The Commission

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to invite main artificial intelligence companies to discuss industry efforts to impose a slowdown of AI development. In her State of the European Union speech, von der Leyen acknowledged safety warnings from top tech bosses, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Elon Musk, and OpenAI chief Sam Altman. She did not offer an explicit assessment on those calls, but said Europe would support ongoing industry efforts. The Commission president also called for international collaboration on testing and evaluating frontier AI models, with invitations extended to the U. K. and Canada. Von der Leyen emphasized that Europe should focus on drawing value from AI, rather than leading its development. The Commission will focus on five sectors: health, transport, agri-food, advanced manufacturing, and defence and space.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to deliver her sixth State of the Union speech, outlining key priorities for the European Union. The speech will focus on making Europe resilient to climate change, competing with China and the US in artificial intelligence, boosting the European defense industry, and reforming immigration rules. Von der Leyen will also address the impact of artificial intelligence on employment, providing new statistics on job creation and loss. The speech will highlight the need for a 'grand nettoyage en profondeur' of EU regulations and the principle of 'simplicité dès la conception'. The Commission is working on a plan to strengthen Europe's resilience to climate change, which will be presented in the speech. Von der Leyen will also call for the reinforcement of Frontex, the European agency responsible for border management, and the extension of its mandate and powers.

On 30 August 2026, the South African Competition Commission announced Case Number 2026Jul0051, involving the Association of Communications and Technology and several mobile network operators. The Commission has opened a formal investigation under the Competition Act and is inviting representations from interested parties. A PDF attachment detailing the case was released with the announcement. The Commission’s comment posted on 20 September 2026 confirms the invitation remains open. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit written submissions to influence the forthcoming inquiry.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union address is expected to focus on climate and artificial intelligence, according to officials. The address, set for September 16, is currently being drafted, with cabinet heads pitching their departments' priorities for inclusion. Climate change is expected to be a major theme, linked to the damage caused by floods and wildfires over the summer. The Commission is also looking at how to present AI's impact on jobs, with fresh statistics being requested from policy units. Migration and social policy are also likely to be discussed, with the Commission's operations of EU border agency Frontex potentially being revamped. Commissioners are lobbying for their priorities to be included in the speech, with limited room available in the address.

Krill fishing in the Antarctic has become concentrated in areas where conservation rules were designed to prevent, raising concerns about the impact on the ecosystem. The fishing industry has reached the 620,000-ton trigger level, prompting an early closure of the season. This concentration of fishing is happening in areas where krill are most numerous, such as the waters off the Antarctic Peninsula and the Scotia Sea. Krill are a vital food source for penguins, seals, whales, seabirds, and fish, and their removal can have significant effects on the ecosystem. The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) manages the krill fishery, but the regional caps that limited fishing in specific areas expired in 2024. Without these limits, companies are now focusing their efforts on the most productive areas, leading to the concentrated pattern of fishing. This comes as the Antarctic ecosystem is becoming more vulnerable due to climate change, with decreased sea ice cover, changing wind patterns, and warming ocean temperatures altering krill habitat and the food web.