Europe Daily News, 02 December 2025

COMPETITION

• Commission clears acquisition of Worldpay by Global Payments (M.12006) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Movianto International by Yusen Logistics (M.12111) - Midday Express
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by MSC Group and NYK Group (M.12166) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Kartesia by New York Life Investment Management (M.12174) - Midday Express
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by Covivio Immobilien GmbH, Covivio Holding GmbH and CDC (M.12222) - Midday Express
• Belgium - Notification CONC.CCS.25/0035 : Groupes Abeloos / Vanspringel /De Groof
• France - The Competition authority has published its decision allowing Airbus to buy some assets of Spirit AeroSystems
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt assesses solutions proposed by Apple in App Tracking Transparency Framework (ATTF) proceedings – market test has started
• The Netherlands - CBb: ACM rightly refused permit for PostNL's acquisition of Sandd

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union - 04 December 2025
• Agenda for: Customs Programme - CLEN Leaders and Advisers' Preparatory Meeting for the 28th CLEN Plenary Meeting - 09 December 2025
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2409 of 1 December 2025 making imports of PET spunbond originating in the People’s Republic of China subject to registration
• Trade: Council and Parliament strike a deal to reinforce rules on trade preferences to developing countries - See the EP Statement
• MEP Karin Karlsbro calls for Ukraine to be exempted from future steel safeguard clause - See the Report
• EP INTA Committee Members are considering the draft report implementing the bilateral safeguard clause of the EU-Mercosur agreement
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Ukrainian customs fees on EU imports
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, part 2/2
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Possible discriminatory tendering practices for medical gloves and their impact on EU health preparedness
• WTO - China - Measures concerning Trade in Goods - Suspension of Panel work - Communication from the European Union
• WTO - Council for Trade in Goods - Article XXVIII:5 negotiations - Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union - Communication from the European Union - Addendum
• WTO - The ninth review of the trade policies and practices of Thailand takes place on 1 and 3 December 2025
• China draws in Europe’s businesses despite alarm over competition - Investment in world’s second-largest economy helps companies keep pace with Chinese rivals - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• IndustriAll Europe calls for urgent action and a strategic vision ahead of the EU’s 2025 Automotive Package
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Commission initiative on competitiveness and excessive red tape
• Answer given by Ms Albuquerque to a MEP written question - Environmental, social and governance reporting requirements for SMEs under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive
• Europe should repeal the directive (CS3D) that’s killing growth - It badly needs access to reliable fossil fuels from dependable allies like the US - Financial Times

FINANCE

• Public consultation: Review of the Regulation on a pan-European personal pension product - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 01 December 2025 - 27 January 2026
• Public consultation: Review of the EU legislative framework for institutions for occupational retirement provision - Proposal for a directive - Feedback period: 01 December 2025 - 27 January 2026
• ESMA to launch Common Supervisory Action on MiFID II conflicts of interest requirements
• ESMA - Summary of Conclusions of the 24th EFIF conference call - 19 September 2025
• Verena Ross' opening statement at ESMA Data Day - 02 December 2025
• ECB refuses to provide backstop for €140bn Ukraine loan - Central bank rejects role in European Commission proposal that would use frozen Russian assets - Financial Times
• EU countries reject ‘blank check’ guarantee to Belgium over Russian assets loan - Belgian PM Bart De Wever is asking EU countries to guarantee the risks of the scheme over an indefinite period of time - Politico.eu

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• Main results of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Employment & social policy) - 01 December 2025
  - Revision of Directive 2004/37/EC on carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxic substances at work (sixth batch) - General approach

ENERGY

• Energy policy highlights in the first year of the von der Leyen Commission II
• Ecodesign and energy labelling: Commission consults on revised rules for space and water heaters
• Hydrogen progress hampered by high costs and slow transposition - See the ACER’s 2025 Monitoring Report

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Commission's Expert Group on Circular Economy and Sustainable Production and Consumption - 15 December 2025
• Minutes of the Commission's Expert Group on Circular Economy and Sustainable Production and Consumption - 18 November 2025
• Air quality improving, but just over 180,000 deaths still attributable to air pollution in EU - See EEA Briefing
• Public consultation: European climate resilience and risk management – integrated framework - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 01 December 2025 - 23 February 2026

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Special Committee on Agriculture - 08 December 2025
  - Regulation on cross-border enforcement of rules against unfair trading practices (UTPs) in the agricultural and food supply chain - Four-Column table as approved on 1 December 2025
• Commission evaluates unfair trading practices rules to strengthen farmers' position in the agri-food chain - Midday Express
• Brussels rejects Dutch request to dump manure on fields - EU regulations limit the amount of nitrates that can be deposited by the country’s livestock sector - Financial Times

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY 

• Critical medicines act: Council agrees its position on new rules to tackle shortages
• EMA - Meeting highlights from the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) - 24 to 27 November 2025

DATA PRIVACY, DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Data protection: the operator of an online marketplace is responsible for the processing of personal data contained in advertisements published on its platform (See CPR Nº 150/2025 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-492/23, Russmedia Digital and Inform Media Press)
• Public consultation: European Digital Identity Wallets – user onboarding - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 02 December 2025 - 30 December 2025
• Public consultation: Implementing Regulation on AI Regulatory Sandboxes - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 02 December 2025 - 30 December 2025

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• The Netherlands courts have jurisdiction to hear a representative action concerning the alleged anticompetitive conduct of Apple in relation to its App Store aimed at the Netherlands market (See CPR Nº149/2025 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-34/24, Stichting Right to Consumer Justice and Stichting App Stores Claims)
• Call for evidence & Public consultation: Cross-border judicial cooperation – revision of Eurojust Regulation (impact assessment) - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 28 October 2025 - 03 December 2025 and 02 December 2025 - 24 February 2026
• European Union and Lebanon sign agreement on judicial cooperation - Midday Express
• Cryptocurrency mixing service used to launder money taken down - Eurojust

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Commission partially greenlights Bulgaria's payment request of €1.6 billion under NextGenerationEU, supporting economic growth and competitiveness*
• Commission greenlights Croatia's payment request of €1.1 billion under NextGenerationEU, supporting economic growth and competitiveness *
• Commission greenlights Italy's payment request of €12.8 billion under NextGenerationEU, supporting economic growth and competitiveness
• Nature at risk: Implications for the euro area economy and financial stability - Occasional Paper Series No.380
• Global or regional safe assets: evidence from bond substitution patterns - Working Paper Series No.3159
• Inflation narratives and expectations - Working Paper Series No.3158

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2435 of 1 December 2025 implementing Article 12(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1770 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Mali
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/2436 of 1 December 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2017/1775 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Mali
• Answer given by the Council to a MEP written question - Overall economic impact of the Russia sanctions, effectiveness of protection mechanisms, and adapting the sanctions policy
• Joint Statement by President of the EC Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney - Conclusion of negotiations on an Agreement between the EU and Canada under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) Instrument
• Main results of the EU-Kazakhstan Cooperation Council - 01 December 2025 - Press remarks by HR/VP Kaja Kallas
• Main results of the Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) - 01 December 2025 - Press remarks by HR/VP Kaja Kallas
• EU-Armenia Partnership Council: Press remarks by HR/VP Kaja Kallas