The main dossiers of the month of interest to businesses
EU budget 2028–2034: the course on Horizon Europe. The process towards the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2028–2034 is moving forward. The Council has agreed its partial negotiating position on the Horizon Europe regulation — the tenth framework programme for research and innovation — and on the new “performance framework” for monitoring results. Horizon Europe is one of the pillars of the next budget: it aims at scientific excellence, economic competitiveness and the major societal challenges, and remains a central point of reference for companies investing in innovation.
Omnibus IV: the “Small Mid-Caps” category is born. On the simplification front, the agreement on Omnibus IV introduces Small Mid-Caps (SMCs) and extends to these companies several exemptions so far reserved for SMEs. SMCs are defined as companies with fewer than 1,000 employees and, alternatively, up to EUR 200 million in turnover or up to EUR 172 million in total assets. The exemptions will concern, among other things, low-risk GDPR record-keeping obligations, the Prospectus Regulation and the Batteries Regulation.
European Semester: the 2026 spring package. On 3 June the Commission published the spring package of the 2026 European Semester: general communication, country-specific recommendations for each Member State, spring economic forecast and in-depth reviews. The recommendations are set within the framework of the Competitiveness Compass, in order to steer reforms and investment towards productivity, innovation, decarbonisation, economic security and simplification of the business environment.
Defence: the agreement on the Defence Readiness Omnibus. On 10 June the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the Defence Readiness Omnibus package, aimed at simplifying the sector's regulatory framework, facilitating investment and strengthening the European industrial base. The package, part of the White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030, addresses procurement, authorisations, intra-EU transfers of defence products and the acceleration of permits.
Technological sovereignty and the AI Act. On 3 June the Commission presented the European Technological Sovereignty Package, with four initiatives — Chips Act 2.0, Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), open source strategy and roadmap for digitalisation and AI in the energy sector. On the artificial intelligence front, the AI Office invited providers and deployers to adhere, on a voluntary basis, to the Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-generated Content, in support of the transparency obligations of Article 50 of the AI Act, applicable from 2 August 2026.
Article prepared by the Delegation of Confindustria to the European Union.
