The US Navy F-35C Lightning II aircraft made its first-ever arrested landing and takeoff aboard its newest Ford-class aircraft carrier. This milestone marks a major step for the US jet that initially struggled with hook-related flaws that complicated landings during ground tests.

On 13 October, an F-35C from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 (“Salty Dogs,” NAS Patuxent River) made the first arrested landing aboard the Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) John F. Kennedy (CVN-79).

The aircraft reportedly used the unique EMALS and AAG electromagnetic launch-and-recovery systems to perform arrested launches and recoveries from CVN-79 as part of Aircraft Compatibility Testing (ACT).

ACT lets engineers examine how the ship’s equipment interacts with specific aircraft types while gathering data to confirm those systems function as intended.

The US Navy released photos of the event showing two F-35C aircraft with tail numbers 401 and 403—one landing on the carrier deck, and the other flying with an inert Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) bomb carried externally. Later, another set of images and a video were posted on social media, showing the F-35C launching from the deck of the John F. Kennedy on the second day of ACT.

The US Navy took the preliminary acceptance of the carrier on 29 September 2026, after sea trials the previous month. Preliminary acceptance allows at-sea testing, training, and proficiency building before the carrier is commissioned and put into service.

This arrested landing and subsequent catapult launch marked the first time any F-35C had operated from a Ford-class ship, the largest and most advanced fleet of aircraft carriers in the American armory.

The lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), has never embarked the F-35C for sustained operations because the carrier was reportedly delivered without the full set of modifications needed to sustain stealth-fighter operations due to cost-saving measures.

Earlier in June 2019, former Navy spokesman Capt. Daniel Hernandez said that although Ford-class carriers were built to launch and recover the F-35C fighter jet, they still needed upgrades such as stronger jet blast deflectors to protect the deck from hot exhaust during launches, as well as designated areas for aircraft operations.

Instead of the F-35C, the USS Gerald R. Ford hosts air wings mainly equipped with F/A-18E/F and Growler variants for its current combat posture.

The US Navy has flown the F-35C only from its Nimitz-class carriers so far. The aircraft completed its initial at-sea testing aboard the USS Nimitz in November 2014. USS Carl Vinson was the first to deploy the jet operationally, and USS Abraham Lincoln was the first to use it in combat.

However, the House Armed Services Committee’s Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee later ordered in FY2020 that the Navy must not accept the CVN-79 USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier until it can embark the F-35C. This makes the latest arrested landing and takeoff special.

This test is a key step in validating F-35C integration with the Ford class, especially because these carriers use electromagnetic catapults and advanced arresting equipment, replacing the Nimitz class’s steam-powered launch and conventional arresting systems.

Interestingly, however, this key milestone comes as US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to redesign a new aircraft carrier to replace electromagnetic catapults—designed for finer control, reduced airframe stress, higher sortie rates, and better support for a wider range of aircraft—with steam catapults.

In fact, the President signed a national security memorandum in August, giving the Pentagon leaders two months to come up with “a plan on the required measures to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Weapons Elevators with steam and hydraulic systems for the construction of” the USS Doris Miller, also a Ford-class aircraft carrier.

Nonetheless, putting F-35C jets on USS John F. Kennedy is a major breakthrough for the US Navy’s upcoming combat posture as regional security threats multiply across theatres. The F-35C Lightning II brings stealth, advanced sensors, sensor fusion, and long-range strike capability that older fighters, such as the Super Hornet, lack.

The F-35C’s Leap is Admirable

More than a decade ago, the F-35C struggled with its arresting hook system (AHS), which had a well-documented design issue, as reports in 2012 noted, citing a leaked JSF Concurrency Quick Look Review dated 29 November, 2011.

The report noted that the stealth fighter couldn’t board a carrier because of these tailhook design issues.

It stated that the F-35C failed to engage the MK-7 arresting gear during particular tests at NAWC-AD (Naval Air Warfare Center – Aircraft Division) Lakehurst, with a poor score of 0 successes in 8 attempts.

This was despite testing at a regular airport, not a real carrier, where an aircraft may face inclement weather, a pitching deck, adjacent obstructions, low fuel, and no alternate airfields, among other challenges.

At the time, reports noted that the core issue was the short longitudinal distance—about 7 feet—between the main landing gear tires and the lowered tailhook point. Low-observability, or stealth, requirements drove this geometry, forcing the Arresting Hook System into a recessed bay with doors to preserve the aircraft’s outer mold line and minimize radar cross-section, according to the reports.

For comparison, the F/A-18 placed the main landing gear-to-tailhook distance at about 18.2 feet. Additionally, the tailhook point design had limited ability to scoop low-positioned cables.

A Lockheed Martin official later said the company traced the F-35C’s trouble catching a carrier’s arresting gear wires to the tailhook design. “The good news is that it’s fairly straightforward and isolated to the hook itself,” said Tom Burbage, the F-35 program manager at the time. “It doesn’t have secondary effects going into the rest of the airplane.”

Burbage said that the rest of the tailhook system design, including the bay and doors that hide the device and other auxiliary hardware, was sound. “What we are trying to do is make sure that we got the actual design of the hook is optimized so that it in fact repeatedly picks up the wire as long as the airplane puts itself in position to do that.”

He explained that the fundamental limitations of creating a stealth fighter also caused the hook issue, adding that the company faced the rare challenge of designing the first-ever naval stealth fighter jet with a tail-hook that had to be concealed when not in use.

He also noted that the tail hook had to be installed farther forward on the jet’s ventral surface than on other naval aircraft because it had to fit within the F-35’s outer mold line. As a result, the hook behaved differently than it did on previous fighters like the F/A-18.

The way the wires react as the jet passes over them is a dynamic factor in the F-35, and the wire responded in a sine wave pattern.

“The time differential between when the main gear rolls over the cable and the time the hook picks up the cable on a more conventional airplane is more time for that wave to damp out,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying. “In the case of the F-35, one of our design constraints is that the hook just has to be closer to the main landing gear than on a conventional aircraft because of the requirement to hide it inside the airplane,” he added at the time.

Later, engineering investigations identified three primary factors: the aircraft’s constrained geometry, a suboptimal hook-point shape, and inadequate hold-down performance. Additionally, it found that a faulty or inadequately validated wire-dynamics simulation model contributed to the original design assumptions.

The Joint Strike Fighter program addressed the issue by redesigning the hook point and improving the hold-down damper, along with other refinements such as improved upstroke damping and strength. The revised system underwent successful shore-based testing, including dozens of roll-in arrestments, enabling the first at-sea arrested landings on USS Nimitz in late 2014, followed by a rigorous testing regime.

Notably, Ford-class ships use the newer Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) rather than the legacy MK-7 hydraulic system. However, the successful trap and launch close the loop on more than a decade of work that began with the original hook’s total failure.

As the EurAsian Times previously explained, the F-35C offers significantly greater range over other F-35 variants, larger internal weapons bays, and superior endurance, making it ideal for long-range operations from the vast ocean.

These stealthy warplanes are nearly invisible to enemy radars and can penetrate even the most advanced air-defense systems. They have advanced sensor fusion to create a shared battlespace picture for the entire air wing and can conduct precision strikes or intercept threats, as demonstrated by the Iranian drone shootdown earlier this year.

The F-35C can carry over 5,000 pounds of internal weapons or over 18,000 pounds of combined internal and external weapons. This lets the US Navy use external armaments to increase lethality when needed or operate in stealth when required.

Not just that, the aircraft can also operate as an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) asset, sharing information with all networked ground, sea, and air assets in the battlespace

• Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
• Follow EurAsian Times on Google News

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VTM

O mural resultou das Oficinas de Cerâmica promovidas em várias localidades do concelho, no âmbito do projeto “Território Vivo – Cultura para Todos”. Cada participante contribuiu com uma peça de barro, posteriormente integrada na composição final, transformando o trabalho individual numa homenagem partilhada à figura de António Cabral.

De acordo com o presidente da Câmara de Alijó, José Paredes, “António Cabral continua, hoje, muito presente no imaginário deste território e, de um modo muito especial, em Castedo do Douro, a sua terra natal”. O autarca acrescenta que “pela sua poesia, que é intemporal, e pelo seu trabalho no estudo e divulgação dos jogos populares, António Cabral é uma referência identitária para o concelho de Alijó”.

Memória

A inauguração contou com a presença de familiares do escritor, num momento de reconhecimento da importância de preservar e transmitir o seu legado às gerações mais novas. A escolha de Castedo do Douro, terra natal do autor, reforçou a ligação entre a obra, a comunidade e a identidade local.

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A Plataforma Água Sustentável (PAS) manifestou-se contra a construção da Barragem da Foupana e pede um parecer desfavorável ao projeto, alertando para os impactos ambientais que considera estarem em causa. Em comunicado, a plataforma aproveita os últimos dias da consulta pública, que termina amanhã, 16 de outubro, para incentivar os cidadãos a apresentar contributos contra a construção da infraestrutura.

A PAS considera que o projeto representa uma aposta num “modelo ultrapassado e dispendioso” e defende o investimento noutras soluções para responder às necessidades de água no Algarve. Entre as alternativas que aponta estão a reutilização de águas residuais tratadas, a reparação das perdas nas redes de distribuição, a diversificação das origens de água e a “florestação e a renaturalização dos territórios”.

A plataforma sustenta que estas alternativas, quando avaliadas também do ponto de vista económico, “apresentam benefícios bem mais elevados”. Questiona igualmente a eficácia da barragem perante a redução da precipitação na região, considerando que “será mais uma barragem que ficará por atingir níveis de armazenamento que justifiquem a sua construção”.

Entre as principais preocupações manifestadas pela PAS estão os efeitos sobre a biodiversidade e os habitats naturais. A plataforma alerta para a “perda irrecuperável de Biodiversidade, do Investimento em Iniciativas de Conservação e o Incumprimento de Compromissos Nacionais e Internacionais”.

No documento, aponta uma “ameaça direta à Zona Especial de Conservação (ZEC) Guadiana” e refere o risco de perda do investimento realizado em iniciativas de conservação do lince-ibérico. Destaca ainda os possíveis efeitos sobre a fauna aquática nativa, nomeadamente o sável, a lampreia, o saramugo e a boga-de-boca-arqueada, alertando para o risco de “extinção local” destas espécies.

A destruição dos solos e dos habitats florestais é outra das consequências apontadas pela plataforma, que manifesta também preocupação com os efeitos da barragem na zona costeira.

A PAS chama a atenção para a “retenção de sedimentos e erosão costeira”, identificando como possíveis consequências o “assoreamento da foz” e o “aumento da cunha salina”.

A plataforma questiona ainda a justificação do empreendimento como uma infraestrutura de fins múltiplos, considerando que a sua construção estará associada à “expansão do Regadio Intensivo”, que, na sua perspetiva, tem um impacto significativo na desertificação.

A oposição da plataforma assenta também no que considera ser uma contradição do projeto com legislação e orientações ambientais europeias e nacionais. No documento enviado, a PAS refere, em particular, a Diretiva-Quadro da Água, a Estratégia do Restauro da Natureza e da Biodiversidade e a Estratégia Nacional de Adaptação às Alterações Climáticas (ENAAC).

No final da sua posição, a organização solicita à APA “a emissão de uma Declaração de Impacte Ambiental (DIA) DESFAVORÁVEL, inviabilizando em definitivo o projeto da Barragem da Foupana”.

A consulta pública corresponde ao processo de Avaliação de Impacte Ambiental n.º 3837. Os cidadãos podem apresentar os seus contributos através do portal Participa ou por correio eletrónico para a Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente, indicando o processo a que se refere a participação.

VTM

Segundo Paulo Ferro, 2.º comandante dos bombeiros de Bragança, “houve uma altercação de ordem pública entre indivíduos de etnia cigana envolvendo três veículos ligeiros. Entre os embates, despistes e tentativas de atropelamento resultam seis vítimas leves e uma mulher sofreu ferimentos graves, com cerca de 50 anos”.

“Os sete feridos, entre os 19 e os 57 anos, foram transportados para o hospital pelos bombeiros de Bragança. Na assistência às vítimas estiveram também a equipa da VMER de Bragança e o helicóptero de Macedo de Cavaleiros, que acabou por não fazer nenhum transporte”, acrescentou Paulo Ferro.

Adiantou ainda que a vítima grave “foi retirada de dentro do veículo porque não conseguia sair pelos próprios meios, mas não corre risco de vida”.

O alerta foi dado às 13h43 e para o local foram mobilizados 12 operacionais, apoiados por seis veículos e um meio aéreo.

Entretanto, segundo a GNR teve conhecimento de “desavenças entre diversas pessoas”, no nó da Seara, junto da entrada para a autoestrada A4.

A mesma fonte adiantou que os desacatos terão tido início entre dois progenitores, de uma criança de três anos, após o pai da menor ter fugido com esta, estando, neste momento, “em parte incerta”.

Segundo a GNR, o rapto está agora nas mãos da Polícia Judiciária.

Notícia atualizada às 16h00 

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VTM

Hugo Letra, presidente do SC Vila Real, disse à VTM que tem sido difícil encontrar espaços para o futebol de formação. “Andamos com a casa às costas, a jogar em campos limitados, sem condições para treinar, nem para tomar banho”, afirma, adiantando que até têm treinado em campos de futebol de 5, como o da Estação. “Ainda na semana passada estava lá a treinar a equipa sub-16, que vai lutar para ser campeã distrital e treina num campo de 5”.

O responsável revelou que estão a “perder atletas” em função das obras, uma vez que os pais “não sabem onde podem deixar os filhos para treinar, pois as mudanças de campo são uma constante. Os pais, sobretudo com os filhos mais pequenos, optam por outros clubes que têm melhores condições e nós temos muitas incertezas quanto ao local dos treinos. Tudo isto cria instabilidade e quem sai prejudicado são os atletas e o SC Vila Real”.

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O Portimão Arena recebe, de 22 a 25 de outubro, o Campeonato da Europa de Veteranos de Judo 2026, que reúne 1.415 atletas de 36 países, naquela que será a edição com maior participação de sempre. Com entrada livre, a competição decorre ao longo de quatro dias e coloca a cidade algarvia no centro do judo europeu.

A prova resulta de uma organização conjunta da Federação Portuguesa de Judo, da União Europeia de Judo, do Município de Portimão e do Judo Clube de Portimão, que volta a assumir um papel relevante na realização de uma competição internacional.

O clube portimonense tem organizado, nos últimos três anos, a etapa portuguesa da Taça da Europa de Judo, experiência que contribui para a preparação e organização deste campeonato. A iniciativa reforça também o contributo do associativismo desportivo local para a promoção da cidade enquanto palco de eventos internacionais.

O Campeonato da Europa de Veteranos destina-se a atletas a partir dos 30 anos, distribuídos por diferentes escalões etários, e valoriza a continuidade da prática desportiva ao longo da vida. Para além da disputa pelos títulos europeus, a competição destaca valores como o respeito, a disciplina e a perseverança.

A entrada é gratuita durante os quatro dias, permitindo ao público acompanhar de perto os combates e contactar com atletas de diferentes nacionalidades e gerações. A organização pretende, assim, aproximar a modalidade da comunidade, incluindo famílias, jovens praticantes e adeptos do desporto.

A presença de mais de 1.400 judocas, a que se juntam treinadores, dirigentes e acompanhantes, deverá ainda dinamizar a economia local, com efeitos esperados na hotelaria, restauração e comércio.

O evento reforça igualmente o papel do Portimão Arena no acolhimento de grandes competições desportivas e enquadra-se na estratégia municipal de promoção da atividade física e do desporto para todos, ao longo das diferentes fases da vida.

VTM

O sistema permite a criação de um canal de comunicação direto entre as pessoas idosas e a GNR, contribuindo para reforçar a sua segurança, salvaguardar a sua autonomia e a permanência no próprio domicílio.

Na cerimónia de entrega dos dispositivos, a presidente da Câmara Municipal de Sabrosa, Helena Lapa, destacou a importância da operacionalização deste projeto, considerando que “este projeto nasceu com a missão clara de proteger quem mais precisa, os nossos cidadãos em situação de maior vulnerabilidade, solidão e isolamento geográfico, sendo mesmo uma salvaguarda para o bem-estar dos nossos cidadãos mais vulneráveis e expostos”, vincou.

A autarca agradeceu à GNR pela parceria e “por estarem na linha da frente para quem mais precisa”.

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A Polícia Judiciária (PJ) deteve, no Algarve, um cidadão estrangeiro, de 46 anos, procurado pelas autoridades polacas para cumprir uma pena de prisão por homicídio e ofensas à integridade física graves. O homem tinha um mandado de detenção europeu emitido pelas autoridades judiciárias da Polónia.

A detenção foi realizada pela PJ, através da Diretoria do Sul, com a colaboração da Polícia Marítima do Comando Local de Vila Real de Santo António, na sequência de uma denúncia de uma tentativa de agressão a uma mulher.

Segundo a PJ, a mulher alertou para a presença de um “suspeito desconhecido na zona de Vila Real de Santo António“, o que espoletou a intervenção policial.

No decorrer das diligências, e “após confirmada a identidade do homem”, as autoridades identificaram um pedido de detenção emitido pela Polónia, com vista à sua extradição.

O detido, “sem domicílio em território nacional”, vai ser presente ao Tribunal da Relação de Évora, para que seja aplicada a medida de coação, e ser apreciada a sua extradição para o Estado requerente.

The European Commission has proposed postponing new methane reporting and verification obligations for fossil-fuel imports by one year, responding to pressure from energy suppliers and member states amid disruption to global oil and gas markets.

The European Commission has proposed delaying key methane emissions requirements for imported oil, gas and coal by one year, acknowledging that the present energy crisis could make the original timetable difficult to enforce without threatening Europe’s fuel supplies.

The legislative proposal presented on 14th October would postpone obligations requiring importers to demonstrate that their overseas suppliers meet monitoring, reporting and verification standards equivalent to those imposed on European producers.

The requirements were scheduled to take effect on 1st January 2027. Under the revised arrangements, compliance would begin in 2028, with the first annual demonstrations to national authorities due by 31st May 2029.

The decision follows months of pressure from European governments, American energy companies and importers concerned that the regulation could complicate contracts and restrict access to alternative supplies during a period of exceptional international disruption.

Energy security takes precedence

The Commission’s explanatory memorandum places the decision directly within the consequences of the Middle East conflict, which has disrupted trade through the Strait of Hormuz since February.

According to the Commission, approximately 20 per cent of global liquefied natural gas supplies and 25 per cent of seaborne oil trade have been affected. Alternative producers have only partially compensated for the interruption, leaving European buyers competing for increasingly expensive supplies.

Brussels acknowledges that the disruption is likely to continue affecting energy markets after the immediate crisis subsides, partly because damaged infrastructure will require time to repair and restart.

Under these circumstances, importers have warned that they may be unable to obtain sufficient fuel meeting the original compliance requirements by January.

The Commission’s formal amendment to Regulation 2024/1787 responds to these concerns by extending deadlines rather than cancelling the legislation.

The development follows wider discussions about Europe’s energy costs. As EU Today reported during the Brussels summit, high energy prices have become a central concern for governments attempting to protect European industrial competitiveness.

Washington presses for regulatory relief

The United States has been particularly concerned about the effect of the methane rules on transatlantic energy trade.

American producers have become increasingly important suppliers of liquefied natural gas to Europe since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 accelerated the diversification of European energy imports.

According to the reporting on the Commission’s decision, American companies, including ExxonMobil, have raised objections to the requirements, while Washington has pressed Brussels to provide additional flexibility.

French President Emmanuel Macron has also expressed concern about the legal risks facing importers attempting to demonstrate compliance across complicated international supply chains.

The problem involves obtaining reliable emissions measurements from production facilities that may be located thousands of miles from Europe and operate under different regulatory systems.

European importers must then establish whether the information satisfies EU standards, even when the companies operating those facilities are not themselves subject to European jurisdiction.

For suppliers with several production sites, transport arrangements and intermediary contracts, collecting consistent and independently verified information can be a substantial undertaking.

Climate legislation remains in force

The Commission insists that the postponement does not represent an abandonment of its methane reduction objectives.

The original EU methane regulation entered into force in August 2024. It introduced requirements covering methane measurement, leak detection, reporting and restrictions on routine venting and flaring.

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, and emissions from oil and gas operations can arise through equipment leaks, deliberate releases and incomplete combustion.

The International Energy Agency estimates that more than 350 billion cubic metres of gas were lost globally through flaring, venting and leakage in 2024. Reducing those losses could increase the quantity of gas available for commercial use.

The Commission is therefore attempting to preserve its environmental objectives while allowing additional time for verification systems and national enforcement arrangements to become operational.

The proposal also postpones methane-intensity reporting obligations for EU producers and importers from August 2028 to August 2029. Requirements to demonstrate compliance with maximum methane-intensity values would move from August 2030 to August 2031.

Existing obligations to provide information about overseas emissions, in force since May 2025, would remain unaffected.

Parliament faces another regulatory confrontation

The proposed changes require approval from the European Parliament and the Council under the ordinary legislative procedure.

That process could expose differences between governments seeking greater flexibility and lawmakers concerned about weakening the timetable for reducing fossil-fuel emissions.

Industry representatives have sought longer extensions, while environmental organisations argue that delaying methane reductions will not resolve the structural causes of Europe’s energy problems.

Brussels is also confronting the consequences of its decision to phase out Russian gas imports. As EU Today’s examination of the Nord Stream 2 legal challenge explained, the Union’s efforts to eliminate dependence on Moscow have already generated disputes over energy security and European regulatory authority.

The Commission now faces two competing requirements: maintaining a common environmental standard for imported fossil fuels while ensuring that suppliers remain willing and able to serve the European market.

Whether the proposed one-year extension proves sufficient will depend on the recovery of international energy supplies and the ability of producers, importers and national authorities to establish reliable verification arrangements before the revised deadlines.

O Sporting Clube Olhanense apresentou ontem, 14 de outubro, a camisola oficial para a época 2026/27, num vídeo protagonizado por Ukra, antigo jogador do emblema algarvio, que representou nas temporadas de 2008/09 e 2009/10.

A apresentação foi divulgada às 19h12, numa referência simbólica ao ano de fundação do clube, e marca o regresso simbólico do antigo extremo a uma instituição que fez parte do seu percurso profissional.

Produzida pela Lacatoni, a nova camisola mantém as tradicionais listas e as cores vermelho, preto e branco, elementos que fazem parte da identidade do Olhanense. No vídeo, Ukra apela à compra do equipamento, numa iniciativa que procura mobilizar os adeptos e simpatizantes e incentivar o apoio financeiro ao clube.

A competir atualmente na 1.ª Divisão da Associação de Futebol do Algarve, o histórico emblema de Olhão, presidido por Manuel Cajuda, procura reforçar a ligação à comunidade e valorizar a sua história. A aquisição da camisola é apresentada como uma forma de apoiar o projeto desportivo e contribuir para o futuro do clube centenário.

The EU General Court has upheld the European Commission’s decision to classify Stripchat as a very large online platform, establishing important limits on how technology companies can challenge the calculation of their European user numbers.

The European Union’s General Court has rejected a legal challenge to the European Commission’s classification of adult entertainment platform Stripchat under the Digital Services Act, strengthening Brussels’ authority to determine which online services must comply with the legislation’s most demanding obligations.

In its judgment delivered on 14th October, the Luxembourg-based court dismissed the action brought by Technius Ltd, the company operating Stripchat, against its designation as a very large online platform.

The dispute centred on how the Commission calculated the platform’s average monthly active users in the European Union, which determines whether additional regulatory obligations apply.

Under the Digital Services Act, platforms exceeding 45 million monthly active recipients in the EU are subject to enhanced supervision, including requirements concerning systemic risks, transparency, content moderation and independent auditing.

The judgment addresses a fundamental question for European digital regulation: whether companies can exclude particular categories of website visits when calculating the number of people using their services.

How Brussels challenged the platform’s figures

In February 2023, Technius reported that Stripchat had approximately 31.8 million average monthly active recipients in the EU, placing it below the threshold for very large online platforms.

The company relied on information provided by Similarweb, a commercial service measuring website traffic and user behaviour.

However, the Commission questioned the methodology used to reach that figure. Technius had discounted certain visits on the grounds that users entered the website but departed without engaging with its content.

Such visits are commonly described as bounced visits and frequently appear in commercial website analytics.

The Commission concluded that the company’s deductions had significantly underestimated its audience because the original Similarweb calculation of unique visitors already incorporated a filtering process excluding many bounced visits.

On that basis, Brussels calculated that Stripchat had more than 62 million monthly unique visitors in the EU, well above the statutory threshold.

The Commission consequently designated the platform as a very large online service on 20th December 2023. Technius challenged the decision, arguing that the figures were unreliable and that the absence of a prescribed calculation methodology undermined legal certainty.

The EU General Court rejected both arguments.

Court rejects challenge to calculation methodology

According to the court’s official explanation, the Commission had adequately explained its calculation and was entitled to rely on the data available when the designation decision was adopted.

The judges found that Technius had effectively applied deductions to figures from which relevant traffic had already been filtered, producing an artificially reduced estimate of active recipients.

The judgment also addressed a potentially significant complication.

After the Commission adopted its decision, Similarweb revised its methodology. Using the corrected method, Stripchat’s estimated monthly active audience for the relevant period was approximately 37.3 million.

That figure was below the threshold for classification as a very large online platform. Nevertheless, the court held that the subsequent correction did not invalidate the original designation.

The judges determined that the Commission’s decision had to be assessed according to the facts, applicable law and permissible evidence available when the decision was taken.

The ruling therefore does not establish that Stripchat currently exceeds 45 million monthly users. It confirms that the later recalculation was insufficient to annul the Commission’s December 2023 decision.

A significant precedent for digital regulation

The consequences extend beyond one adult entertainment website.

The Digital Services Act covers online intermediaries operating in the European market, including social networks, marketplaces, hosting services and other platforms.

Its obligations increase according to the size and nature of a company’s operations. Very large online platforms must assess systemic risks associated with their services, introduce appropriate mitigation measures and submit to independent audits.

The Commission is responsible for supervising their additional obligations and can impose substantial financial penalties for established infringements.

The distinction between the two categories can therefore have considerable financial and operational consequences.

Companies falling below the 45 million threshold remain subject to relevant DSA obligations but do not face the same additional requirements imposed on the largest platforms.

The General Court’s ruling confirms that companies cannot escape designation by applying an unreliable interpretation of website traffic data.

At the same time, the Commission’s published supervisory framework allows a designation to be revoked when a platform remains below the threshold for a full year.

European technology enforcement faces growing scrutiny

The judgment comes as the Commission faces multiple legal challenges to its enforcement of Europe’s digital legislation.

As EU Today previously reported, Washington has sought to intervene in proceedings concerning the Commission’s €120 million Digital Services Act fine against X, introducing an additional diplomatic dimension to European regulatory disputes.

The Commission is also pursuing separate investigations into whether major platforms comply with obligations concerning the protection of minors, advertising transparency and the management of illegal content.

In another case examined by EU Today, Brussels reached preliminary findings concerning TikTok’s default privacy settings for children, illustrating the practical consequences of the stricter duties imposed on very large online platforms.

The Stripchat judgment concerns designation rather than a finding that the company breached any substantive safety obligation. Its immediate consequence is to preserve the Commission’s original classification decision.

Technius may still appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union on points of law within two months and ten days of notification of the judgment.

For European regulators, the decision provides judicial support for using established commercial analytics when assessing the reach of online platforms, provided that the methodology is adequately explained and the underlying evidence is reliable.

For technology companies, it confirms that the legal assessment of user numbers extends beyond the figures they choose to report to Brussels. The Commission can scrutinise those calculations and reject methods that fail to provide a reliable estimate of an online service’s European audience.

EU leaders gathering in Brussels must reconcile demands for stronger industrial protection, affordable energy and a workable budget while maintaining support for Ukraine.

Europe’s economic vulnerabilities converge in Brussels today as EU leaders confront three closely connected challenges: competition from China, persistently expensive energy and disagreement over the Union’s next long-term budget. Together, they raise a question that successive summits have struggled to answer: can Europe translate its economic weight into a coherent strategy?

The immediate pressure comes from industry. Reuters reports that manufacturers blame rising Chinese exports for factory closures, while governments face mounting anxiety about employment and competitiveness. The political danger is clear. When established parties promise prosperity but communities experience industrial decline, voters become increasingly receptive to those offering simpler, more confrontational answers.

The Commission’s recent agreement with Beijing to limit Chinese hybrid-car imports offers leaders evidence that negotiation can deliver results. Yet one sectoral arrangement cannot settle a much broader dispute. Chemicals, steel and machinery remain sources of concern, demonstrating that Europe’s difficulties extend well beyond its automotive industry.

Europe should nevertheless distinguish between legitimate competition and demonstrably unfair trading practices. A trade deficit alone does not establish wrongdoing. Imported goods can benefit consumers and businesses that depend on affordable components. The stronger case for intervention rests on evidence of subsidies, market distortions or strategic dependencies that leave essential industries dangerously exposed.

Germany’s changing position is therefore significant. Previously a prominent opponent of EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, Berlin now backs Franco-German proposals for stronger action, including measures addressing chemicals and PET packaging plastics. Europe’s largest economy appears increasingly willing to reconsider assumptions that once favoured commercial engagement above confrontation.

That shift could strengthen Brussels’ negotiating position. Beijing has less reason to compromise when European capitals publicly disagree about whether action is necessary. A common approach would make the threat of trade measures more credible. But unity will be tested whenever retaliation threatens particular national industries or commercially influential companies.

Energy presents an equally demanding challenge. According to Reuters, draft summit conclusions seek additional short-term relief and refer to a proposed one-year delay in methane-emissions requirements affecting oil and gas imports. These remain proposals under discussion, rather than measures already agreed by leaders.

Temporary adjustments may ease immediate pressures, but postponing regulation cannot substitute for an energy strategy. European manufacturers need confidence about future costs before committing investment. That requires reliable supplies, stronger electricity networks and faster delivery of additional generating capacity. Repeated emergency interventions leave companies uncertain about the conditions under which they will operate.

Trade protection and energy policy must consequently work together. Raising barriers against imported products will achieve little if European factories remain burdened by uncompetitive operating costs. Equally, cheaper energy cannot compensate indefinitely for unfair competition. Treating these problems separately risks producing expensive measures that fail to address the underlying industrial weakness.

The budget discussion will expose whether governments are prepared to finance their ambitions. The proposed 2028–2034 framework requires unanimity, and Reuters reports that a special summit is planned for late November to pursue agreement. The familiar divide between national contributions and shared expenditure remains difficult to bridge.

Every government can identify European priorities worth supporting. Agreement becomes harder when those priorities require higher contributions, changes to established funding arrangements or reductions elsewhere. A credible settlement must explain which investments genuinely benefit from collective action and how spending will deliver measurable results. Larger totals alone cannot establish strategic seriousness.

Ukraine gives these negotiations an additional urgency. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to join Friday’s discussions, with financing for 2027 among the anticipated subjects. Europe’s ability to sustain assistance will test the durability of commitments repeatedly expressed at summit tables.

Ultimately, this gathering should be judged by whether its decisions reinforce one another. Defending industry, securing affordable energy and funding common commitments are parts of the same task. Europe possesses substantial market power and institutional resources. Its continuing challenge is to combine them effectively, before another round of political assurances gives way to further industrial disappointment.

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