Europe Daily News, 22 October 2025

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12040 - Samsung Electronics / Fläktgroup)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12101 - Aurelius / Exertis UK / Exertis Ireland)
• Bundeskartellamt and Bundesnetzagentur publish study of electricity price peaks during “dunkelflaute” periods in 2024

STATE AID

• Commission approves €61.5 million Italian scheme to support cleantech manufacturing capacity, in line with Clean Industrial Deal objectives (SA.118614) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Trade Questions - 28 October 2025
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2118 of 21 October 2025 reimposing a definitive countervailing duty on imports of certain rainbow trout originating in Türkiye following the judgment of the General Court of the European Union in case T-122/23
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2144 of 21 October 2025 making imports of pea protein originating in the People’s Republic of China subject to registration
• Council Decision (EU) 2025/2163 of 17 October 2025 concerning the withdrawal of the European Union from the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG)
• Report of the 5th meeting EU-Armenia partnership subcommittee in customs - May 2025
• WTO - Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures - Subsidies - New and full notification pursuant to article XVI:1 of the GATT 1994 and article 25 of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures - European Union : Sweden - Addendum
• DG Okonjo-Iweala welcomes President Chapo of Mozambique to the WTO
• The EU’s new peace offering to Trump: A bonfire of its business rules - Ursula von der Leyen is selling simplification like a Kinder Egg sweet on the outside for European business, with a surprise inside for the U.S. president - Politico.eu
• Chinese minister to visit Brussels amid raw materials crunch - China and the EU will “intensify contacts at all levels,” says trade chief Maroš Šefčovič - Politico.eu
• EU urges China to agree ‘prompt resolution’ of export curbs - Brussels’ trade commissioner and Chinese commerce minister also discuss ‘serious’ situation at chipmaker Nexperia - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Antici Group (Simplification: Omnibus V - Defence) - 27 October 2025
• Eurochambres calls for ambitious ‘roadmap’ for single market
• President Costa to discuss housing crisis with Presidents of Committee of the Regions and European Economic and Social Committee Presidents

CHEMICAL

• Chemicals: Parliament adopts simpler and more transparent assessment rules
  - Common data platform on chemicals, establishing a monitoring and outlook framework for chemicals
  - Re-attribution of scientific and technical tasks to the European Chemicals Agency
  - Re-attribution of scientific and technical tasks and improving cooperation among Union agencies in the area of chemicals

FINANCE

• ESMA publishes implementing rules on loan-originating AIFs
• ESMA finds EU carbon markets functioning smoothly in new report
• ESMA - Compliance table on MiCA suitability and portfolio periodic statement Guidelines

TAXATION

• Judgment of the Court of 22 October 2025 in Case T‑614/24, AROCO, spol. s r.o. Vs. Generální ředitelství cel
  Re: Preliminary ruling - Harmonisation of tax laws - Directive 92/83/EEC - Harmonisation of the structures of excise duties on alcohol and alcoholic beverages - Excise duties - Ethyl alcohol - Exemptions - Article 27(1)(e) - Production of ethyl alcohol flavourings for use in the preparation of foodstuffs and non-alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content not exceeding 1.2% by volume - Option for Member States to make those exemptions subject to conditions
• Opinion of Advocate General of Martin y Pérez De Nanclares of 22 October 2025 in Case T‑575/24, Belgische Staat / Federale Overheidsdienst Financiën Vs. Digipolis Antwerpen AG, District09 AG
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling- Taxation - VAT - Directive 2006/112/EC - Article 2(1)(c) - Taxable transactions - Articles 9 to 13 - Concept of ‘taxable person’ - Intermunicipal cooperation - Provision of services by an association to its members for remuneration - Belgian administrative tolerance which allows the association and its members to be regarded as a single taxable person
• Agenda for: Working Party on Tax Questions (High Level) - 03 November 2025

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Judgment of the Court of 22 October 2025 in Case T‑1148/23, Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) Vs. European Commission
  Re: Plant protection products - Rules for identifying unacceptable co-formulants in plant protection products - Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/574 - Rejection of request for internal review - Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 - Control of co-formulants - Article 27 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009
• Meeting of the “Agriculture & Fisheries” Council - 27 and 28 October 2025
  - Joint letter of the Ministers of Agriculture of Hungary, Romania and the Slovak Republic on efficient safeguard measures for EU trade agreements - Information from Hungary on behalf of Hungary, Romania and Slovakia
• Commission proposes measures to support generational renewal in agriculture to secure Europe's food, farming and rural future - see the Q&As & Remarks by Commissioner Hansen
  - see the Communication, the Working Document
• Minutes of the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets - 07 October 2025
• Minutes of the Quality Policy Committee for agricultural products, wine and spirit drinks - 09 October 2025

ENERGY

• Russian gas and oil import ban: MEPs ready to negotiate with Council
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - High energy costs for energy-intensive industries in Poland
• US and Qatar issue energy and trade threats to EU over climate rules - Fossil fuel exporters claim investment and security of supply will be imperiled - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Main Results of the Environment Council, 21 October 2025
  - COP30: Council sets EU position for the climate conference in Belém
  - Council pushes for a holistic water strategy to safeguard water resources and boost resilience
• Updated climate tracking and digital tagging of the Recovery and Resilience Plan of Luxembourg and of Estonia - Working Documents
  

FORESTRY

• The European Parliament decided to reject the European Commission’s proposal for the EU forest monitoring framework - see the Green-efa reaction
• Commission proposes targeted measures to ensure the timely implementation of EU Deforestation Regulation - See the Proposal, its Annexes and reactions by Green-efa and S&D Groups
• Brussels U-turns on anti-deforestation law delay - The surprise decision follows a string of unexpected changes to the EU’s main tool to end deforestation - Politico.eu

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Aviation - 28 October 2025
• New report shows progress in sustainable aviation fuel uptake across the EU

DATA PRIVACY

• General Data Protection Regulation: additional procedural rules relating to the enforcement of the Regulation - See the Report by MEP Sergey Lagodinsky and Green-efa reaction

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• ECB - Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 17 October 2025
• Speech by ECB's Christine Lagarde: Europe’s road to renewables
• Speech by ECB's Philip R. Lane: The transmission of monetary policy: financial conditions and credit dynamics
• Fiscal announcements and households’ beliefs: evidence from the euro area - ECB Working Paper Series No.3139

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Commission unveils 2026 work programme
  - Q&As and FactSheet on the 2026 Commission work programme
  - Q&As and FactSheet on the 2025 Overview Report on Simplification, Implementation and Enforcement of EU rules
  - Speech by President von der Leyen in the EP plenary debate on the Commission Work Programme 2026
• Remarks by President António Costa at the press conference following the meeting with the Presidents of European Committee of the Regions and European Economic and Social Committee
• Speech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament plenary ahead of the European Council
• European Parliament adopts its calendar for 2027

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• First ever EU-Egypt Summit takes place in Brussels - Midday Express
• Uzbekistan: 18th Cooperation Council with the EU held in Luxembourg
• Tajikistan: 15th Human Rights Dialogue with EU takes place in Brussels
• EU Statement – UN Security Council: Briefing on UNSCRs on UNMIK (UN Mission in Kosovo)

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• Judgment of the Court of 22 October 2025 in Case T‑233/24, Mikail Safarbekovich Gutseriev Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: CFSP - Restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine - Freezing of funds - Restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - Lists of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources or subject to restrictions on entry into the territory of the Member States - Maintenance of the applicant’s name on the lists - Error of assessment
• Trump-Putin summit in Budapest unsettles Europe - Volodymyr Zelenskyy objects to Hungary’s pro-Russian leader hosting meeting aimed at ending Moscow’s invasion - Financial Times