Europe Daily News, 09 December 2025

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12256 - Sojitz Corporation / Nexus)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12134 - Sofon / Steml / Mro JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12129 - BPIFrance / Groupe Adit)
• Commission approves Mars' acquisition of Kellanova (M.11753)
• Commission clears acquisition of Sebia by Warburg Pincus (M.12228) - Midday Express
• Commission clears the acquisition of Novares Group by Deva Capital (M.12238) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of UGL Rail Services by CIMIC and Sojitz (M.12204) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of certain Lusat Air's subsidiaries by Antin (M.12209) - Midday Express
• Commission opens investigation into possible anticompetitive conduct by Google in the use of online content for AI purposes (AT.40983) - Financial Times
• Belgium - Notification CONC.CCS.25/0027 : Accenture/ BNPPF
• Italy - The Competition Authority: six call centre companies fined over 500,000 euro for misleading telemarketing
• Poland - Collusion in the sale of agricultural machinery – decision of the President of UOKiK
• UK - Anticipated Acquisition by Vandemoortele Group of Délifrance S.A. - Decision on relevant merger situation and substantial lessening of competition
• Teresa Ribera is ‘not interested in competition,’ complains jilted Brussels bubble - Politico.eu

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.119329 & SA.114301
• Commission approves €1.5 billion Italian State aid scheme to support cleantech manufacturing capacity, contributing to Clean Industrial Deal objectives (SA.120488)
• Commission approves €47 million German State aid for Vetter Pharma's new aseptic filling plant (SA.118989)

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)) - 10 December 2025
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1951 of 29 September 2025 amending Annexes II, IV and VII to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Minutes of the 11th Subcommittee on Market access - EU-Central America Association Agreement - 10 to 12 June 2025
• Minutes of the 11th Subcommittee on Technical Barriers to trade - EU-Central America Association Agreement - 10 to 12 June 2025
• Minutes of the 11th Meeting of the Agreement between the EU and Central America - AD Hoc Group on Public Procurement - 10 to 12 June 2025
• Minutes of the 11th Subcommittee on Sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) - EU-Central America Association Agreement - 10 to 12 June 2025
• Minutes of the 11th Subcommittee on Customs, Trade facilitation and Rules of origin - EU-Central America Association Agreement - 10 to 12 June 2025
• Joint Minutes of the 11th session of the Committee on Trade and Sustainable Development - EU- Republic of Korea FTA - 10 & 11 September 2025
• EU-Ecuador Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement - Joint Report - Round 1 & EU textual proposal - updated on 04 December 2025
• Mercosur: MEPs endorse rules to protect EU agriculture
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - New overcapacity instrument
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Post-safeguard regime and reciprocity in global sustainability standards
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Protecting consumers from non-compliant small parcels in e-commerce
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Country code on certificates of preferential origin for products originating in Western Sahara under the 2018 agreement amending the EU-Morocco Association Agreement

CBAM

• Minutes of the 5th Informal Expert Group on the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) - 03 & 04 November 2025

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Main results of the Competitiveness Council (Internal market and industry) - 08 December 2025
• Council and Parliament strike a deal to simplify sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements and boost EU competitiveness - Se the EP Statement
• Commission welcomes political agreement on Omnibus I simplification package

RAW MATERIAL

• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - European Critical Raw Materials Act and ‘strategic projects’
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - EU strategy on access to critical raw materials and limiting dependence on China 

AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & FISHERIES

• Meeting of the “Agriculture and Fisheries” Council - 11 & 12 December 2025
  - Critical situation on the European milk market - Information from Hungary
  - The Common Agricultural Policy after 2027: state of play - Information from the Presidency
• Minutes of the meeting of the Expert group EU Fertilisers Market Observatory - 24 November 2025
• Council and Parliament reach provisional deal to boost the quality of forest reproductive material and support EU seed sector innovation
• Commission welcomes political agreement on Forest Reproductive Material
• EU and Cook Islands renew sustainable fisheries partnership - Midday Express

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 11 December 2025
  Minutes of the Informal Commission expert group on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector - 26 November 2025
• Answer given by Mr Jørgensen to a  MEP written question - Tripartite contracts in the energy sector – selection criteria, omission of biomethane and nuclear energy, and impact on industrial competitiveness
• Eurofer's Position Paper on EU Electrification Action Plan (EAP)

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• 37th meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP37) (Nairobi, Kenya, 3-7 November) - Information from the Presidency and the Commission
• Outcome of the First Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions (SB8J-1) (Panama City, Panama, 27-30 October 2025) - Statements by the EU and its Member States
  
• Answer given by Ms Roswall to a MEP written question - Protecting the Mediterranean from microplastic pollution
• Answer given by Ms Roswall to a MEP written question - Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textile products
• Answer given by Ms Roswall to a MEP written question - Extension of scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation to new products and new ecosystems

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Antici Group (Simplification: Digital Omnibus) - 12 December 2025
• European Union and Canada strengthen their digital partnership with a focus on artificial intelligence, digital identity wallets and independent media
• Summary of Member States’ contributions to the Policy questionnaire regarding lessons learned on Article 15 of the CDSM Directive and on fostering a well-functioning framework for licensing in the age of AI - Prepared by the Danish Presidency
• AI: Council adopts position on the updated regulation to create AI gigafactories
• The European Union needs more than the digital omnibus to make digital services competitive - See Bruegel Analysis
• Meta offers EU users ad-light option in push to end investigation - Facebook agrees changes to ‘pay or consent’ model after talks with European Commission - Financial Times

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2476 of 8 December 2025 amending Regulation (EC) No 474/2006 as regards the list of air carriers banned from operating or subject to operational restrictions within the Union

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Main results of the Justice and Home Affairs Council - 08 December 2025
  - Council clinches deal on EU law about returns of illegally staying third-country nationals
• Statement by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen and Commissioner McGrath on "International Anti-Corruption Day"
• EU backs migration ‘return hubs’ in echo of Trump’s crackdown - Home affairs ministers agree new measures making it easier to deport failed asylum seekers - Financial Times

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• European Council of 18 and 19 December - Invitation letter by President António Costa to the members of the European Council

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Democratic Republic of the Congo: Council prolongs individual sanctions by another year - See Regulation (EU) 2025/2508 & Decision (CFSP) 2025/2507
• Opening remarks by High Representative/Vice President Kaja Kallas at the 26th EU-NGO Human Rights Forum
• Opening remarks by High Representative/Vice President Kaja Kallas for the Extraordinary Meeting and Exchange of Views with the EP’s Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Trump’s America and a clash of civilisations with Europe -The White House sees mass immigration as a bigger threat than Russia — and it is pressuring Europe to agree - Financial Times

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• Empowering Ukraine’s Resilience: Official launch of the Sustainable Finance Platform
• Statement by President von der Leyen following the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing
• EU support for people of Belarus reaches €200 million since sham 2020 elections
• Speech by EU HR/VP Kaja Kallas at the EP’s High-level Conference “Belarus: Building Foundations for Democratic Change"
• Russia’s hybrid warfare puts Europe to the test - Officials suspect a campaign of sabotage that once looked opportunistic may be a strategic escalation - Financial Times