News

The European Commission has launched the Forced Labour Single Portal, the new digital platform supporting the implementation of the EU Forced Labour Regulation, which will become applicable from 14 December 2027. The portal serves as the main preparedness tool for businesses, competent authorities and civil society organisations, bringing together guidance, practical resources and supporting documentation in a single access point. The Regulation prohibits products made with forced labour from being placed on the EU market or exported from the Union, with the aim of strengthening the protection of human rights and promoting more sustainable and transparent supply chains. The launch of the preparedness package marks the beginning of the implementation phase, providing economic operators with the time needed to adapt their due diligence processes and supply chain verification procedures ahead of the Regulation’s application.

The European Union has introduced new customs rules for e-commerce, with the aim of strengthening controls on goods imported from third countries and ensuring a more level playing field for European businesses. Among the main changes is the abolition of the custom duty exemption for parcels valued under €150. To address loopholes that have emerged in recent years, a transitional fee of EUR 3 per item is also foreseen for goods coming from third countries. The measure aims to enhance consumer protection by reducing the risk of non-compliant or potentially unsafe products entering the European market, while ensuring that imported goods comply with EU standards on safety, health and the environment. Online platforms will be responsible for collecting duties at the time of purchase, preventing unexpected costs at delivery and increasing transparency for consumers. The reform is also expected to help reduce the environmental impact linked to packaging and long-distance shipping, while greater data sharing between customs authorities and digital platforms will make controls more effective. Overall, the new system paves the way for the broader EU customs reform planned for 2028 and marks a concrete step toward a safer, fairer, and more sustainable European market.

Artificial intelligence is consolidating its role as a strategic driver of economic growth, and in Italy, the sector is showing increasingly clear signs of improvement, supported by strong market growth, a progressively more structured ecosystem, and a growing international outlook among its economic players. In 2025, the national market reached approximately €1.8 billion, marking a 50% year-on-year increase. According to the ECM AI Observatory by Banca Generali and IRTOP, the sector is becoming increasingly structured, with growing involvement from companies, startups, and investors. AI-focused companies listed on Euronext Growth Milan reported revenue growth of 16.3% and outperformed the broader market, while startups confirm a strong international orientation, with around 60% of their revenues generated abroad. Demand is mainly driven by large enterprises and the public sector, while SMEs are still at an early stage of adoption. Key challenges remain, including the integration of advanced technologies such as Agentic AI, managing risks related to shadow AI, and improving access to capital to support scalability. Further development will depend on stronger ecosystem integration and alignment with international best practices.

The European Commission has published the 2025/2026 Annual Report on European SMEs together with a new report on women entrepreneurship, providing an updated overview of the European business landscape and the key challenges that will shape future EU policies supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. In 2025, Europe’s SMEs sector, with more than 34 million enterprises, continued its growth path, recording a 1.8% increase in the number of enterprises, a 2.5% rise in real value added and 1% employment growth. At the same time, the reports underline the need to accelerate the uptake of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, boost productivity and improve access to finance, particularly for women-led businesses, which still account for only one third of entrepreneurs across the EU.

The European Commission has published the final version of the Code of Practice on the marking and labelling of content generated or manipulated by artificial intelligence, with the aim of supporting providers and deployers in complying with the transparency obligations laid down in the AI Act, which will apply from 2 August 2026. The voluntary Code provides practical guidance on identifying AI-generated content, including deepfakes, images, videos, audio and text, as well as on informing users when they interact with AI systems such as chatbots and virtual assistants. Developed by a group of independent experts with contributions from more than 180 stakeholders, the document distinguishes between the responsibilities of AI providers and those of organisations deploying AI-generated content. Once endorsed by the European Artificial Intelligence Board, the Code will serve as a reference framework for demonstrating compliance with the AI Act’s transparency requirements.

The Council of the European Union has adopted its partial negotiating position on the regulation establishing the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), one of the key instruments of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028-2034. The new fund aims to strengthen the competitiveness of European industry, reduce strategic dependencies and support investment in strategic technologies and industries through a single financing framework capable of leveraging both public and private investment. The Council’s position introduces, among other elements, a stronger role for Member States in the governance of the Fund, enhanced synergies with programmes such as Horizon Europe and InvestEU, and dedicated measures to facilitate SMEs’ access to funding and advisory services. The negotiating mandate will now enable interinstitutional negotiations with the European Parliament, while the financial aspects of the Fund will be agreed as part of the overall negotiations on the next MFF.

The European Commission has adopted a tax simplification package aimed at reducing administrative burdens for businesses, modernising the EU’s direct tax framework and strengthening the competitiveness of the Single Market. The package consists of two legislative proposals - the Taxation Omnibus and the recast of the Directive on Administrative Cooperation (DAC) - and is expected to generate annual savings of around €8 billion for EU businesses, including €3.3 billion in reduced administrative costs. Key measures include simplifying withholding tax procedures for cross-border payments, reducing reporting obligations for businesses and digital platforms, streamlining overlapping tax rules and enhancing administrative cooperation between Member States. The proposals will now be submitted to the European Parliament for consultation and to the Council for adoption.

The European Commission has adopted a new Recommendation aimed at facilitating the transfer of small and medium-sized enterprises, with the objective of preserving business continuity, employment and economic value across the Single Market. Replacing the 1994 Recommendation, it encourages Member States to introduce coordinated measures to support business transfers, including cross-border transfers, through simpler legal, tax and administrative frameworks, greater use of digital tools and improved access to finance. The Recommendation also promotes awareness-raising, training and advisory measures for business owners and prospective buyers, recognising business transfers as a strategic stage in the life cycle of SMEs and a key driver of European competitiveness. The initiative also addresses priorities highlighted by the European chamber network, which had called for business transfers to be brought back to the centre of the EU agenda, through stronger coordination, simplification, dedicated financial instruments and support for generational and cross-border transfers.

As part of the 2026 European Semester Spring Package, the European Commission published its economic assessment and country-specific recommendations for Italy, outlining the country’s main structural challenges in terms of competitiveness, sustainability and social cohesion. While employment growth remains positive and progress has been made in implementing the Recovery and Resilience Plan, Italy continues to face weak productivity growth, high public debt, significant regional disparities and persistent demographic challenges. The Commission calls on Italy to strengthen an innovation-driven industrial policy, support research and business growth, accelerate the energy transition and improve the business environment through administrative simplification, a more efficient justice system and stronger competition. Particular attention is also given to increasing women’s and young people’s participation in the labour market, improving skills, tackling undeclared work, ensuring the sustainability of the healthcare system and reducing territorial and social inequalities.

The European Commission has launched a targeted consultation on the documentation to be required from importers to demonstrate the country where steel was originally melted and poured (“melt and pour”), under the new EU Steel Regulation. The measure, a key element of the traceability regime, aims to strengthen transparency in steel trade and address the effects of global overcapacity on the European steel market. The consultation, open from 4 June to 2 July 2026, is addressed to producers, users, traders, importers, industry associations and other stakeholders, with the aim of identifying practical and reliable documentary evidence. The relevant Implementing Act is expected to be adopted by 31 August 2026 and to enter into force on 1 October 2026. The EU Steel Regulation will apply from 1 July 2026.

The European Commission has published the European Startup and Scaleup Scoreboard, a new monitoring tool designed to provide a comparative overview of the performance of European entrepreneurial ecosystems over the 2020-2025 period. Based on 36 indicators grouped across six dimensions, the framework analyses aspects related to startups, scaleups and access to finance, allowing comparisons between Member States and, for selected indicators, with global competitors. The tool also includes the Startup and Scaleup Index, which classifies European countries into four performance groups (“front-runner”, “high-performing”, “catching-up” and “rising”). In 2025, Italy is included in the “catching-up” category, showing an improvement compared to the previous year. The initiative forms part of the broader EU strategy aimed at strengthening competitiveness, innovation and the growth capacity of European businesses.

The European Commission has presented the European Technological Sovereignty Package, aimed at strengthening the EU’s capacity in strategic areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, cloud and open source. The initiative includes two legislative proposals, the Chips Act 2.0 and the Cloud and AI Development Act, alongside an Open Source Strategy and a roadmap for digitalisation and AI in the energy sector. The package seeks to reduce structural dependencies on non-EU suppliers, while supporting the development, deployment and security of critical technologies for businesses, citizens and public administrations. Key measures include strengthening Europe’s semiconductor base, expanding data centre capacity, supporting European open-source solutions and ensuring the sustainable integration of digital infrastructure into the energy system. The legislative proposals will now be examined by the European Parliament and the Council.