EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DAILY NEWS
Brussels, 14 April 2025
CALENDAR
Calendrier du lundi 14 avril 2025 au dimanche 20 avril 2025
Monday 14/04
Mr Costas Kadis in La Reunion: delivers the opening remarks at the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Conference; meets with Ms Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, the Sea, and Fisheries of France; meets with Mr Jean-François Ferrari, Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy of Seychelles; meets with Arvin Boolell, Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries of Mauritius; participates on a working breakfast with leaders of the Regional Committee for Maritime Fisheries and Marine Farming (CRPMEM); meets with local authorities, visits fishing dock, visits a factory processing large pelagics; visits a patrol vessel engaged in regional control against illegal unreported and unregulated fishing.
Tuesday 15/04
Mr Costas Kadis receives Ms Karin Orsel, President of the European Shipowners (ECSA).
Commission announces multiannual programme for Palestinian recovery and reliance worth up to €1.6 billion
Today, at the occasion of the first ever High-Level Political Dialogue between the European Union and the Palestinian Authority, the Commission is proposing a multiannual Comprehensive Support Programme worth up to €1.6 billion, to foster Palestinian recovery and resilience.
With this Programme, the EU reiterates its unwavering support for the Palestinian people and its commitment to a lasting and sustainable peace based on the Two-State solution.
It will cover the period from 2025 to 2027 and is structured around three pillars:
Support to services for Palestinian people
Around €620 million in grants of direct assistance to the budget of the Palestinian Authority (PA). This is an increase compared to previous years. It will support the PA to address the most urgent needs of the public administration. The funds will also help the Palestinian Authority to continue delivering services to its people.
Most of EU disbursements will be linked to the Palestinian Authority's progress on key reforms in fiscal sustainability, democratic governance, private sector development and public infrastructure and services; contributing to sustainable state-building across Palestinian territories. The EU and the Palestinian Authority have identified these reforms in the Reform Matrix, agreed in November 2024. The EU will disburse its direct financial assistance via the EU mechanism PEGASE to guarantee the necessary controls and existing safeguards regarding the final recipients of the EU support.
Support to recovery and stabilization of the West Bank and in Gaza
Around €576 million in grants are proposed to support concrete projects on the ground to foster economic recovery and resilience in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and in Gaza, once the situation on the ground allows. Thanks to an integrated approach the focus will be on different sectors including, water, energy, infrastructure. As part of this pillar to increase resilience, we are proposing to allocate €82 million per year to provide services to Palestine refugees via the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), both in the occupied Palestinian territories and the wider region. This will enable UNRWA to continue playing its crucial role both as a humanitarian and a development actor.
The support for the private sector
As part of the Multiannual Comprehensive Programme for Palestine 2025-2027, the Commission will support with loans for up to €400 million by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to new finance to the Palestinian private sector, subject to approval of EIB's Governing Bodies.
Mobilising international support via a dedicated Donor Platform
In addition, the Commission will launch a dedicated Palestine Donor Platform. The Platform will offer a forum for the Palestinian Authority to present the implementation of its Reform Agenda and will ensure full transparency in the implementation of the Programme. This Platform will also allow for discussions on key elements for future engagement on Gaza and coordinate international efforts for its recovery and reconstruction, once conditions allow.
Background
On 19 July 2024, the EU and the Palestinian Authority have signed a Letter of Intent which has set out a strategy for addressing the critical budgetary and fiscal situation of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian economy.
The Letter of Intent put forward a two-step approach:
An emergency financial support of €400 million to the Palestinian Authority that has been disbursed between July 2024 and February 2025.
The Programme, which has been presented today.
The EU Comprehensive Programme for Palestine 2025-2027 is the Commission's proposal resulting from further discussions with the Palestinian Authority and various partners. It can be flexibly adjusted to the conditions on the ground according to needs.
The EU is the biggest provider of external assistance to the Palestinians with a bilateral allocation amounting to indicatively €1.36 billion for 2021-2024, of which over €1.043 billion have already been allocated.
*This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.
For More Information
Palestine website
Factsheet: EU – Palestine relations
Quote(s)
The EU is determined to support the Palestinian Authority in its reform efforts. This will reinforce the PA's ability to meet the needs of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and prepare it to return to govern Gaza once conditions allow. The Comprehensive Programme for Palestine is designed to promote greater Palestinian control, autonomy, and capacity. The EU remains firmly committed to the Two-State solution, as the only way to achieve sustainable peace and security for Israel, the Palestinians, and the region.
Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission
Today’s proposal aims to support the Palestinian people in their efforts to build a sustainable future. We want to enhance their governance, economic recovery, and boost the grow of the local private sector businesses. A well-functioning and reformed Palestinian Authority must play a central role in post-conflict governance of Gaza. The dedicated Donor Platform will ensure that international support efforts are aligned, effective, and tailored to the needs on the ground, including in Gaza, when conditions allow.
Dubravka Šuica, Commissioner for Mediterranean
EU boosts humanitarian aid for Greater Horn of Africa and West and Central Africa
People affected by humanitarian crises in the Greater Horn of Africa and in West and Central Africa will receive €258 million in EU humanitarian aid from the Commission to address their urgent needs.
In the Greater Horn of Africa, €107.5 million will be used to support the most vulnerable people in the region, impacted by conflict and natural hazards, facing forced displacement, food and nutrition insecurity, and poor access to basic services. Close to 70 million people in the Greater Horn of Africa urgently need humanitarian aid, constituting over a fifth of people in need worldwide. The primary causes of humanitarian needs remain conflicts and natural hazards. The conflict in Sudan constitutes a major driver of humanitarian needs both within the country and in the region.
In West and Central Africa, €150.6 million will support the humanitarian response in the countries directly affected by ongoing insecurity and conflict, including West Africa's coastal countries already impacted by the spill-over from the crisis in Central Sahel. West and Central Africa remains a region plagued by major complex and mostly protracted humanitarian crises, where Central Sahel and the Lake Chad area constitute the epicentre of conflicts.
Funding will be used for food and livelihoods assistance, nutrition, healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene and education amongst others. This will bring the total EU humanitarian response in Africa to €750 million in 2025.
In addition to funding for the Greater Horn of Africa, the Commission already announced an initial €40 million allocation for humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia and €269 million for the regional response of Sudan crisis. The allocation for West and Central Africa comes on top of the already announced €78.5 million of humanitarian aid to address the needs of the people affected by humanitarian crises in Mauritania and Chad.
Africa - European Commission
Across Africa, complex challenges, including security threats, political instability, and socio-economic disparities are fuelling humanitarian crises. These crises displace entire communities and cause widespread food insecurity. The escalating effects of climate change are also intensifying vulnerabilities. The humanitarian and security situation is deeply concerning, as humanitarian partners face obstacles in reaching those in need. As humanitarian needs grow and resources become more limited, bridging this gap is becoming ever more urgent. The EU remains a reliable partner providing emergency assistance to Africa's most vulnerable populations.
Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management
Commission welcomes Council endorsement of first simplification omnibus push on sustainability
Member States today endorsed the Commission's proposal to delay the application of upcoming sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements. This decision delivers swift legal certainty for companies and prevents unnecessary compliance efforts, ahead of wider simplification changes to come.
The measure adopted today will postpone to 2028 the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive requirements for large companies that have not yet started reporting, as well as listed SMEs. It will also postpone to 2028 the application of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive for the first set of companies concerned. Initiated by the Commission and fast-tracked by the European Parliament two weeks ago, this is the first element of the Simplification Omnibus on sustainability to be adopted.
President von der Leyen has initiated a new political drive to simplify EU rules and boost competitiveness, while maintaining ambitious climate and social goals. The proposals presented in February 2025 are expected to deliver over €6 billion in administrative relief annually and help create a more favourable business environment for EU companies to grow, innovate and lead the clean transition.
(For more information: Arianna Podesta - Tel.: +32 2 298 70 24; Quentin Cortès – Tel.: +32 2 291 32 83)
Commission clears acquisition of YNAP by Mytheresa
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of YOOX Net-A-Porter Group S.p.A. (‘YNAP') of Italy, by MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. (‘Mytheresa') of Germany.
The transaction relates primarily to the market for online retail supply of personal luxury goods.
The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given its limited impact on competition in the markets where the companies are active. The notified transaction was examined under the normal merger review procedure.
More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.11793.
(For more information: Lea Zuber – Tel.: +32 2 295 62 98; Sara Simonini - Tel.: +32 2 298 33 67)
Commission clears acquisition of PCP by M&G
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of P Capital Partners AB (‘PCP') of Sweden, by M&G FA Limited (‘M&G') of the UK.
The transaction relates primarily to the provision of private credit through alternative investment funds.
The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given the companies' limited combined market position resulting from the proposed transaction. 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.11912.