Daily News 07 / 01 / 2026

Daily News 07 / 01 / 2026

Commission awards over 40,000 free DiscoverEU travel passes to young people on the 40th anniversary of Schengen

More than 40,000 18-year-olds will be able to embark on a free rail journey across Europe following their selection in the latest DiscoverEU awards by the European Commission.

On top of the travel pass, participants will benefit from a discount card, offering thousands of reductions on cultural activities, accommodation, local transport, food and other services. DiscoverEU will also contribute to the Culture Compass for Europe through stronger promotion of the DiscoverEU Culture Routes, a collection of European destinations carefully curated for fans of film, fashion, food, fine art and more. Part of their programme will be pre-departure information sessions and DiscoverEU meet-ups. One of those meet-ups will be organised in Lyon (France) in July, in the context of the European Youth Week 2026, focusing on solidarity and fairness. More than 200 young travellers will gather there from all over Europe.

DiscoverEU is a key part of the Erasmus+ programme and fosters youth mobility, eco-friendly travel, cultural exchange, and European unity. This edition also celebrates 40 years of travelling around Europe without borders, following the Schengen agreement.

Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, said: “DiscoverEU gives thousands of young Europeans the chance to explore our continent, meet new people and experience the value of free movement first-hand. This special Schengen 40th anniversary edition is a reminder that mobility is a right we cherish; a cornerstone of our shared European identity.”

This round was open to people born between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2007, from both EU Member States and Erasmus+ associated countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Türkiye) and attracted 246,782 applications. Since 2018, more than 1.9 million young people have applied for 431,931 travel passes. As in past editions, special arrangements will ensure access for travellers from islands, outermost regions or remote areas.

More information on DiscoverEU, including call results per country, is available online.

(For more information: Eva Hrncirova - Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Eirini Zarkadoula - Tel.: +32 2 295 70 65)

Commission clears acquisition of Landis+Gyr by AURELIUS

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of Landis+Gyr Olympus AG (‘Landis+Gyr') of Switzerland by AURELIUS Investment Lux One S.à.r.l. (‘AURELIUS') of Luxembourg.

The transaction relates primarily to the provision of smart metering devices and solutions across Europe, the Middle East and Africa for electricity, gas, thermal and water metering.

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.12217.

(For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83)

Commission clears acquisition of NRG and HERON by MOH and GEK TERNA

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of NRG Supply & Trading S.A. (‘NRG') and HERON Energy S.A. (‘HERON') by Motor Oil (Hellas) Corinth Refineries S.A (‘MOH') and GEK TERNA S.A., all of Greece.

The transaction relates primarily to the production of electricity, oil, and gas, as well as the construction of utility projects.

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.12142.

(For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

President von der Leyen travels to the Middle East

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, together with the President of the European Council, António Costa, will be in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon this week. Their visit follows the adoption of the Pact for the Mediterranean in November, promoting cooperation, prosperity and lasting stability in the region.

On Thursday, 7 January, in Amman, they will meet His Majesty King Abdullah II for the first-ever EU-Jordan Summit, reaffirming the EU's commitment to Jordan as a key strategic partner in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The three leaders will take stock of the implementation of the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership, signed one year ago, and set the priorities for the future.

On Friday, 8 January, Presidents von der Leyen and Costa will travel to Damascus to meet with President al-Sharaa and deepen political ties and economic engagement with the country. The EU remains strongly committed to Syria's recovery, reconstruction and civil peace.

Later in the day, the two leaders will travel to Beirut to meet with President Aoun and further strengthen the EU-Lebanon partnership, focusing on prosperity, security and stability.

Audiovisual material of the visit will be available on EBS.

(For more information: Paula Pinho – Tel.: +32 2 292 08 15; Anouar El Anouni – Tel. +32 2 291 35 80; Markus Lammert – Tel.: +32 2 296 75 33)

Tentative agendas for forthcoming Commission meetings

Note that these items can be subject to changes.

Upcoming events of the European Commission

Eurostat press releases

Individual calendars of the President and Commissioners