The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the creation of a joint venture by CMA CGM S.A. and TotalEnergies S.E., both of France.

The transaction relates primarily to LNG bunkering logistics services.

The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given that the joint venture will have negligible activities in the European Economic Area and given the companies' limited combined market positions 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.12406.

The European Commission has closed an antitrust investigation into alleged anticompetitive behaviour by Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (‘Pratt & Whitney'), the main supplier in the European Economic Area (‘EEA') of turboprop aircraft engines. The closure of the investigation follows the company's amendment of contractual clauses, which removes possible obstacles to access to critical input and services faced by spare parts suppliers. Spare parts are sold to customers in the EEA for the repair and maintenance of engines.

The Commission investigated whether Pratt & Whitney may have been foreclosing access to critical input and services needed by spare part suppliers, so-called used serviceable material (‘USM') suppliers, for certain turboprop aircraft engines. USM suppliers need access to used engine cores to tear them down and replenish their stock of spare parts. They also need access to certification services that attest that a spare part is airworthy and can be reused. By limiting the ability of maintenance shops in their network to sell used engine cores or provide certification services to USM suppliers, Pratt & Whitney may have restricted competition from independent USM suppliers. Following exchanges with the Commission, Pratt & Whitney amended its agreements to remove these restrictions and clarified that maintenance shops are not prevented from buying USM from other suppliers.

After thorough analysis and assessment of evidence, and considering the changes and clarifications made by Pratt & Whitney to its contractual clauses, the Commission concluded that the investigated concerns have been addressed. Further action is no longer considered a priority at EU level. Pratt & Whitney has made a public announcement on its website highlighting the changes made to its contractual clauses.

The closure of the investigation is not a finding that the conduct in question complied with EU competition rules.

Register for the 2026 Internal Audit Service Conference 

Registration is still open.  Join us on 11 September 2026 in Brussels and experience face‑to‑face networking opportunities with with Europe’s leading internal‑audit professionals.

The European Commission’s Internal Audit Service (IAS) will host its annual conference on 11 September 2026, in Brussels at the Charlemagne building.

This year’s theme is  Internal Audit in Motion: Keeping Pace with a Changing Europe and will feature keynote speakers, three discussion panels, and a TEDx-style session to examine the challenges of internal audit in the public sector within an increasingly complex environment. The programme will cover:

• The transformation of the EU budget and new MFF 
• The impact of technology on the future of internal audit work 
• Organisational culture and adding value via internal audit

The conference is open to all Commission officials as well as external professionals with an interest in internal audit and can be attended in person or online. CPE points will be awarded for participation and registration is free.

The Commission looks forward to welcoming you to an insightful and engaging day of discussions on the future of internal audit in the European Commission.

Programme and registration

The European Commission has published an updated version of the guidance document to help stakeholders prepare for the implementation of the Digital Batteries Passport under Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries.

The Guidance Document: Digital Batteries Passport – data points by category provides a structured overview of the data points relevant to electric vehicle (EV) batteries, light means of transport (LMT) batteries and industrial batteries covered by the passport requirement. For each battery category, it indicates whether individual data points are mandatory, optional, applicable only in specific circumstances, or do not have to be completed or displayed as of February 2027, when the Batteries Passport requirements will begin to apply. In total, the document brings together 71 data points, showing their legal sources and their applicability to each battery category.

Supporting industry preparations

The guidance is intended primarily for economic operators across the batteries value chain, including manufacturers, importers and other organizations responsible for making information available through the Batteries Passport. It may also be useful for conformity assessment bodies, market surveillance authorities and other stakeholders involved in implementing the Batteries Regulation.

By bringing the relevant data points together in a single document, the guidance aims to promote a common understanding of the Batteries Passport information requirements and a consistent approach across the sector. It can help organisations identify the information they may need to collect, assess and make available, and begin aligning their internal processes, data systems and reporting practices.

From 18 February 2027, each EV battery, each LMT battery and each industrial battery with a capacity greater than 2 kWh that is placed on the market or put into service shall have a battery passport.

How to use the guidance

The guidance should be read together with Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and any relevant delegated or implementing acts. It does not introduce additional legal requirements and should not be regarded as an authoritative interpretation of the legislation or as representing the European Commission’s official position. The document may be developed further as implementation progresses. Future updates may provide further clarification of individual data points and indicate possible measurement units or reporting formats, supporting greater comparability and consistency.

The EU has spoken out in support of “all those who have suffered under totalitarian and authoritarian regimes”. This comes on the eve of the Europe-wide Day of Remembrance of the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes on 23 August. Ahead of the Day, senior EU political figures have issued a strongly-worded statement against “hatred, intolerance and the denial of human dignity. The statement was issued by the EC Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, and Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGrath (pictured).

It reads: “On 23 August, we commemorate the anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, signed in 1939 between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. “That pact, and the war and devastation that followed, brought intolerable suffering to millions of people across Europe and beyond. The years that followed were marked by occupation, repression, deportation and violence on a massive scale.”

It goes on: “Today, we honour the memory of all those who have suffered under totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. “The pain endured by victims, survivors and their families echoes across generations. Every EU country is now home to a generation that has grown up free from tyranny and oppression.

“For many, freedom, democracy and peace may appear self-evident, but they are not. They were secured through extraordinary courage, sacrifice, resistance and resilience, and they must never be taken for granted. Remembering the past is therefore not only a duty to those who came before us. It is also a responsibility to future generations.”

The statement continues: “This day is a solemn reminder of the consequences of hatred, intolerance and the denial of human dignity.

“It calls on us to remain vigilant in defending the values on which the European Union is founded: respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and fundamental rights.

"By preserving the memory of the past, we reaffirm our commitment to a Europe built on peace, justice and solidarity.”

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the creation of a joint venture by AI Infrastructure Development, S.L. (‘ACS AIID'), Telefónica S.A. (‘Telefónica'), Banco Santander, S.A. and Entidad Pública Empresarial Sociedad Española para la Transformación Tecnológica, E.P.E. (‘SETT'), all of Spain.

The transaction relates primarily to third-party data centre colocation services in Spain and contributes to the EU's tech sovereignty strategy of strengthening and expanding sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure in Europe, as part of the EU's AI Gigafactories Initiative.

The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given the companies' limited market positions 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.12498.