This Week in Healthcare — Brussels (#29, 2026)
AI Act enforcement to begin; new food contaminant limits for infants; updated animal feed mycotoxin guidance; changes to vet substance lists; GM authorisations amended.
July 26, 2026 to August 01, 2026
AI Act enforcement to begin; new food contaminant limits for infants; updated animal feed mycotoxin guidance; changes to vet substance lists; GM authorisations amended.
📋 In This Week's Newsletter
• 🇪🇺 European Commission
• ⚖️ EU Legislation
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week
European Commission
Commission to Enforce AI Act and Transparency Measures from 2 August
The European Commission announced it will begin enforcing the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act from 2 August 2026. The AI Office, alongside national authorities, gains powers to supervise compliance with new transparency obligations, such as user notification for AI interactions and labelling of deepfakes. These obligations apply to providers of general-purpose AI models, with further requirements for models posing systemic risks, addressing safety and fundamental rights concerns relevant to healthcare. National authorities oversee enforcement for AI systems not under direct Commission supervision. Scientific support will be provided by the newly convened Scientific Panel and Lead Scientific Adviser, Professor Alessandro Abate. Enforcement also covers prohibited AI practices and relies on complaint and whistleblower tools launched by the Commission.
The AI Act's application to high-risk systems and child protection provisions has been postponed to December 2027 and August 2028. Further guidance and tools for compliance are published by the Commission.
Japan Joins Horizon Europe Programme
The European Commission confirmed Japan's formal association to Horizon Europe as of 29 July 2026, following negotiations completed in December 2025. Japanese organisations may now participate fully in research consortia, receive EU funding, and lead projects, including those addressing health and medical research. The association applies chiefly to Horizon Europe's Pillar II, which funds projects on health, digital, and societal challenges, with a €52.4 billion budget. Cooperation will focus on shared research priorities, including healthcare innovation.
The move expands the EU’s international scientific cooperation network, bringing Japan's research ecosystem into direct engagement. It builds on the EU–Japan Science and Technology agreement initiated in 2011.
Commission Issues Guidance on State Aid for Social Support and Investment
On 26 July 2026, the Commission published new guidance clarifying how EU State aid rules facilitate social support and investment. The guidance collates existing instruments authorising aid for services of general economic interest such as healthcare, social and affordable housing, upskilling, and energy efficiency measures, without distorting internal competition. It supports Member States in designing permissible State aid measures for health and social investment under the Clean Industrial Deal.
The guidance will be updated as rules change and links closely to recent or upcoming amendments to the General Block Exemption Regulation. The Commission highlights the guidance’s practical utility, allowing certain measures without prior notification.
EU Legislation (Official Journal)
Tighter Limits on Food Contaminants for Infant and Medical Foods
Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/1825 of 29 July 2026 amends Regulation (EU) 2023/915, lowering maximum permissible levels of 3-monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD), its esters, and glycidyl fatty acid esters in specific foods, including infant formula and processed cereal-based foods for young children. The new regulation sets detailed levels based on updated EFSA data and introduces compliance requirements for compound foods containing vegetable oils, as well as refined olive oil. Most provisions apply from 1 January 2027, with existing products lawfully placed on the market allowed to remain until expiry.
New Maximum Levels for Furan and Methylfurans in Infant Foods
Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/1890 of 29 July 2026 amends Regulation (EU) 2023/915 to establish binding limits for the sum of furan, 2-methylfuran and 3-methylfuran in processed cereal-based food and baby food for infants and young children. The regulation responds to EFSA’s risk assessment and recent RASFF alerts, and will apply from 1 January 2028, with a transitional period to clear existing stock.
Delta-9-THC Maximum Levels Set for Hemp Leaf Infusions
Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/1828 of 28 July 2026 updates Regulation (EU) 2023/915 to introduce maximum levels for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and its acid precursor in hemp leaves intended for water infusions and herbal teas. The measure applies from 1 January 2027 and requires labelling warnings for use, including age restrictions for consumption by infants and young children.
Authorisation Holders for GMO Products Updated
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1819 of 27 July 2026 amends a series of prior authorisations to update names and representatives of authorisation holders for the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of, or produced from certain genetically modified organisms (GMOs), including those used in food, feed, and medical research. The changes are administrative and reflect corporate restructuring by Bayer CropScience (now Bayer CropScience LLC) and BASF Agricultural Solutions.
Emergency Avian Influenza Measures Extended to the Netherlands
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1888 of 27 July 2026 amends Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2447 by listing protection and surveillance zones in the Netherlands following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Measures are adopted under Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 to manage risks to animal and public health.
Commission Issues New Mycotoxin Guidance for Animal Feed
Commission Recommendation (EU) 2026/1801 of 24 July 2026 updates previous guidance on mycotoxins in animal feed. The new Recommendation revises guidance values for deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, ochratoxin A, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, and fumonisins, based on recent EFSA risk assessments. Member States are advised to monitor these toxins and report annually, with implementation phased in from July and October 2027.
Recombinant Equine Chorionic Gonadotropin Added to MRL List
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1806 of 24 July 2026 amends Regulation (EU) No 37/2010 to include recombinant equine chorionic gonadotropin (reCG) as a chemical-unlike biological substance not requiring a maximum residue limit (MRL) in foodstuffs of animal origin. The decision is based on the EMA’s Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products scientific assessment.
Veterinary Substance Lists Updated for Equine Species
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1810 of 24 July 2026 amends Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/901 and Regulation (EC) No 1950/2006. It adds ketoconazole, midazolam, and sevoflurane as essential or clinically beneficial substances for horses, while removing several others—digoxin, dorzolamide, griseofulvin, imipramine, phenytoin, ketoconazole, ticarcillin—from the older list, reflecting updated EMA guidance and risk assessments.
What We're Reading This Week
- Europe finally takes AI seriously: EU leaders introduce comprehensive regulations to govern artificial intelligence, signaling a shift toward stricter oversight and accountability.
- European hospital blaze blamed on solar. Are rooftop panels safe?: A hospital fire in Europe raises concerns over the safety standards and risks of rooftop solar panel installations.
- Wildfire smoke: A health emergency beyond the flames, WHO warns: WHO highlights the growing health risks of wildfire smoke exposure, urging global action to address its far-reaching impacts.
- Healing trees: Portugal gains its first therapeutic forest: Portugal inaugurates its first therapeutic forest, offering nature-based healing and mental health support to visitors and patients.
- Brussels Effect: How the EU AI Act reaches firms beyond the bloc: Non-EU companies are adjusting their AI practices to comply with stringent EU regulations, amplifying Europe's global regulatory influence.
