Uber has paused most of the European market launches it announced earlier this year, scaling back an expansion strategy that originally targeted seven new countries during 2026.

According to reporting cited by TechCrunch, five of those planned launches have now been placed on hold, including entries into Austria, Norway, and Greece.

The company indicated that its recent launches in Finland and Denmark have performed well and said it intends to concentrate on building momentum in those existing markets before moving ahead with additional expansion.

Another important factor behind the decision appears to be Uber's ongoing interest in acquiring Delivery Hero, the European food delivery company that previously rejected Uber's €10 billion takeover proposal in May.Despite that rejection, reports suggest Uber remains interested in pursuing a transaction.

Industry observers believe delaying expansion into additional European countries could help reduce potential antitrust concerns that regulators might raise if an acquisition moves forward, particularly because Delivery Hero already operates delivery businesses in several of the markets Uber had planned to enter.

While Uber has not officially linked the expansion pause to the acquisition effort, the timing has led analysts to view the two developments as potentially connected.

The decision reflects a strategic shift from rapid geographic expansion toward strengthening recently launched operations and preserving flexibility as the company continues to evaluate major corporate opportunities in the European market.