DAILY NEWS
Brussels, 17 August 2026
Commission adopts guidance on fiscal flexibility for energy security measures
The European Commission has adopted a notice providing Member States with further guidance on the possibility to extend the coverage of the National Escape Clause (NEC) for defence to also include energy security measures. The notice sets out the procedure for requesting fiscal flexibility, its treatment under the EU fiscal surveillance framework and the monitoring of its use.
The possibility to extend the NEC to accommodate energy security measures was announced on 3 June 2026 in the European Semester Spring Package and follows the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The flexibility is intended to support measures that strengthen the structural resilience of the European energy system and accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.
Only budgetary measures decided after 28 February 2026 will qualify for the flexibility. Eligible measures should be nationally financed with a direct budgetary impact. They should also be designed to maximise their impact while minimising the fiscal cost. The notice includes an illustrative and non-exhaustive list of potentially eligible measures. The Commission will then assess the eligibility of measures on a case-by-case basis.
The flexibility will also have to preserve fiscal sustainability. The existing overall cap of 1.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the allowed deviation from the recommended net expenditure path under the NEC will remain in place, with dedicated caps for energy security measures set at 0.3% of GDP per year and 0.6% of GDP cumulatively inside the overall cap of 1.5% of GDP. The flexibility will be available for the period 2026 to 2028.
Expenditure exceeding the applicable caps will remain subject to the standard compliance assessments under the EU fiscal framework, ensuring that the additional flexibility goes hand-in-hand with the safeguard of sound public finances and fiscal sustainability.
In terms of next steps, the notice will be made publicly available in the Official Journal of the EU in the coming days.
Member States are invited to come forward with their requests to extend the coverage of the NEC.
In their requests, Member States are expected to provide an initial list of planned energy security measures which they would like to benefit from the flexibility, with their estimated budgetary cost.
After assessing a request, in accordance with the requirements of Article 26 of Regulation 2024/1263, the Commission can recommend to the Council to approve it.
(For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Eva Hrncirova – Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Francisca Marçal Santos - Tel.: +32 2 299 72 36; Cristiana Marchitelli – Tel: +32 2 298 94 07)
EU mobilises support as wildfires spread across Europe
The EU has deployed assistance to Belgium and Spain following their activation of the Union's Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), as wildfires continue to affect several parts of Europe.
In Belgium, two planes from the EU's firefighting fleet, rescEU, were dispatched from Sweden to Belgium, alongside two helicopters from the Netherlands, two from Norway and two from Germany, supporting local firefighters battling the blaze in the Hautes Fagnes. More than 3,000 hectares have burnt to date.
In Spain, 104 ground firefighters with 36 vehicles from France have come to the aid of Spanish firefighters in the Aragón region, where close to 16,000 hectares have already burnt.
The EU is also supporting emergency services with satellite mapping. The Copernicus Emergency Management Service is active for wildfires in Belgium, Spain, Greece, Germany, Montenegro, Albania, Greece and France and Italy, providing rapid maps to help authorities assess affected areas and organise the response.
Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said: “No country should face wildfires alone. Through our Civil Protection Mechanism, Europe is moving aircraft, helicopters and firefighters quickly to where they are needed most. This weekend in Belgium and Spain, European solidarity was on the ground again.”
The 2026 wildfire season is already exceptionally severe. By the end of July, the area burned was already two and a half times the usual level in Europe. Through the UCPM, countries can rapidly draw on a much wider pool of firefighters, aircraft and other emergency capacities when national resources come under pressure. The European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre is at the centre of this system: it receives requests for assistance, coordinates offers from Member States and participating states, and supports the deployment of the capacities offered. The Commission also co-finances the deployments.
(For more information: Eva Hrncirova – Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Quentin Cortes - Tel: +32 2 291 32 83)
EU provides €2.3 million in emergency humanitarian funding to curb cholera outbreak in West and Central Africa
The European Commission has allocated €2.3 million in emergency humanitarian funding to Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Chad to support these countries in addressing the ongoing cholera epidemic. According to the World Health Organisation, more than 61,000 cholera cases were reported in the African Region in the first five months of 2026.
In Nigeria, €1.5 million will help increase the number of intervention teams, provide essential supplies such as cholera kits, and support water, sanitation and hygiene interventions, including the treatment of public water points and household water. It will also help intensify epidemiological surveillance in inaccessible areas and strengthen case management, risk communication and community sensitisation.
In Cameroon, €100,000 will support outbreak containment and case management, including through additional staff for humanitarian partners on the ground, essential medicines, additional cholera treatment units and oral rehydration points in the most affected villages.
In the Central African Republic, €500,000 will scale-up case management and vaccination, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene interventions. It will also consist of strengthening risk communication and community engagement, boosting surveillance and case detection, as well as supporting dignified and safe burials.
In Chad, €200,000 will contribute to breaking the chain of cholera transmission through improved access to water, sanitation, hygiene and community support for surveillance and case management.
Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis management, Hadja Lahbib, said: “Cholera is preventable and treatable. Yet it still threatens lives when people lack something as basic as safe water and healthcare. At a time when humanitarian needs are growing and resources are shrinking, Europe is not looking away. This emergency funding will help our partners act quickly, contain the outbreaks and protect the communities most at risk.”
Cholera is caused by a Vibrio cholera bacteria. The infection spreads most commonly when people consume contaminated water. In severe cases rapid loss of body fluids can quickly lead to dehydration and shock. Cholera is not a common problem in Europe and the risk of spreading from imported cases is low.
Commission clears acquisition of Herbex by Flamingo and Nazca
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of Herbex Iberia, S.L. and its subsidiaries (‘Herbex') of Spain by Flamingo Produce Investments, Ltd. (‘Flamingo') of the UK and FONDO NAZCA IV, F.C.R. (‘Nazca') of Spain.
The transaction relates primarily to the production and commercialization of fresh aromatic herbs and vegetables.
The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given that the joint venture has negligible activities in the European Economic Area and that the companies are not active in the same or vertically related markets. The notified transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.12447.
(For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83)
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