Europe Daily News, 12 January 2026

COMPETITION

• Action brought on 20 November 2025 - Google and Alphabet Vs. Commission (Case T-794/25)
  Re: annulment of (in whole or in part) the Commission’s prohibition decision of 5 September 2025 in Case AT.40760 – Google - Adtech and Data-related practices, relating to a proceeding under Article 102 TFEU and Article 54 of the EEA Agreement;
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12260 - JP / Vos)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12189 - Hartree / Touton)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12219 - ECI / Fast Group)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12273 - GIC Realty / Brookfield / NSR)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12277 - GIC Realty / Brookfield / Yes Communities)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12223 - Atalante / Myrium)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12194 - KKR / SSCP / Infobric)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12217 - Aurelius / Landis+Gyr Emea)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12132 - Global Payments / Erste Card)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12030 - Sec / Dussur / 3D Systems / Nami)
• Commission clears acquisition of Swecon by Volvo (M.11952) - Midday Express
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by ELP and PCIV (M.12253) - Midday Express
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by EDF Brasil and Neoenergia (M.12268) - Midday Express
• Czech Republic - Elberry fined by Czech competition watchdog for dictating prices
• Ireland - CCPC publishes Annual Mergers and Acquisitions Report 2025
• Italy - The AGCM closes its market investigation into the school publishing sector. Towards a more effective use of digital resources, in agreement with Ministry and publishers
• Romania - The Competition Council has fined eight companies a total of 163.71 million lei (€32.15 million) for participating in an anti-competitive agreement on the labor market
• Romania - The Competition Council approved the transaction through which Repsol Downstream Internacional S.A.U., Spain, intends to acquire a share of the share capital of Valtec Premium Lubricants S.R.L

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.119558

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - 13 January 2025
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on applying a generalised scheme of tariff preferences and repealing Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council - Letter to the Chair of the European Parliament Committee on International Trade (INTA)
• Commission issues Guidance Document on submission of price undertaking offers for battery electric vehicles from China
  
• Notification of the Ministry of Commerce on the Progress of China-EU Consultations on the EU’s Anti-subsidy Case concerning Chinese Battery Electric Vehicles
• Joint Minutes of the Fourth Meeting of the Committee on Intellectual Property under the Agreement between the EU and Japan for an Economic Partnership - 11 November 2024
• Minutes of the Meeting of the Commission Expert Group on Trade and Sustainable Development - 07 October 2025
• WTO - Committee on Regional Trade Agreements - Accession of Comoros to the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Eastern and Southern Africa states - Goods - Questions and replies

EU/MERCOSUR

• EU-Mercosur: Council greenlights signature of the comprehensive partnership and trade agreement
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council implementing the bilateral safeguard clause of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement and the EU-Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement for agricultural products - Letter to the Chair of the European Parliament Committee on International Trade (INTA)
• Statement by President von der Leyen on the Council's decision to endorse the EU-Mercosur trade agreement
• Copa-Cogeca: Mercosur flawed deal pushed through Council, European farmers’ mobilisation continues!
• EU-Mercosur: ACEA welcomes Council vote and calls for swift ratification
• Europe’s farmers lost the Mercosur battle. They’re still ahead - Politico.eu
• EU-Mercosur mega trade deal: The winners and losers - Politico.eu

CBAM

• Q&A - The potential application of new Article 27a of the CBAM Regulation

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (High Level) - 29 January 2025
• Top artists call on EU to clamp down on unauthorised ticket reselling - Managers of acts such as Ed Sheeran and Nick Cave want strict rules against exploitation of consumers - Financial Times

DEFENCE INDUSTRY

• Call for evidence: Communication on the defence single market: EU technological base fit for future - Communication - Feedback period: 09 January 2026 - 06 February 2026

CHEMICAL

• Public consultation: Restriction updating Annex XVII REACH regarding CMRs (2025) - Regulation - Feedback period: 09 January 2026 - 06 February 2026

TAXATION

• Commission Notice – The OECD Inclusive Framework Agreement on Safe Harbors and the Pillar Two Directive

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Commission seeks feedback on EU ocean policy - Feedback period: 12 January 2026 - 09 February 2026 - Midday Express
• EU launches new platform to collect harmonised data on recreational fishing - Q&A 

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Appeal brought on 20 November 2025 by ClientEarth AISBL against the judgment of the General Court of 10 September 2025 in Case T-579/22, ClientEarth Vs. Commission (Case C-746/25 P)
  Re: Decision Ares(202 2) 4942150; Regulation (EU) 2021/2139; Article 19(1),Article 19(1)(g), Article 10(3)(b) and Article 17(1)(d) of the Taxonomy Regulation
• Report from meeting of Waste Expert group – Waste Shipment Regulation - 20 June 2025

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Appeal brought on 13 November 2025 by Zalando SE against the judgment of the General Court of 3 September 2025 in Case T-348/23, Zalando Vs. European Commission (Case C-724/25 P)
  Re: Article 3(g)(iii) and Article 3(i) of the DSA, definition of hosting services, (Articles 3(p), 24(2), and 33(1) and (4) DSA); (Article 33(4) in conjunction with Article 24(2) DSA)
• Appeal brought on 20 November 2025 by European Commission against the judgment of the General Court of 10 September 2025 in Case T-55/24, Meta Platforms Ireland Vs. Commission (Case C-744/25 P)
• Appeal brought on 20 November 2025 by European Commission against the judgment of the General Court of 10 September 2025 in Case T-58/24, Tiktok Technology Vs. Commission (Case C-745/25 P)
• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 12 January 2025
  - Annual report 2025 of the Interinstitutional Cybersecurity Board (IICB)

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Statement by the Eurogroup President on the nominations for the post of ECB Vice-President
• Keynote speech by Philip R. Lane: "The euro in a changing world"
• Liquidity spirals - ECB Working Paper Series No.3169
• Inside the food basket: what is behind recent food inflation? - ECB Economic Bulletin Issue 8, 2025
• Digital euro ‘only defence’ against deepening US control of money, economists warn - Academics including France’s Thomas Piketty press MEPs to resist ‘shortsighted’ lobbying against the project - Financial Times

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 14 January 2025
• Europe should embrace the idea of going it alone - The more the EU has to pay for ingratiation with Trump, the less convincing its strategic rationale for doing so - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Iran: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the situation in the country
• EU commits to strengthening partnership with Lebanon
  - Statement by President von der Leyen with President Costa in Lebanon
  - Opening remarks by President António Costa at the meeting with President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun
• EU opens new chapter in its relations with Syria
  - Statement by President von der Leyen with President Costa and Syrian President al-Sharaa
  - Opening remarks by President António Costa at the meeting with President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa
• Guatemala: Council prolongs restrictive measures by a year - See Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/87 and Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/88

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• Action brought on 25 November 2025 - Konov Vs. Council (Case T-802/25)
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1895 and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1894
• Action brought on 13 October 2025 - Nord Stream 2 Vs. Council (Case T-722/25)
  Re: annulment of Article 5af of Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1494, or declaring the wording ‘and Nord Stream 2’ o the terms ‘completion’, ‘maintenance’ and ‘maintenance services’ void
• Appeal brought on 27 October 2025 by EV, EW, EY against the order of the General Court of 22 August 2025 in Case T-446/24, EV and others Vs. Council (Case C-685/25 P)
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1744 and Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1745
• Appeal brought on 13 November 2025 by Alisher Usmanov against the judgment of the General Court of 3 September 2025 in Case T-1117/23, Usmanov Vs. Council (Case C-725/25 P)
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1767, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1765 (2); Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/847, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/849 and Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2456

EU/UK RELATIONS

• EU demands ‘Farage clause’ as part of Brexit reset talks with Britain - Reform UK leader vows to overturn any insurance deal with Brussels, saying such a move would be a ‘democratic outrage’ - Financial Times