Europe Daily News, 30 May 2025

COMPETITION

• Answer given by EVP Ribera to a MEP written question - Concerns about market concentration moves by market leader in the music market
• Austria: Wabtec/Dellner merger: BWB filed an application for review with the Cartel Court
• Belgium - Notification MEDE.CCS.25/0011 : Naessens / Edibo
• Czech Republic - The ÚOHS does not agree with local monopolization of the pharmaceutical market
• Czech Republic - The ÚOHS conducted a local investigation at a competitor active in the distribution of smaller motor vehicles, their accessories and spare parts.
• Denmark - Rema 1000 has provided incorrect, incomplete or misleading information in merger case
• UK - The CMA has cleared the anticipated acquisition by SES S.A. of Intelsat Holdings S.à r.l.
• UK - CMA: Closed call for evidence - Review of merger remedies approach
• UK - CMA issues Directions to NatWest about bundling products

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - 03 June 2025
• Agenda for: 270th meeting of the Customs Code Committee - Tariff & Statistical Nomenclature Section (Sub-Section Agriculture/Chemistry) from 10th to 11th June 2025
• Regulation (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council on the modification of customs duties applicable to imports of certain goods originating in or exported from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus
• Overview of the EU’s active dispute settlement cases: WTO cases involving the EU as a complainant or respondent, cases under bilateral agreements, and cases under the Trade Barriers Regulation updated on 26 May 2025
• EU and UAE (United Arab Emirates) launch free trade talks
• Minutes of the Meeting of the Market Access Advisory Committee - 02 April 2025
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Tariffs on corrugated paper products imposed by Türkiye since 2024
• WTO - Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures - Notification - European Union - Feed additives
• WTO - United States - Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000 - Communication from the European Union
• WTO - Council for Trade in Goods - Article XXVIII:5 negotiations - United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union - Communication from the United Kingdom - Addendum
  G/L/1386/Add.8 & G/L/1385/Add.8
• WTO - Council for Trade in Goods - Committee on Safeguards - Immediate notification under article 12.5 of the Agreement on Safeguards to the Council for Trade in Goods of proposed suspension of concessions and other obligations referred to in paragraph 2 of article 8 of the Agreement on Safeguards - European Union
• WTO - Malawi 100th WTO member to formally accept Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Antici Group (Simplification: CS3D & CSRD) - 04 June 2025
• Commission launches ambitious Strategy to make Europe a startup and scaleup powerhouse - See the Q&A, Remarks by EVP Séjourné and Commissioner Zaharieva
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Bankruptcy of Swedish manufacturer Northvolt – the crash of the ‘Airbus of batteries’

TAXATION

• Agenda for: Working Party on Tax Questions (High Level) - 12 June 2025

ENERGY

• Commission welcomes report of electricity transmission system operators confirming EU preparedness for summer
• ACER on ENTSO-E’s 2024 draft ten-year electricity network development plan: progress made, but room for improvement

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues: (Basel Convention) - 04 June 2025 & (Int. Chemicals/Synergies) - 06 June 2025
• Carbon border tax: hit emissions, not businesses - See EPP Group Statement
• German industry and EPP want to suspend interinstitutional negotiations on green claims - See the Position Paper (in Deutsch)

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Decision 2003/17/EC as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in the Republic of Moldova on seed-producing fodder plant crops and on the equivalence of fodder plant seed produced in the Republic of Moldova, and as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in Ukraine on seed-producing beet crops and seed-producing oil plant crops and on the equivalence of beet seed and oil plant seed produced in Ukraine
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Audit of the Polish poultry industry
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - GGSC opinion on NGTs – shift of safety assessment and liability risks from biotech companies to the food industry
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Request for clarification on the measures weakening the EU fruit-growing sector and benefiting third-country imports

DIGITAL, DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 02 June 2025
• Agenda for: Attachés & Experts - Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 12 June 2025
• Agenda for : Committee on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (2018) - 05 June 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on Telecommunications and Information Society - 03 June 2025
• Meeting of the TTE Council (Telecommunications) - 06 June 2025:
  - Need for strenghtening Europe's digital sovereignty - Information from Austria
  - Roaming with Ukraine and Moldova - state of play - Information from the Commission 
  - International initiatives in the digital field - state of play - Information from the Commission

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Meeting of the TTE Council (Transports) - 06 June 2025:
  - Air traffic congestion - Information from the Commission
  - Clean Transport Corridor Initiative - Information from the Commission

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2)  - 04 June 2025
• Speech by President von der Leyen at the "RWTH Aachen University"
• Speech by President von der Leyen at the award ceremony of the "International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen"

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• EU Statement – UN Security Council: Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates: 4th High-level Political Dialogue held in Abu Dhabi on 27 May
• EU and UK welcome Viet Nam JETP progress on occasion of President Macron’s visit
• Black Sea Strategy: Press remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas
• Azerbaijan: Joint Press Release on the 6th EU-Azerbaijan Security Dialogue in Brussels
• EU Statement in Response to the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Mr. Gerard McGurk
• EU and India to carry out joint naval exercise in Indian Ocean to reinforce maritime security cooperation
• Answer given by Mr Brunner to a MEP written question - Lifting of EU sanctions against Syria and repatriation of Syrian asylum seekers
• Remarks by HR/VP Kallas, Commissioner Kos and Commissioner Síkela on the Black Sea Strategy and increased efficiency of the External Action Guarantee