Overview
This report covers Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and Commission Answers published between Monday, 5 January 2026 and Sunday, 11 January 2026. During this period, 19 new PQs were published and 8 Commission Answers became available. Key themes this week included environmental health risks, particularly concerning PFAS and other chemical substances, water quality, and waste management. Other significant topics included public health prevention strategies, the regulation of medical devices, and the intersection of digital policy with mental well-being.
❓ Ensuring quality and safety of diabetes management devices in the EU
In E-004998/2025, published on 08.01.2026, Dario Nardella (S&D) and Salvatore De Meo (PPE) highlight the lack of minimum quality requirements for diabetes management devices like continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps. They ask if the Commission intends to define binding minimum standards, potentially based on models like the US FDA’s iCGM standards, and how it plans to ensure a coordinated assessment of these devices within the single market. A response from the Commission is pending.
❓ Acquisitions of Notified Bodies by companies from third countries
Tom Berendsen (PPE) submitted E-004986/2025, published on 08.01.2026, regarding the strategic risks of third-country companies acquiring European Notified Bodies (NoBOs). Citing a recent incident where a Dutch NoBo ceased operations after a Chinese takeover, the MEP asks if the Commission recognises these risks and is prepared to take measures, including an EU-wide investigation, to prevent such acquisitions. A response from the Commission is pending.
❓ Exemptions for the life-science value chain in upcoming EU US trade measures
Published on 07.01.2026, E-005018/2025 from Adam Jarubas (PPE) seeks clarity on exemptions for the life sciences sector in the context of EU-US trade relations. The MEP asks how the Commission will define these exemptions, whether it will commit to exempting not only finished products but also upstream materials and components, and what steps are being taken to align these exemptions with Europe’s health resilience and strategic autonomy goals. A response from the Commission is pending.
❓ EU Strategy for early screening of type 1 diabetes and support for Member States
In E-004997/2025, published on 08.01.2026, Dario Nardella (S&D), Letizia Moratti (PPE), and Raffaele Topo (S&D) call for an EU-level strategy for early screening of type 1 diabetes. Citing the rising incidence and the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), they ask if the Commission intends to develop such a strategy, how it will support Member States in establishing detection infrastructure, and how this will be integrated into existing EU health frameworks. A response from the Commission is pending.
❗ European Citizens’ Initiative on safe and accessible abortion
In a response published on 07.01.2026 to E-004365/2025, Commissioner Lahbib addressed the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘My voice my choice’. The Commissioner confirmed the Commission will set out its legal and political conclusions on the initiative by 2 March 2026. The reply reiterated that any potential EU action for financial support to Member States performing safe termination of pregnancies would need to respect Member States’ responsibilities for defining their own health policies and organising healthcare services.
❗ EU action against drug trafficking
Commissioner Brunner, in a reply published on 06.01.2026 to E-004227/2025, outlined the EU’s response to high cocaine availability. The response highlights the 2025 EU action plan against drug trafficking and the new EU drugs strategy, which aim to enhance crime prevention and international cooperation. The Commission will propose new rules on organised crime in 2026 and is reinforcing security via the European Ports Alliance. The reply also noted there is no evidence of a specific link between migration and cocaine trafficking in Europe.
❗ Funding for the European Child Guarantee
In a response published on 08.01.2026 to E-0039982025, Executive Vice-President Mînzatu confirmed that the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) supports Member States in implementing the European Child Guarantee (ECG). The Commissioner noted that Member States are responsible for selecting individual operations under shared management. The response also mentioned that the Common Monitoring Framework for the ECG was updated in June 2025 to include new indicators for tracking progress in access to education, healthcare, and nutrition.
❓ Alleged assistance by EU trade officials to tobacco company Philip Morris International abroad
Nicolás González Casares (S&D) submitted E-004951/2025, published on 05.01.2026, regarding reports that Commission trade officials held undisclosed meetings with Philip Morris International (PMI) and advocated on its behalf in non-EU countries. The MEP asks the Commission to confirm the number of meetings since 2020, assess compliance with WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control obligations, and clarify the basis for any interventions made at PMI’s request. A response from the Commission is pending.
❓ Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria – No pledge from the Commission
In P-000009/2026, published on 09.01.2026, Christophe Clergeau (S&D) questions the Commission’s decision to postpone its pledge to the Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment. The MEP asks for the reasons behind the delay and when the Commission intends to make its pledge, noting the decision is needed before the Fund’s Board meeting in early February 2026 to secure country envelopes and the US contribution. A response from the Commission is pending.
❓ Preserving biomedical rigour in the face of ideological elements being introduced into European research
Mathilde Androuët (PfE) raises concerns in E-004975/2025, published on 08.01.2026, about a study that she claims conflates biological sex with gender identity. The MEP asks the Commission to confirm that biological sex will remain the baseline for EU-funded medical research, that programmes will not be altered by social identity goals, and that the priority will remain reducing health inequalities between women and men. A response from the Commission is pending.
Chemicals & Substance Regulation
❓ Committee for Socio-economic Analysis opinion delays and implications for the adoption of the EU-wide PFAS restriction
In E-004861/2025, published on 06.01.2026, Marie Toussaint (Verts/ALE) and several colleagues from the same group raised concerns about the delayed timeline for an EU-wide restriction on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Noting that the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) is expected to adopt its final opinion almost two years after the legal deadline, the MEPs ask if the Commission will commit to presenting a draft restriction by March 2027 at the latest. A response from the Commission is pending.
❓ The use of cement accelerators containing PFAS and the transfer of contaminated sediments
Cristina Guarda (Verts/ALE) submitted P-000010/2026, published on 09.01.2026, regarding environmental contamination in Veneto from a cement accelerator containing PFBA used in motorway construction. The MEP asks if the Commission will investigate the use of PFAS-containing cement accelerators in the EU construction sector, take immediate action to restrict their use, and promote procurement criteria that favor materials free from hazardous substances like PFAS. A response from the Commission is pending.
❓ Export of banned toxic substances
In E-005010/2025, published on 06.01.2026, Daniel Buda (PPE) questioned the Commission about the continued EU export of cyanamide, a substance banned in the Union due to health risks, to countries like South Africa. The MEP asks how the Commission justifies this practice, how it ensures agricultural goods imported into the EU do not contain such banned substances, and how it guarantees the credibility of EU consumer protection policies. A response from the Commission is pending.
❓ Procedural gaps and the agricultural and supply-chain impact of the proposed REACH restriction on calcium cyanamide
Published on 05.01.2026, E-004943/2025 from Tomáš Zdechovský (PPE) and other MEPs questions the proposed REACH restriction on calcium cyanamide as a fertiliser. The MEPs ask how the Commission incorporated feedback from consultations, what alternatives to a full ban were considered, and how it will monitor the effects on EU agriculture and fertiliser availability during the proposed transition period. A response from the Commission is pending.
❓ Pesticide information on food labels
Yvan Verougstraete (Renew) and Sirpa Pietikäinen (PPE) ask in E-004958/2025, published on 05.01.2026, when the Commission will propose a regulatory framework requiring food labels to state whether pesticides were used in the production process. The MEPs argue that the current lack of information downplays toxicity risks and disadvantages operators who limit or avoid pesticide use. A response from the Commission is pending.
❗ Risk management of lead gunshot in outdoor shooting ranges
In a response published on 06.01.2026 to E-004252/2025, Executive Vice-President Séjourné stated that the Commission, based on ECHA evidence, considers that only a combination of risk management measures can effectively contain lead gunshot at shooting ranges. The reply clarifies that measures like pH monitoring alone are insufficient due to the environmental risk of lead ingestion by birds. The Commission proposes recovering spent lead gunshot at least every five years, a measure currently under discussion with Member States in the REACH Committee.
Water, Waste & Environmental Protection
❗ Drinking water quality in Avellino, Italy
In a response published on 08.01.2026 to E-004036/2025, Commissioner Roswall addressed concerns about drinking water quality in the province of Avellino. The Commissioner stated that the Commission has not received a formal report of breaches to the Drinking Water Directive but expects Italian authorities to ensure compliance, monitor water quality, and take remedial action. The response notes that the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is investing approximately EUR 558 million in Campania’s water services and that the Commission will act if evidence of systemic non-compliance emerges.
❗ Addressing water scarcity and the Water Framework Directive
Commissioner Roswall, in a reply published on 08.01.2026 to E-004135/2025, acknowledged concerns over water scarcity. The Commissioner stated that the Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires compliance with ecological flows to achieve good ecological status, unless a strictly conditioned exemption applies. The response highlighted the European Water Resilience Strategy, which prioritises reducing consumption and improving efficiency over increasing supply. While sustainable desalination can be part of the solution, it should be a last resort.
❓ Danish motorway project directly above groundwater bodies
Per Clausen (The Left) asks in E-004999/2025, published on 08.01.2026, if the Commission will assess whether a Danish motorway project violates EU law. The question alleges the project crosses major drinking-water recharge zones without validated protective measures against contamination from substances like PFAS and heavy metals, and also fails to implement strict species protection for bats under the Habitats Directive. A response from the Commission is pending.
❓ Single-use high thermal-insulation fish boxes under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
In E-004960/2025, published on 05.01.2026, Andreas Glück (Renew) seeks clarity on the status of single-use fish boxes under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Citing food safety legislation that requires strict hygiene standards met only by single-use boxes, the MEP asks if the Commission can confirm these boxes fall outside PPWR reuse targets or what flexibilities it envisages for them. A response from the Commission is pending.
❓ Protecting citizens from toxic waste: rethinking the EU’s approach to incineration
Dan-Ştefan Motreanu (PPE) submitted E-004952/2025, published on 05.01.2026, raising concerns about the continued development of new waste incinerators in the EU despite evidence of overcapacity. The MEP asks what measures the Commission intends to take to halt this trend, protect citizens from toxic pollutants, and ensure EU funding prioritises waste reduction and circular alternatives. A response from the Commission is pending.
❓ Management of avian influenza in wild birds in Madrid and lack of diligence in public health protection
Published on 05.01.2026, E-004939/2025 from César Luena (S&D) questions the management of avian influenza in Madrid following the deaths of white storks. The MEP asks if the Commission believes regional authorities have complied with EU surveillance and communication obligations, if the lack of clear protocols for emergency services constitutes non-compliance, and if it will take action when regional management threatens public health. A response from the Commission is pending.
❓ The eighth omnibus proposal – the environmental one – is yet another attack on democracy, the environment and people’s health
Ana Miranda Paz (Verts/ALE) questions the Commission’s ‘environmental omnibus’ proposal in E-004971/2025, published on 06.01.2026. The MEP argues the proposal rolls back environmental legislation, attacks the Aarhus Convention, and endangers health. The question asks how the Commission will ensure compliance with the Aarhus Convention and guarantee correct environmental impact assessments while simplifying procedures. A response from the Commission is pending.
❗ Addressing psychosocial risks in the workplace
In a response published on 06.01.2026 to E-004442/2025, Executive Vice-President Mînzatu outlined the Commission’s approach to psychosocial risks at work. The Commissioner stated that the Framework Directive on Safety and Health at Work covers all occupational risks and is being reviewed to update protections for modern workplaces. The response also highlighted the Commission’s communication on mental health, collaboration with the WHO, and support for the exchange of best practices. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) will also run a campaign on mental health and psychosocial risks from 2026-2028.
❓ Lack of awareness regarding the European Health Insurance Card
Anouk Van Brug (Renew) asks in E-005033/2025, published on 08.01.2026, about the lack of public awareness of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The MEP questions the effectiveness of information provided by health insurers and asks what the Commission can do to ensure the EHIC is more widely publicised to prevent unnecessary costs and barriers to healthcare for EU citizens. A response from the Commission is pending.
❗ Digital Services Act and addictive platform design
In a reply published on 09.01.2026 to P-004782/2025, Executive Vice-President Virkkunen addressed the issue of addictive features on social media platforms. The Commissioner confirmed the Commission is aware of court filings accusing platforms of knowingly designing harmful products. The response highlighted that under the Digital Services Act (DSA), platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok must mitigate systemic risks related to mental well-being. The Commission has opened investigations into these platforms regarding the protection of minors and addictive features, and cannot comment further on ongoing cases.
❓ Cybersecurity and securing critical digital infrastructure
Joachim Streit (Renew) submitted E-004978/2025, published on 06.01.2026, concerning the security of digital infrastructure for critical services like hospitals, police, and civil protection. The MEP asks what plans and measures the Commission has to ensure cybersecurity in times of crisis and what research programmes it is supporting to strengthen Member States’ resilience. A response from the Commission is pending.
All Parliamentary Questions and Commission Answers are accessible via Policy-Insider.AI.
