Europe Daily News, 18 September 2025

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12155 - Centrica / Bridgepoint / Grain)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11924 - TPG / Arch / Kelso / Warburg / Somers Re)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12126 - CPP Investments / EFMS / Neogov)
• Commission clears acquisition of Magellan by Gala and ICG (M.12095) - Midday Express
• Germany - The Bundeskartellamt has cleared the acquisition of Ceconomy AG by JD.com.
• Germany - The Bundeskartellamt approved the takeover of The Family Butchers by Die Premium Food Group
• The Netherlands - ACM launches a market investigation into grocery prices in Dutch supermarkets
• UK - The CMA is seeking views on the anticipated acquisition by Associated British Foods plc (through ABF Grain Products Limited) of Hovis Group Limited.

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections - SA.118651
• Commission approves €7.9 billion budget increase to German State aid scheme supporting electricity production from renewable energy sources (SA.118542) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Notice of initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of certain alkyl phosphonic acids and their sodium salts originating in the People’s Republic of China (CN code 29314980)
• Notice of initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of certain cold-rolled flat steel products (CRF) originating in India, Japan, Taiwan, Türkiye and Vietnam (CN codes ex 7209 15 00 , 7209 16 90 , 7209 17 90 , 7209 18 91 , ex 7209 18 99 , ex 7209 25 00 , 7209 26 90 , 7209 27 90 , 7209 28 90 , 7211 23 30 , ex 7211 23 80 , ex 7211 29 00 , 7225 50 80 , 7226 92 00)
• Remarks by Commissioner Šefčovič on the New Strategic EU-India Agenda and on the package of proposals on Israel
• WTO - Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - European Union - Ammunition and fishing tackle containing lead
• WTO - Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - European Union - Synthetic polymer microparticles
• WTO - AI to boost trade by nearly 40% by 2040 if gaps are bridged, World Trade Report 2025 finds
• WTO - DG Okonjo-Iweala stresses important role of partnerships to boost opportunities for LDCs
• DG Okonjo-Iweala urges parliamentarians to step up support for multilateralism, WTO reform
• Trump tariffs on EU medical devices will drive up US patient bills, industry claims - Financial Times
• The UK’s indefinite gamble in dealing with Trump on tariffs - You can make a reasonable case for Starmer’s transatlantic trade pact but it’s subject to continual risk - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness & Growth (Better Regulation) - 24 September 2025
• Speech by President Ursula von der Leyen at the high-level meeting of leading German business and industry associations
• Executive Vice-President Fitto hosts implementation dialogue on EU funding and regional competitiveness - Midday Express

CHEMICAL

• ECHA - Highlights from September BPC meeting - ECHA/NR/25/30
• ECHA CHEM now includes regulatory data on chemicals - ECHA/NR/25/29

TAXATION

• Agenda for: Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation) - 22 September 2025
• Join the Future of Tax Cooperation in the EU: ETACA Second Pilot  Now Open!
• Regulation  of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2023/956 as regards simplifying and strengthening the carbon border adjustment mechanism

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• “Agriculture and Fisheries” Council on 22 and 23 September 2025
  - Main outcomes of 44th Session of the FAO Conference (Rome, 28 June – 4 July 2025) - Information from the Presidency 
  - Trade relations with Ukraine in view of the revised EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) - Information from Slovakia
  - EU Water Resilience Strategy - an agricultural perspective - Information from Germany, supported by Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy and Portugal
  - African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks and situation overview in Estonia - Information from Estonia
• Commission Regulation (EU) .../... of XXX amending Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the use in cosmetic products of certain substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction - See the Annex

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (Biodiversity) - 22 September 2025
• Commissioner Roswall in Japan to strengthen circular economy cooperation - Midday Express
• Position of the Council at first reading with a view to the adoption of a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law)
• Answer given by Ms Roswall to a MEP written question - Simplification of high-impact environmental legislation

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Telecommunications & Information Society - 25 September 2025
• Advocate General Szpunar: a measure constituting a corollary of the provisions of criminal law or necessary in order to ensure the effectiveness of roadside checks comes under the country of origin principle, as provided for in the Directive on electronic commerce (See CPR No.126/25 - Advocate General’s Opinion in Joined Cases C-188/24, WebGroup Czech Republic and NKL Associates, and C-190/24 - Coyote System)
• Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sanchez-Bordona of 18 September 2025 in Case C‑514/24, Magyar Telekom Nyrt. Vs. Nemzeti Média- és Hírközlési Hatóság Elnöke
  Re: Preliminary ruling procedure - Electronic communications - Directive (EU) 2018/1972 - Article 105(4) - Right of end-users to terminate their contract on account of unilateral changes proposed by the provider of electronic communications services - Exceptions - Changes imposed directly by EU law or national law
• Answer given by EVP Virkkunen to a MEP written question - DSA Code of Conduct on Gender Based Violence

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 24, 25 and 26 September 2025
• Biometrics for attendance recording. The Italian SA fines a high school
• Polish SA: administrative fine of €7 800 for non-public health care centre in Pyskowice for failing to carry out appropriate risk analysis
• Answer given by EVP Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Risks to European security posed by the contract between Pedro Sánchez’s Government and the Chinese company Huawei 

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Case-law by the Court of Justice of the European Union on the European Investigation Order - Report by Eurojust
• Cumulative prosecutions of foreign terrorist fighters for core international crimes and terrorism-related offences: An analysis of selected jurisprudence - Eurojust

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Cohesion policy mid-term review: Council adopts new laws to better address current and emerging challenges
• ECB - Euro area monthly balance of payments: July 2025
• Early signals from ECB wage tracker suggest lower and more stable wage pressures in first half of 2026
• Speech by ECB's Christine Lagarde: This time is never different: the importance of safeguarding financial stability
• Speech by ECB's Piero Cipollone: What resilience takes: strengthening the financial system in an era of heightened risk
• The importance of the SSM’s fitness and propriety work for banks’ performance – evidence from 10 years of SSM work - ECB Working Paper Series No.3115
• The effects of monetary policy on banks and non-banks in times of stress - ECB Working Paper Series No.3114
• Stylized facts in money markets: an empirical analysis of the eurozone data - ECB Working Paper Series No.3113

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Expressing Europe’s continued and unwavering support for Ukraine, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola officially opened the EP’s office in Kyiv
• President Metsola in Kyiv reaffirms European Parliament’s continued support to Ukraine
• Defence investment: Council authorises negotiations with UK and Canada on their participation in SAFE
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the joint strategic military exercise ZAPAD-2025
• Remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on the New Strategic EU-India Agenda and on the package of proposals on Israel