Europe Daily News,19 January 2026

COMPETITION

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competition - 28 January 2026
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12190 - Plenitude / SG Investor / JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12098 - Ergo / ASG / BVV / SPN)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12211 - Axpo Italia/ Canarbino / JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12268 - EdF / Neoenergia / Energetica aguas Da Pedra JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12125 - Silver Point Capital / Ascend Performance Materials Holdings)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12135 - Waters / BD (Biosiences and Diagnostics Solutions Businesses))
• Portugal - Bial Portela notifies the acquisition of control over a set of GSK assets
• UK - Outcomes of merger investigations carried out by the CMA under the Enterprise Act 2002
• UK - The CMA published its Decision of the acquisition by Rhône Capital L.L.C. and Archimed SAS of DHG Holdco s.à r.l and Invacare Holdings S.à r.l.

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union - 22 January 2026
• Agenda for: Working Party on Trade Questions - 20 January 2026
• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Deputies) - 22 January 2026
• GTRI urges India to press European Union on non-tariff barriers in FTA - The conclusion of the India-EU FTA negotiations is expected to be announced on January 27

EU/UK RELATIONS

• Agenda for: Working Party on the United Kingdom - 20 January 2026
• Fifth Meeting of the Specialised Committee on Social Security Coordination under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement
• UK - The TRA has opened a new anti-subsidy investigation into imports of creamy/white limestone from Portugal, following an application from a UK producer

EU/US TRADE

• How could Trump’s Greenland tariffs hit individual EU countries? - Analysts say precedents already exist but implementation could be difficult in practice - Financial Times
• EU readies €93bn tariffs in retaliation for Trump’s Greenland threat - Europe could also threaten to restrict US companies’ market access in run-up to crunch talks at Davos - Financial Times
• France urges EU to use most potent trade weapon in response to Trump Greenland threat - 8 targeted European nations warn Washington that it risks a dangerous downward spiral - Financial Times
• EU-US trade deal ‘on hold’ after new Trump tariffs - The pact, designed to avoid hefty tariffs on European exports, cannot be passed in light of Washington’s threats against Greenland, lawmakers say - Politico.eu
• Europe is bracing for a new trade fight with Trump. Here are its options. From retaliatory tariffs to the never-before-used ‘bazooka,’ European leaders have a slate to choose from in rensponding to U.S. threats over Greenland - Wall Street Journal
• US drugmakers threaten to withhold products from Europe over prices - Pharmaceutical companies seek to make up lost revenue after striking deals with Donald Trump to lower costs in US - Financial Times

EU/MERCOSUR

• EU and Mercosur sign historic and ambitious partnership (EMPA and iTA) - QaA & Key facts
  - Statement by President von der Leyen on the signature of the EU-Mercosur partnership agreement
  - Speech by António Costa on the signature of the EU-Mercosur partnership agreement
  - Statement by President von der Leyen with Brazilian President Lula da Silva 
• EU and Mercosur seal historic trade deal - Signing by the EU and the South American trading bloc capped 25 years of talks and sets up a parliamentary showdown in Brussels - Politico.eu
• 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 - Opinion on the application of the Principles of Subsidiarity and Proportionality
• European business associations celebrate the signature of EU-Mercosur FTA
• European renewable ethanol producers react to the EU-Mercosur agreement

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Strategic projects on critical raw materials gain momentum in second selection round for potential funding and faster permitting - Midday Express

CHEMICALS

• Minutes of the REACH Committee meeting of 16 December 2025

BANKING & FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Public consultation: Environmental, social and governance ratings – fines and periodic penalty payments imposed on rating providers - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 16 January 2026 - 13 February 2026
• Public consultation: Environmental, social and governance ratings – supervisory fees for rating providers - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 16 January 2026 - 13 February 2026
• Call for evidence & Public consultation: European venture and growth capital funds reform - Proposal for a directive - Feedback period: 15 January 2026 - 12 March 2026
• EBA 2026 Work programme – final (republished to align with final SPD 2026-2028)
• Decision of the Board of Supervisors delegating to the Chair of ESMA the adoption of non-controversial Q&As under DORA
• New prospectus regime represents step forward for UK capital markets - AFME Statement

TAXATION

• Has the global minimum tax survived Trump? - US objections have not killed off the 15% global minimum tax, but they have altered it and given the US a competitive advantage - See Bruegel Analysis

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Commission seeks feedback on Ocean Observation Initiative
• Commission updates Union Registry rules for Effort Sharing and land-use accounting
• Presentations for the Commission expert group on climate change policy - 15 December 2025
  - NIMs - Timeline of the adoption of the acts
  - Soda ash benchmark amendment: state of play
  - Submission of ALC reports in 2026: deadlines and approaches
  - Planning on Commission Decisions on national allocation tables (NAT / NIMs amendments)
• Overview of Member States’ transposition of RED III, by EBB

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Minutes of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed - Section Biological Safety of the Food Chain - 18 December 2025
• ECDC - Public health considerations on the use of doxycycline for post-exposure prophylaxis for bacterial sexually transmitted infections in the EU/EEA

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Artificial intelligence: Council paves the way for the creation of AI gigafactories
• US pressure revives call for powerful EU tech regulator - Europe’s maze of rules and regulators is in sharp focus as Brussels grapples with X’s AI tool Grok - Politico.eu
• Europe’s AI ambitions are running into a markets plumbing problem - The region lacks the depth of long-dated investment capital needed to fund required energy infrastructure - Financial Times

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.2) - 21 & 23 January 2026
• European Parliament - Final draft agenda for the Plenary Session of 19 to 22 January 2026

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Agenda for: Working Party on European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - 20 January 2026

EU/MIDDLE EAST

• Israel/Palestine: Statement by the Spokesperson on settlements in the West Bank
• Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Council prolongs restrictive measures for another year - See Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/123 & Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/122

EU/GREENLAND

• Statement by President Costa on Greenland
• Joint Statement by President von der Leyen and President Costa on Greenland
• Grabbing Greenland – and how it would impact NATO and the EU - See CEPS Analysis
• ‘It’s about trust’: Donald Trump’s fresh tariff threats push Europe to harden its stance - Aggressive US rhetoric over Greenland demands a change in strategy by the EU and UK, officials say - Financial Times
• Trump’s Greenland threats push Europe toward divorcing America - With NATO thrown into question, some officials see the “coalition of the willing” as the basis for a new alliance without the U.S. - Politico.eu