access to finance, introducing a voluntary European methodology for the valuation of intellectual property assets, a Competence Centre at EUIPO and a digital platform to facilitate connections between businesses, investors and intermediaries. The new framework also introduces common rules for public procurement of research and development, with more proportionate financial requirements, value-oriented criteria and a European preference stipulating that at least 50 per cent of R&D activities must be carried out in the EU or in eligible countries. In parallel, the Commission has proposed a Recommendation on regulatory sandboxes, to enable the testing of innovative technologies in controlled environments, thereby reducing regulatory uncertainty, particularly for start-ups and small businesses.

The European Commission has presented a proposal for a new Regulation on public procurement to simplify the regulatory framework, reduce administrative burdens and make greater use of public spending to support competitiveness.

The reform would replace the three 2014 Directives with a single, directly applicable Regulation, reducing regulatory fragmentation and simplifying procedures, which would be reduced from five to three. Among the key changes is the creation of a European Digital Marketplace for public procurement, based on the interconnection of e-procurement platforms and the ‘once-only’ principle, to avoid the repeated submission of the same data and documents. The proposal also places greater emphasis on quality in the award process: the ‘Best Price-Quality Ratio’ would become the standard method, with minimum quality criteria set at 30 per cent, rising to 50 per cent for labour-intensive contracts.

The European Commission has presented the Fair Labour Mobility Package, a set of measures aimed at simplifying labour mobility within the single market by reducing the administrative burden on businesses, workers and national authorities. The package includes a Communication on fair labour mobility and five legislative proposals:

• A Regulation establishing a European Social Security Pass;

• A “Skills Portability Act”, a Regulation on digital and comparable qualifications;

• A Regulation to strengthen the European Labour Authority;

• An amending Directive on professional qualifications; and

• A Directive on qualifications of third-country nationals.

Among the key new features is the establishment of the European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS), which will digitise documents that are currently complex to manage. Businesses will thus benefit from more standardised procedures, real-time verification and less duplication of documentation. The package also addresses the portability of skills, providing digital, standardised qualifications. Verifiable via the EU Digital Identity Wallet, these credentials enable employers to seamlessly compare qualifications issued by other Member States.

Particular attention is paid to the recognition of professional qualifications. The Commission proposes faster digital procedures to facilitate the recruitment of qualified candidates in sectors characterised by skills shortages. The proposal also introduces common rules for the recognition of qualifications held by third-country nationals, with the aim of making it simpler and more predictable to recruit talent from outside the EU or already present in the European labour market.

The European Commission has designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE) and Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The designation follows notifications from the three services that they reach at least 45 million average monthly users in the European Union, the threshold set by the DSA for the application of the enhanced regulatory regime.

Within four months of the notification, ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will have to comply with the additional obligations applying to VLOPs and VLOSEs. These include assessing and mitigating systemic risks linked to their services and algorithmic systems, including risks related to the dissemination of illegal content, the protection of minors, users’ physical and mental well-being, fundamental rights, electoral processes and public security. The designation also gives the European Commission stronger supervisory and investigative powers over the functioning of the services and their related systems. The Commission will be responsible for supervising compliance with the enhanced obligations, in cooperation with the relevant national Digital Services Coordinators.

With these new designations, the number of very large online platforms and search engines subject to the DSA’s enhanced regime rises to 28.

The Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the main instrument of NextGenerationEU, has reached a key implementation milestone. As of 31 August 2026, Member States can no longer take new actions towards completing the reforms and investments included in their national recovery and resilience plans.

The focus now shifts to the final payment phase. Member States have until 30 September 2026 to submit their last payment requests, together with the evidence needed to demonstrate that the agreed milestones and targets have been achieved. The European Commission must complete all remaining payments by 31 December 2026.

NextGenerationEU was launched as the EU’s common response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and was later adapted to address the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine, particularly in the energy sector. Through the RRF, which provides up to €573 billion in grants and loans, the EU has supported reforms and investments aimed at accelerating the green and digital transitions, strengthening competitiveness and increasing the resilience of European economies.

RRF funding is performance-based, meaning that payments are made only after the Commission verifies the successful implementation of the reforms and investments agreed with each Member State.

So far, around €440 billion has been disbursed, with up to a further €133 billion expected to be paid by the end of 2026. The Commission has also approved Sweden’s final payment request after the country completed all reforms and investments under its plan, shortly after Denmark reached the same milestone.

On 13 August 2026, the new European Regulation on End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) came into force, updating the rules on the design, manufacture, collection and treatment of vehicles at the end of their life cycle.

The new provisions aim to enhance circularity in the automotive sector by promoting designs that facilitate the dismantling, reuse, recycling and recovery of components and materials. The Regulation introduces stricter requirements regarding the traceability and collection of end-of-life vehicles. It also strengthens the principle of extended producer responsibility by requiring manufacturers to contribute to the costs of collecting and treating end-of-life vehicles. Furthermore, it sets out measures to increase the recovery of critical raw materials, including aluminium, copper and rare earth elements.

Key new provisions include binding targets for the use of recycled plastic in new vehicles, set at 15 per cent from 2032 and 25 per cent from 2036. The Commission will also set specific targets for the use of recycled steel and aluminium from 2033 onwards.

Finally, from mid-2031, only roadworthy vehicles will be allowed to be exported outside the EU, with the aim of combating the export of end-of-life vehicles as second-hand vehicles.

The European Commission has launched the Digital Product Passport Registry, a tool provided for under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.

The Digital Product Passport will contain information on the product’s origin, regulatory compliance, instructions for use and reuse options. The data will generally be accessible through a QR code or a similar digital medium, with the aim of increasing supply chain transparency and enabling consumers to make more informed choices.

The new registry will serve as a secure central infrastructure for managing metadata related to digital service providers. Product-specific information will remain stored by economic operators or Digital Product Passport service providers.

The system will gradually cover several sectors, including textiles, steel, aluminium, tyres, furniture, ICT products, energy-related products, construction products, toys and detergents. The first Digital Product Passports will become mandatory for certain categories of batteries from 18 February 2027.

The Commission has also launched a helpdesk and a testing environment to support businesses and stakeholders in preparing for the new system.

The European Commission has fined Google a total of €890 million for breaching the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the EU regulation imposing specific obligations on large digital platforms designated as gatekeepers.

The first fine, amounting to €460 million, concerns the preferential treatment given to Google’s own services in search results, including shopping, hotels, transport and sports, to the detriment of competing services. The second fine, amounting to €430 million, concerns restrictions imposed on app developers distributing their applications through Google Play, limiting their ability to inform users about alternative offers available outside the store.

The Commission also ordered Google to end the infringements by ensuring fair conditions for third-party services and greater freedom for developers to promote alternative offers. Google must comply within 60 days. Failure to do so could result in periodic penalty payments of up to 5% of its total worldwide turnover.

The European Commission has presented a new Electrification Action Plan aimed at accelerating the shift from fossil fuels to electricity across industry, transport and buildings.

The objective is to increase the share of electricity in EU energy consumption from the current 23% to 46% by 2040. According to the Commission, achieving this target could reduce fossil fuel imports by around €260 billion per year, while strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, energy security and decarbonisation.

The plan includes measures to narrow the price gap between electricity and fossil fuels, speed up the deployment of smart meters and reduce the upfront costs of technologies such as heat pumps, electric vehicles and batteries. It also provides for action to accelerate the development of European electricity grids, support innovative electrification solutions and invest in skills and employment.

At the same time, the Commission announced a review of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to adapt it to the evolving geopolitical and economic context.