Europe Daily News, 12 May 2025

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11840 - Sodecia / Huf Holding / Huf Hülsbeck & Fürst / Huf Industrieverwaltung)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11715 - Also / Westcoast UK Ireland France)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11926 - Highlands / NPM / NTS)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11923 - GS / HG / Trackunit)
• Commission clears acquisition of AGIV by PSPIB and CBRE (M.11953) - Midday Express

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.113855 & SA.118070
• Action brought on 20 February 2025 - Sanoma Media Finland Vs. Commission (Case T-141/25)
  Re: annulment of Commission Decision regarding ‘State Aid SA.62830 (2021/FC) – Finland State aid to public service broadcaster YLE

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Meeting of Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) - 15 May 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union - 14 May 2025
• Agenda for: Meeting of Trade Barriers Committee - 02 June 2025
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny (Poland) lodged on 24 February 2025 – C. Vs. Dyrektor Izby Administracji Skarbowej w Gdańsku (Case T-177/25)
  Re: Article 2 of the TEU; Article 173(3) and Article 120(1) of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the Union Customs Code; use of a tariff quota; customs debt
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Lietuvos Aukščiausiasis Teismas (Lithuania) of 27 February 2025 - Criminal proceedings against A.K. and ‘Tabako lapai’ UAB (Case T-190/25)
  Re: Article 5(1)(a) of Directive 2011/64; Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87; CN heading 2403 (manufactured tobacco); Regulation (EU) 2017/1925; CN heading 2401 (unmanufactured tobacco); Explanatory Notes to the CN
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken, on behalf of the European Union, in the Joint Committee established by the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Thailand, of the other part as regards the adoption of decisions of the Joint Committee on the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Committee, and the establishment of specialised working groups and the adoption of their terms of reference
• Commissioner Šefčovič strengthens EU-Kenya ties at Joint Council and Business Forum Midday Express
• European Free Trade Association published its Annual Report 2024
• WTO - Committee marks 30th anniversary of Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures
• US and China slash tariffs as trade war cools - Donald Trump’s team cuts tariffs to 30%, while China slashes its levies to 10%. Now they have 90 days to do a deal - Politico.eu

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• The Commission seeks views on housing as it develops a plan to tackle the housing affordability crisis - Midday Express
• Investment leaders in Brussels to discuss competitiveness strategies - Midday Express

CHEMICAL

• The European chemical industry faces a challenging start to 2025 - See the Cefic’s Chemical Trends Report Q1 2025
• Energy prices push chemicals groups to explore exit from Europe - Saudi Arabia’s Sabic hires advisers to look at options as competitiveness of the sector comes under pressure - Financial Times

TAXATION

• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesfinanzhof (Germany) lodged on 5 March 2025 - Hauptzollamt A Vs. Scrap-Transporteur (Case T-194/25)
  Re: concept ‘tobacco which … is capable of being smoked’ and concept ‘without further industrial processing’ in Article 5(1)(a) of Directive 2011/64

ENERGY

• Informal meeting of energy ministers, 12-13 May 2025
• Energy savings and lower bills for EU consumers with new electrical appliances standards - Midday Express
• ACER releases first reports on the detection, reporting and response to suspicious energy market behaviours under REMIT

ENVIRONMENT CLIMATE CHANGE

• Council Decision (EU) 2025/860 of 14 April 2025 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union at the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade as regards certain amendments to that Convention and to Annex III thereto, and to the Rules of Procedure for the Conference of the Parties to the Convention
• Council Decision (EU) 2025/868 of 23 April 2025 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union at the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants as regards the requests for extension of specific exemptions and the proposals for amendment of Annex A to that Convention
• Council Decision (EU) 2025/869 of 14 April 2025 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union at the seventeenth Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal with regard to certain amendments to the Convention and the Annexes thereto
• EEA Joint Committee discusses EU Clean Industrial Deal and recent milestones in EEA and Norway Grants
• ACEA - Recycled plastics in cars: why we need an effective, well thought-out ELV regulation

DIGITAL, CYBERSECURITY & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: 2nd Meeting of the Expert Group on Cybersecurity of Products with Digital Elements - 04 June 2025
• Minutes - 1st Meeting of the Expert Group on Cybersecurity of Products with Digital Elements - 12 February 2025
• EU and Japan reinforce tech and digital partnership - See the Joint Statement

EURO, ECB & ECONOMY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Economic & Financial Affairs Council, 13 May 2025
• A new report highlights the EU's strong support for reforms in Member States - Midday Express
• Commission disbursed the third payment of €293 million to Latvia under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express
• From hawk to offender: Berlin’s spending ‘offensive’ saps EU fiscal rule book - Germany leads efforts to loosen EU debt and deficit caps as it gears up to deploy €1tn - Financial Times

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Press statement by President António Costa following the Europe day Celebration - 75th Anniversary of the Schuman Declaration in Luxembourg
• Joint statement by the President of the EP, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission on the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration
• The EU needs a new geopolitical compass - In a world of growing disorder, the European project is now about hard power - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• President Costa travelling to the Western Balkans to reaffirm EU’s commitment to the region and co-host the EPC summit
• Scaling partnerships under Global Gateway: Commissioner Síkela’s strategic visit to Spain

EU/UKRAINE/RUSSIA

• Appeal brought on 25 March 2025 by MegaFon OAO against the judgment of the General Court of 15 January 2025 in Case T-193/23, MegaFon Vs. Council (Case C-228/25 P)
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/434; Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1517; Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/422 and Council Regulation (EU) 2023/427
• Appeal brought on 24 March 2025 by Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor against the judgment of the General Court of 15 January 2025 in Case T-748/22, Kantor Vs. Council (Case C-231/25 P)
  Re: Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1530; Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1529; Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/572, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/57; Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1767; Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1765; Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/847; and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/849 (estrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine)
• International coalition agrees on the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine
• Commission provides additional €3 billion for the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum and to host refugees from Ukraine
  
• Ukraine: Council approves conclusions assessing cohesion policy’s action for Ukrainian refugees in Europe
• Ukraine: Press remarks by HR/VP Kallas ahead of and following the informal meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers
• Ukraine/Russia: Statement by the HR Kaja Kallas on behalf of the European Union on call for ceasefire