Europe Daily News, 03 September 2025

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11578 - Boeing / Spirit)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12095 - ICG / Gala / Magellan)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12066 - Trafigura / Armorine)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11945 - HH HK Group / Orix / Oaaam)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12069 - Bain Capital Credit / ICG / Study Group)
• Commission clears acquisition of Austria Juice by Agrana (M.12071) - Midday Express
• Slovak Republic - PMÚ has suspended its investigation into wholesale access to mobile networks for mobile virtual network operators (Abuse of dominant position)
• UK - The CMA is investigating the completed acquisition by Primary Health Care Properties plc of Assura plc
• EU Google antitrust penalty halted amid Trump’s tariff threats - The decision was paused by Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič against the wishes of Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera - Politico.eu & Financial Times

STATE AID

• Judgment of the Court of 03 September 2025 in Case T‑784/22, Zásilkovna s.r.o., supported by Brink’s Cash Solutions (CZ) a.s., intervener Vs. European Commission supported by Czech Republic, and by Česká pošta s.p.
  Re: State aid - Postal sector - Compensation for net costs arising from universal service obligations - Decision declaring the aid compatible with the internal market - Article 106(2) TFEU - SGEI Framework - Accounting separation of activities falling within the universal service from other activities - Cross-subsidisation - Counterfactual scenario
• Judgment of the Court of 03 September 2025 in Case T‑225/24, Huhtamaki Holding Sàrl, Vs. European Commission
  Re: Access to documents - Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 - Documents relating to State aid procedures - Advance tax agreements - Refusal of access - Exception relating to the protection of the commercial interests of a third party - Exception relating to the protection of the purpose of inspections, investigations and audits - General presumption of confidentiality - Not irrebuttable - Overriding public interest - Principle of sound administration - Obligation to state reasons
• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.118796 & SA.119447
• Commission Decision (EU) 2025/1765 of 11 April 2025 on the measure State aid SA.53630 (2020/C) - (ex 2019/FC) - Belgium Alleged aid granted to Ladbrokes in relation to virtual betting
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Ribera to a MEP written question - Closure of State aid proceedings relating to Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) and the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) in light of the judgment in Case C-40/23 P

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Trade Policy Committee (Deputies) - 04 September 2025
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Trade Policy Committee (Services & Investment) - 10 September 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - 09 September 2025
• Commission proposes Mercosur and Mexico agreements for adoption - QaA: Mercosur & Mexico
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Chinese carmakers bypassing import duties
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Cement imports from Ukraine to Poland and the EU
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - The lack of reciprocal standards in agricultural trade with Ukraine
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Public procurement: when Brussels finances a company penalised for dumping
• WTO - Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures - Notification - European Union - Feed additives: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum & Bacillus subtilis and Lentilactobacillus buchneri
• A strong case for the EU-Mercosur trade deal - Accord has benefits for both blocs in the face of Trump’s economic nationalism - Financial Times
• EU to present internal fix to Mercosur trade deal to appease France - The tweak seeks to make EU skeptics, led by France, more amenable to the Latin America trade accord - Politico.eu
• European Socialists mobilize against Trump’s trade deal - The second-largest group in the European Parliament says no, complicating Ursula von der Leyen’s effort to build a majority to back the deal - Politico.eu

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness & Growth (High Level) - 09 September 2025
• Call for evidence: Evaluation of the Defence Transfers Directive - Evaluation - Feedback period: 01 September 2025 - 29 September 2025
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Plan for preventing unfair competition
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Local content in the Clean Industrial Deal
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Unusable stocks following the entry into force of the Commission’s proposed legislation on lead ammunition

CHEMICAL

• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Strategic risks of the proposed REACH ban on calcium cyanamide in agriculture
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Potential harmonised classification of sodium fluoride and its impact on oral health in the EU
• New webpages on ECHA’s scientific work - ECHA/NR/25/26
• Agenda 68th meeting of the ECHA Committee for Socio-economic Analysis - 15 to 19 September 2025
• Minutes of the 67th meeting ECHA Committee for Socio-economic Analysis - 10 to 13 June 2025

FINANCE

• José Manuel Campa keynote speech at BCBS-BSCEE: High-level meeting for Europe on banking supervision
• European banks push for lower cross-border hurdles - Call for end to ‘fragmented approach that is trapping capital and liquidity’ and putting lenders at disadvantage to US rivals - Financial Times

TAXATION

• Commission adoption: Tobacco taxation – excise duties for manufactured tobacco products (updated rules) - Proposal for a directive - Feedback period: 03 September 2025 - 29 October 2025

ENERGY

• CEF Energy: Five new projects obtain status and join the CB RES list - See the Draft Delegated Regulation
• How farming inspired the EU’s affordable energy plan - Brussels is hoping three-way contracts will bring the benefits of cheap, clean energy to industry - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Judgment of the Court of 03 September 2025 in Case T‑1024/23, London EV Co. Ltd, Vs. European Commission, supported by European Parliament and by Council of the European Union
  Re: Environment - Regulation (EU) 2019/631 - Carbon dioxide emission performance standards - New passenger cars - Commission Decision specifying the values relating to the performance of manufacturers and pools of manufacturers of new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles for 2021 - Scope - Special purpose vehicle - Wheelchair accessible vehicle - Equal treatment - Proportionality - Legitimate expectations - Obligation to state reasons - Plea of illegality
• Commissioners Hoekstra and Roswall in Malaysia to deepen environmental and climate cooperation with ASEAN countries - Midday Express

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• The General Court dismisses Zalando’s appeal against the designation of its eponymous platform as a very large online platform (See CPR No.105/2025 - Judgment of the General Court in Case T-348/23, Zalando Vs. Commission)
• Executive Vice-President Virkkunen in Italy to meet media industry and visit EU hubs advancing AI - Midday Express
• Answer given by EVP Virkkunen Ms to a MEP written question - Protecting traditional retailers from online platforms from third countries

DATA PRIVACY

• Data Protection: the General Court dismisses an action for annulment of the new framework for the transfer of personal data between the European Union and the United States (See CPR No.106/2025 - Judgment of the General Court in Case T-553/23, Latombe Vs. Commission)
• EU-US Data Transers: First Reaction on "Latombe" Case by Noyb

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Press remarks by President António Costa following the meeting with the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković
• EU Statement – UNICEF Executive Board – UNICEF Strategic Plan 2026-29 and Opening Statement
• Global Gateway: European Commissioner Síkela will visit three Pacific countries to strengthen EU-Pacific partnership
• EU Explanation of Position – UN General Assembly: Adoption of the PGA decision to establish a working group on work stream 2 of the UN80 Initiative
• Majority of EU citizens support further EU enlargement, new Eurobarometer survey shows, while perception surveys in candidate countries point to overall support for EU accession

EU/RUSSIA /UKRAINE

• Judgment of the Court of 03 September 2025 in Case T‑1117/23, Alisher Usmanov, Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: CFSP - Restrictive measures taken in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine - Freezing of funds - List of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources - Maintenance of the applicant’s name on the list - Concept of ‘businessperson involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation’ - Article 2(1)(g) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Article 3(1)(g) of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 - Right to effective judicial protection - Obligation to state reasons - Error of assessment - Proportionality - Right to property - Right to private life - Plea of illegality
• Judgment of the Court of 03 September 2025 in T‑604/24, Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Boguslayev Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: CFSP - Restrictive measures taken in view of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine - Freezing of funds - List of persons, entities and bodies to which the freezing of funds and economic resources applies - Maintenance of the applicant's name on the list - Error of assessment - Non-contractual liability - Damage to reputation and presumption of innocence - Non-material damage - Actual damage
• FAQs on sanctions against Russia and Belarus, with focus on the following provision: Article 3n of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 - Oil price cap
• Consolidated version of the FAQs on sanctions against Russia and Belarus