Europe Daily News, 15 April 2026

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12365 - CVC / MAM)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12286 - Honda / Astemo)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12363 - GBL / CVC / Rayner)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12331 - EEE / EDF RP / ME Kobiernice)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12295 - Valea / Rockaway Media / Rockaway Arts)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12367 - Liberty Global / Telefonica / Infravia / Netomnia and BRSK Assets)
• Commission clears acquisition of Lineas by SFPIM (M.12326) - Midday Express
• Poland - Price-fixing in the fruit buying market. The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection imposes a fine
• UK - AA fined £5mn over hidden driving lesson fees - Move is first financial sanction meted out by UK CMA under new consumer protection laws - Financial Times

DMA

• Summary of Commission Decision of 5 February 2026 relating to a letter concerning Apple’s notifications under Article 3(3) of Regulation (EU) No 2022/1925 (Digital Markets Act, DMA) (Cases DMA.100014 - Apple - Online intermediation services - Verticals; DMA.100045 - Apple - Online advertising services)
• Answer given by EVP Ribera to a MEP written question - Planned restrictions on the distribution of apps on mobile devices running the Android operating system

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Judgment of the Court of 15 April 2026 in Case T-589/24, A-GmbH Vs. Hauptzollamt C
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Customs union - Customs code - Regulations (EEC) No 2913/92 and (EU) No 952/2013 - Outward processing procedure - Partial relief from import duties - Placement for export at a customs office not designated in the authorisation and located in a Member State other than that which granted the authorisation - Crude groundnut oil
• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Experts - Services & Investment) - 22 April 2026
• Notice concerning the provisional application of the Interim Agreement on Trade between the European Union, of the one part, and the Common Market of the South, the Argentine Republic, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Republic of Paraguay and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, of the other part
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/831 of 14 April 2026 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of certain continuous filament glass fibre products (GFR) originating in Bahrain, Egypt and Thailand
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/822 of 14 April 2026 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty and definitively collecting the provisional duty imposed on imports of softwood plywood originating in the Federative Republic of Brazil
• Text of the provisional agreement : Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Union Customs Code and the European Union Customs Authority, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 952/2013
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Protecting industrial sovereignty and employment in the steel sector amidst global trade instability
• EU trade measure saves steel industry from “cliff edge” as record imports surge - Eurofer Statement
• China shock 2.0: should Europe repel Chinese investment? - Brussels wants firms opening factories in the EU to transfer knowledge and employ local staff. Will it work? - Financial Times

CBAM

• European Court of Auditors casts doubt on effectiveness of future ‘Temporary Decarbonisation Fund’ - See Opinion 13/2026

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Commission to invest €1.07 billion in 57 defence projects supporting European Readiness Flagships
• Public consultation - Products derived from animal by-products as component materials in EU fertilising products - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 13 April 2026 - 11 May 2026
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Strengthening transparency and performance in EU public procurement and expenditure reporting
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Strengthening transparency and performance in EU public procurement and expenditure reporting
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Concession for the A22 motorway (the ‘Autobrennero’)
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Motorway AP-9: request for access to the Spanish Government’s reply to the reasoned opinion and to infringement procedure INFR(2021)4052 as a whole

CHEMICALS

• Chemicals: MEPs want to simplify legislation to reduce the administrative burden - See Amending Regulations (EC) No 1272/2008, (EC) No 1223/2009 and (EU) 2019/1009 as regards simplification of certain requirements and procedures for chemical products: see the Amendments PE784.369; PE784.138;  PE784.370; PE784.152; Draft report; Alternative compromise amendment 2A and the Adopted opinion by MEP Veronika Vrecionová (ECR) 
• Improved protection for workers against their exposure to chemicals - See the EP Statement

TAXATION

• Judgment of the Court of 15 April 2026 in Case T‑190/25, A.K., ‘Tabako lapai’ UAB, other party: Lietuvos Respublikos generalinė prokuratūra,
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Taxation - Excise duties - Excise duty applied to manufactured tobacco - Article 5(1) of Directive 2011/64/EU - Interpretation of the concept of ‘smoking tobacco’ - Consideration of the provisions of the combined nomenclature and explanatory notes - Validity - Legal certainty - Principle that offences and penalties must be defined by law

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Commission approves new geographical indication (Savolainen talkkuna / Savolainen talakkuna') from Finland - Midday Express
• Answer given by Mr Hansen to a MEP written question - Europe-wide farmer protests and the need for immediate interventions for the sustainability of the primary sector 

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 20 April 2026
• Agenda for: Working Party on Telecommunications & Information Society - 21 April 2026
• Statement by President von der Leyen with EVP Virkkunen on the digital age verification app
• Enhancing compliance and consistency: EDPB adopts DPIA template
• Joint Industry Statement on the Digital Omnibus on AI calling for a swift agreement with simplification at its core
• Answer given by EVP Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Legal responsibility and the fight against AI-generated racist content

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Republic of Ecuador, of the other part, on cooperation between the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and the Ecuadorian authorities competent for combating serious crime and terrorism - See Council Decision (EU) 2026/828 on the conclusion of the Agreement
• European airports warn new border system causes up to three-hour delays - Operators in 15 countries report disruption as new EU electronic entry/exit system fully comes into force - Financial Times

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Commission issues €9 billion in its fourth syndicated transaction of 2026 

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s destabilising activities
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries concerning restrictive measures against cyber-attacks threatening the Union or its Member States