Europe Daily News, 21 May 2025

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11982 - Hellman & Friedman / CVC / Mehiläinen)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11766 - Nvidia / Run:AI)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11950 - Salling Group / Rimi Baltic)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11979 - New Mountain / Francisco Partners / Office Ally)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11965 - BCI / Brookfield / CGM Grosvenor / Shepherds Flat Wind)
• Commission clears acquisition of Siemens' Indian turbine generator business by Mavco, Mr Prashant Jain and TPG (M.11970) - Midday Express
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion and on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding cooperation on the application of their competition laws
• Belgium - Notification - MEDE-CC-24/0034: De Watergroep / Farys
• Belgium - Decision of concentration 25-CCS-16-AUD: Zilverpijl NV / Fleetinvest NV
• Poland - The UOKiK has initiated proceedings against Decora and Bel-Pol and two managers from these companies for allegations concerning price collusion and market sharing in the Floor panels market
• Romania - The Competition Council launches six investigations in the automotive sector
• UK - CMA letter to Barclays about breaching Part 5 of the Retail Banking Order (notified in October 2024)

STATE AID

• Judgment of the Court of 21 May 2025 in Case T‑72/22, Interneto žiniasklaidos asociacija, All Media Lithuania UAB, All Media Radijas UAB, Vs. European Commission, supported by Lietuvos nacionalinis radijas ir televizija VšĮ, and by European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
  Re: Re: State aid - State measures amending the existing aid granted to the Lithuanian public service broadcasting organisation LRT - Rejection of a complaint - Decision not to raise any objections - Action for annulment - Status as an interested party - Safeguarding of procedural rights - Admissibility - Serious difficulties - Substantial alteration to existing aid

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Economic Tariff Questions Group” meeting (Tariff suspensions for chemical and agricultural products; for microelectronic products; Tariff quotas) - 16 & 17 June 2025
• Draft Decision of the Trade Committee amending Article 19.3(3) and (5) of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand concerning amendment to the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the inclusion of a safe and healthy working environment in the ILO’s framework of fundamental principles and rights at work
• Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Trade Committee established by the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand as regards amendments to that Agreement concerning fundamental principles and rights at work
• Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Council of Members of the International Olive Council with respect to the accession of the Republic of Iraq to the International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, 2015
• Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the International Grains Council as regards the extension of the Grains Trade Convention, 1995
• Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the International Grains Council as regards establishing new rules on written procedure and member access to International Grains Council’s archives
• Notice of initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of new pneumatic tyres, of rubber, of a kind used on motor cars, buses or lorries with a load index not exceeding 121 originating in the People’s Republic of China (CN codes 4011 10 00 and 4011 20 10)
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/922 of 20 May 2025 making imports of softwood plywood originating in Brazil subject to registration
• WTO - Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - European Union - Cosmetics
• WTO - Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - European Union - Rolling stock : freight wagons
• DG Okonjo-Iweala welcomes Prime Minister Plenkovic of Croatia to the WTO

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Commission proposes simplification measures to save EU businesses a further €400 million per year - See the Q&A and Factsheet on simplification omnibus IV
  - Fourth Simplification Omnibus package Com(2025)503 & Annexes, Com(2025)504 & Annexes and Working Document
• A simpler Single Market to make companies choose Europe - See the Communication, Factsheet and Q&A on the Single Market Strategy
• Preparation of the Competitiveness Council (Internal Market, Industry, Research & Space) - 22 & 23 May 2025
  - The need to continue discussions on the Commission’s proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on standard essential patents and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 - Information from Czechia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL AFFAIRS

• Strengthening representation of EU workers in multinational companies: Council and Parliament reach agreement on the revision of the European works council directive
• Strengthening social dialogue in the EU through the European Works Council

ENERGY

• Public consultation: Access to data for switching electricity supplier – requirements - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 20 May 2025 - 17 June 2025

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Judgment of the Court of 21 May 2025 in Case T-265/23, Verband der Deutschen Kutter- und Küstenfischer eV (VDK) Vs. European Commission, supported by Kingdom of the Netherlands
  Re: Fisheries - Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 - Conservation of the biological resources of the sea - Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/340 - Conservation measures relating to fisheries - Restrictions - North Sea - German exclusive economic zone - Protection of the environment - Directive 92/43/EEC - Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora - Directive 2008/56/EC - Marine Strategy - Equal treatment - Proportionality
  
• Public consultation: F-gases – new template for the Declaration of Conformity - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 19 May 2025 - 16 June 2025

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Council Decision inviting Member States to accept, in the interest of the European Union, the amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) contained in the Annex to Resolution WHA77.17 and adopted on 1 June 2024: Adoption & - Statement by Slovakia
• Public consultation: Amendment of protective measures against pests of plants - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 20 May 2025 - 17 June 2025
• Commission joins Global Coalition on medical countermeasures for neglected diseases- Midday Express

EFSA

• Epidemiological analysis of African swine fever in the European Union during 2024
• Safety evaluation of the food enzyme pullulanase from the non‐genetically modified Klebsiella pneumoniae strain AE‐PUL
• Safety evaluation of the food enzyme 4‐α‐glucanotransferase from the genetically modified Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain MAS

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Provisional agreement between Council and Parliament makes European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) more future-proof

DIGITAL, DATA PRIVACY & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• EDPB - Slovenian SA: schools must adhere to the principle of data protection by design and by default
• EDPS - CPDP - Computers, Privacy and Data Protection conference 2025
• GDPR is cracking: Brussels rewrites its prized privacy law - Proposed changes to the GDPR, it is feared, could open a Pandora’s box of EU tech lobbying - Politico.eu
• Google moves to reassure EU cloud users amid concern over Trump threat - Tech giant offers additional data security protections in EU as local customers express concern over reliance on US tech - Financial Times

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Commission proposes to facilitate the application of the safe third country concept - See the Working Document 
  - Proposal for amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 as regards the application of the ‘safe third country' concept
  - Proposal for amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 as regards the establishment of a list of safe countries of origin at Union level
• Parliament and Council have reached an agreement on gradually rolling out the Entry-Exit System (EES) at the EU’s external borders
• The rule of law in the EU remains in peril, MEPs say

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Syria: Council statement on the lifting of EU economic sanctions
• Statement by President von der Leyen with Italian President Mattarella
• EU announces €80 million humanitarian aid package for Yemen
• Yemen: Council approves conclusions calling for a renewed momentum in the peace efforts
• EU boosts humanitarian response for Gaza, Syria and Lebanon with €83 million - Midday Express
• EU and Switzerland initial agreements to strengthen bilateral relations- Midday Express
• EU-African Union ministerial convenes in Brussels to strengthen ties- Midday Express
• The European Commission appoints a new Deputy Director-General (Michael Karnitschnig) at its Directorate-General for Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf
• Main results of the Foreign Affairs Council and Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) - 20 May 2025
• Moldova: Council extends the mandate of the EU civilian mission for two years - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/943
• Presentation of letters of credence to the President of the European Council António Costa and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine: EU agrees 17th package of sanctions
  - Human rights violations in Russia: EU lists further 28 individuals - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/957 & Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/958
  - Chemical weapons: EU sanctions 3 entities in the Russian Armed Forces over use of chemical weapons in Ukraine - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/960 & Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/959
  - Russian hybrid threats: EU lists further 21 individuals and 6 entities and introduces sectoral measures in response to destabilising activities against the EU, its member states and international partners  - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/931, Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/966, Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/963, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/932, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/964 & Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/965
• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/968 of 20 May 2025 implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2642 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s destabilizing activities
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/969 of 20 May 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2024/2643 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s destabilising activities

UK/EU RELATIONS

• Deal to let Brits skip EU passport queues would have happened without post-Brexit accord - Broader reform of European border checks that has been planned for years would allow use of ‘e-gates’ - Financial Times
• UK will not rejoin EU customs union, Starmer says - Prime minister says move would ‘undo’ benefits from recent trade deals with India and US - Financial Times