Europe Daily News, 03 February 2026

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12218 - Socar / IP)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12257 - ING / GS TFI)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12196 - Ardian / Energia)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12276 - CVC / Smiths Detection)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12329 - Aberdeen / Digitalbridge Group / Equans)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12204 - Cimic Group / Sojitz / UGL Rail Services)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12219 - ECI / Fast Group)
• Summary of Commission Decision of 4 July 2025 relating to a proceeding under Article 101 of the TFEU and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case AT.40636 – SNBB)
  - Opinion of the Advisory Committee on Restrictive Practices and Dominant Positions & Final Report of the Hearing Officer
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by Plenitude and Société Générale (M.12190) - Midday Express
• The Netherlands - ACM launches investigation into an IT company regarding illegal agreements related to employees
• Poland - The UOKiK has launched a preliminary investigation and ordered searches of the premises of the largest electronics wholesalers and one manufacturer
• Romania - Competition Council activity Report 2025
• Spain - The CNMC fines several Repsol Group companies €20.5 million and prohibits them from participating in public contracts
• UK - Guidance on CMA market reviews, market studies, market investigations and the monitoring and review of market remedies

STATE AID

• Commission opens in-depth foreign subsidies investigation into Goldwind's activities in the EU wind sector (FS.100143)
• Answer given by EVP Ribera to a MEP written question - Financing for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and for undertakings in difficulty, plus the General Block Exemption Regulation

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Commission acts against unfairly traded imports of candles from China
• Explanatory notes on the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union - Amendment to the CNEN to "heading 3004"
• Commission Implementing Regulation amending or repealing certain regulations on the classification of goods in the Combined Nomenclature
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Customs Expert Group, Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature Section, HS/WCO Coordination Sector - 16 & 17 February 2026
• Agenda for: Sixth Meeting of the Specialised Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade under the Agreement for an Economic Partnership between Japan and the EU - 05 February 2026
• Eucolait reaction to Chinese anti-subsidy tariffs on EU cream and cheese
• EU’s geopolitical gesture is too cheap to be credible - Brussels sacrificed its own principles when signing a trade deal with India - Financial Times

CBAM

• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - Nitrogen and urea prices and CBAM rules: mitigating the impact on farmers

EU/UK

• Decision No 1/2026 adding a newly adopted Union act to Annex 2 to the Windsor Framework
• Joint Statement by European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and Minister for the Cabinet Office Nick Thomas-Symonds
• Reeves takes aim at Trump as she calls for UK and EU to speak with one voice on trade - British chancellor participates in talks with the bloc focused on resetting relations between the two sides - Financial Times
• This is what a proper Brexit looks like - Prosperity and security will be driven by removing unnecessary barriers that hold businesses back - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Working Party on Competitiveness & Growth (High Level) - 29 January 2026
  - Presentation by Elemental Battery Metals Sp. z o.o.(agenda item 2)
• EU critical raw materials strategy - few projects likely to succeed by 2030, say European auditors
• Commission unveils Europe's Gender Equality champions in research and innovation - Midday Express
• Europe’s used market for light-duty vehicles: dynamics, policy and system implications - See Acea Study

DEFENCE

• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the acceleration of permit-granting for defence readiness projects - 4-column table
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EC) No 1907/2006, (EC) No 1272/2008, (EU) No 528/2012, (EU) 2019/1021 and (EU) 2021/697 as regards defence readiness and facilitating defence investments and conditions for defence industry - 4-column table
• Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directives 2009/43/EC and 2009/81/EC, as regards the simplification of intra-EU transfers of defence-related products and the simplification of security and defence procurement - 4-column table

CHEMICALS

• Understanding the EU's response to forever chemicals - European auditors
• ECHA consults on recommending four substances for REACH authorisation - ECHA/NR/26/05

ENERGY

• EU takes the next step towards energy independence from Russia
• EU fossil fuel imports and CO2 emissions in 2025: Dependence continues as U.S. becomes largest supplier - See the CREA Report

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Third part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5.3) (7 February 2026, Geneva, Switzerland) - First EU coordination
• Commission takes stock of ETS implementation with stationary installations
• EU sets world's first voluntary standard for permanent carbon removals - Midday Express
• EU reaffirms commitment to science-based multilateralism at first plenary on chemicals, waste and pollution
• Answer given by Ms Roswall to a written question - Extended producer responsibility schemes and EU law on competition and environment

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/250 of 2 February 2026 correcting Regulation (EU) 2024/3190 on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) and other bisphenols and bisphenol derivatives with harmonised classification for specific hazardous properties in certain materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, amending Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 and repealing Regulation (EU) 2018/213
• SCCS - Minutes of the Working Group meeting on Cosmetic Ingredients of 22-23 January 2026
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Commission response to the rise of youth vaping and nicotine addiction

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Signatory Taskforce of the General-Purpose AI Code of Practice
• Joint Statement of the second meeting of the EU - Singapore Digital Partnership Council
• Data Act - Commission seeks feedback on draft Guidelines for reasonable compensation (Opening: 30 January 2026 - Closing: 20 February 2026)
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Designation of OpenAI’s ChatGPT under the Digital Services Act
• EU plan to share data with US border force sparks surveillance fears - Washington is demanding access to sensitive data as ICE heightens fears in Europe - Politico.eu

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Italy: EPPO seizes clandestine cigarette factory and 21.5 tonnes of tobacco and cigarettes
• Investigation Steamboat: EPPO uncovers corruption and customs fraud in the Port of Antwerp
• Investigation Nimmersatt: second wave of arrests and searches in Lithuania in probe against criminal organisation smuggling hazardous salvage cars from US

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Commission greenlights Netherlands' third payment request for €551 million under NextGenerationEU
• ECB - January 2026 euro area bank lending survey - Fourth quarter of 2025
• Mario Draghi calls for EU ‘federation’ to avoid being ‘picked off’ by US and China - Former ECB president says globalisation will leave Europe vulnerable unless it pools power - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Oslo Security Conference: Remarks by the HR/VP Kaja Kallas at the Joint Press Point with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre
• EU Statement - 64th Session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development: General Discussion
• Answer given by HR/VP Kallas to a MEP written question - Risks of using AI in nuclear early warning systems
• Answer given by HR/VP Kallas to a MEP written question - State of play regarding the partial suspension of the Association Agreement with Israel in the Council

EU/UKRAINE/RUSSIA

• Answer given by HR/VP Kallas to a MEP written question - Flags of convenience for the Russian shadow fleet
• Answer given by Ms Albuquerque to a MEP written question - Central Asian countries (prohibition to circumvent sanctions - CHP)
• Answer given by Ms Albuquerque to a MEP written question - The use of Georgian refineries to evade EU sanctions on Russian oil exports
• Answer given by Ms Albuquerque to a MEP written question - Distortions of competition and possible circumvention of EU sanctions regimes against Belarus and Russia
• Germany arrests five accused of smuggling western tech to Russia - Group accused of supplying 24 Russian arms makers with European technology worth €30mn, in breach of sanctions - Financial Times