Europe Daily News, 06 March 2026

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12302 - EPH / TTE / EFG)
• Commission clears acquisition of Sapporo Real Estate by KKR and PAG (M.12315) - Midday Express
• Belgium - Decision 26-CC-03-AUD : Mississippi Holdco BV – Jaguar Holdco BV
• Belgium - Notification MEDE.CCS.26-0008 : Inflexion III / BTN Coöperatief U.A / Buen Camino B.V
• Greece - The Hellenic Competition Commission imposed fines on on pet food suppliers
• Spain - The CNMC investigates possible anti-competitive practices in the insurance sector

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.120732; SA.118192 & SA.120488
• Commission approves €150 million Romanian State aid scheme for electricity storage (SA.121308)
• Commission decision of 3.3.2026 on State aid SA.49579 (2019/C) (ex 2017/N) – Kingdom of Spain - Regional investment aid to Peugeot Citroën Automóviles España, S.A. for a large investment project

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Full Members) - 12 March 2026
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/527 of 3 March 2026 fixing the import duties applicable to certain types of husked rice (CN code 1006 20) from 6 March 2026
• EU and Canada launch negotiations for a Digital Trade Agreement
• Answer given by HR/VP Kallas to a MEP written question - Breach of international obligations by Pakistan and possible suspension of GSP+
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - Risk of demand diversion and negative impacts on the EU aluminium sector under the CBAM’s de minimis exemption
• US companies are being denied refunds on Trump’s illegal tariffs - Customs officials are rejecting attempts to reclaim duties that were struck down by the Supreme Court - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Minutes of the 100th meeting of the Expert Group on the Services Directive - 12 November 202
• Call for evidence: Affordable housing act - Proposal for a directive - Feedback period: 06 March 2026 - 03 April 2026
• Call for evidence: Single market – tackling unjustified territorial supply constraints - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 05 March 2026 - 02 April 2026

INDUSTRIAL ACCELERATOR ACT

• Plastics Europe’s reaction to the European Commission’s Industrial Accelerator Act proposal
• China Chamber of Commerce to EU severely criticises proposed Industrial Accelerator Act - See the Statement
• Industrial Accelerator Act lacks binding safeguards to end fossil dependence, NGOs warn - See the EEB Statement

CHEMICALS

• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Consumer safety under the Omnibus VI package to simplify requirements for chemical products

TAXATION

• Judgment of the Court of 05 March 2026 in Case C‑436/24, Skatteverket Vs.Lyko Operations AB,
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Common system of VAT - Directive 2006/112/EC - Article 30a - Supply of goods - Concept of ‘voucher’ - Classification - Customer loyalty programme in the form of points awarded on the basis of previous purchases - Points which may be redeemed for products of low value
• Judgment of the Court of 05 March 2026 in Case C‑472/24, MB “Žaidimų valiuta” Vs.Valstybinė mokesčių inspekcija prie Lietuvos Respublikos finansų ministerijos,
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Common system of VAT - Directive 2006/112/EC - Exemptions - Article 135(1)(e) - Transactions involving the exchange of units of virtual money of an online video game for traditional currencies - Calculation of the taxable amount - Article 30a - Multi-purpose vouchers - Virtual money of an online video game
• Judgment of the Court of 05 March 2026 in joined Cases C‑409/24 to C‑411/24, J-GmbH Vs. Finanzamt K (C‑409/24), and D Vs. Finanzamt F (C‑410/24), and D GmbH & Co. KGVs. Finanzamt A (C‑411/24)
  Re: References for a preliminary ruling - Common system of VAT - Directive 2006/112/EC - Article 98 - Option for the Member States to apply a reduced rate of VAT to certain supplies of goods and services - Short-term accommodation in hotels and similar establishments - Annex III, point (12) - Reduced rate of VAT applicable to accommodation provided in hotels and similar establishments - Supplies that are ancillary to accommodation - National regulations establishing a mechanism for separating taxable transactions - No application of the reduced VAT rate to supplies that are not directly used for the accommodation - Principle of fiscal neutrality
• Opinion of Advocate General Medina of 05 March 2026 in Case C‑158/25, QJ Vs. Administration de l’enregistrement, des domaines et de la TVA, État du Grand-duché de Luxembourg
  Re: Preliminary ruling - Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU - Right to an effective remedy - System of joint and several liability of company directors for payment of the VAT owed by the company - Right of the director to challenge the ex officio VAT assessment
• Council conclusions on the revised EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Special Committee in Agriculture - 09 March 2026
• EU-Mercosur: Council greenlights safeguards for agricultural products
• Council adopts rules to combat cross-border unfair trading practices in the agrifood sector
• Commission welcomes political agreement on strengthening of the position of farmers in the food supply chain
• Council and Parliament reach provisional agreement to give farmers a stronger negotiating position in the food supply chain - See the EP Statement

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 12 March 2026
• Minutes of the Steering Group Sherpa-meeting of the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan - 22 January 2026
• ACER supports certification of the first European hydrogen transmission network operator
• Why the EU’s efforts to bring down energy prices are destined to fail - The Iran war again has Europe’s policymakers panicking about the bloc’s high energy prices, but the answers are complex and politically fraught - Politico.eu

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• 2040 climate target: Council gives final green light
• Agenda for: 111th meeting of the biocidal products Committee - 19 & 20 March 2026 
• Agenda for: 5th Meeting of Expert Group on the Nature Restoration Regulation - 26 & 27 March 2026
• Minutes of the Commission Expert group on Access and benefit sharing (ABS) under the Nagoya Protocol - 10 December 2025
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a written question - Reassessing the 2035 combustion engine ban in light of advanced biofuels
• Ursula von der Leyen refuses to meet PFAS pollution-affected communities - See EEB Statement

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Opinion of Advocate General Norkus of 5 March 2026 in Case C‑575/24, Vodovody a kanalizace Přerov, a.s. Vs.Úřad pro ochranu osobních údajů
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Approximation of laws - Open data and the re-use of public sector information - Directive (EU) 2019/1024 - Article 2(3) - Concept of ‘public undertaking’ -Financial participation in the undertaking owned by several public ,sessment criteria
• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 09 March 2026
• EDPB - Stakeholder event on political advertising: agenda available now

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Opinion of Advocate General Richard de la Tour of 05 March 2026 in Case C‑862/24, Satiksmes ministrija in the presence of A
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Air transport - Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 - Common rules in the field of civil aviation - Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 - Civil aviation aircrew - Private pilot licence - Skill test - Fraudulent conduct of an applicant - Temporary ban on retaking the skill test and obtaining a licence - ARA.GEN.355(e) - Necessary enforcement measures to prevent further non-compliance - Theoretical knowledge examination - ARA.FCL.300(f) - Application by analogy of the temporary ban on retaking the theoretical knowledge examination - Principle of legal certainty - Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU - Article 15 - Freedom to choose an occupation

AREA OF FREEDOM, FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS & JUSTICE

• Opinion of Advocate General Norkus of 5 March 2026 in Case C‑716/24 [Ponner] (i) EJ
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Judicial cooperation in civil matters - Regulation (EU) No 655/2014 - European Account Preservation Order procedure - Article 2(2)(c) - Recital 8 - Scope - Opening of insolvency proceedings in a third country - Exclusion
• Commission suspends visa-free travel for Georgian holders of diplomatic, service or official passports under the revised Visa Suspension Mechanism
• Commission presents new Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030 for a more equal, cohesive and successful Europe - See the Communication; QaA & Factsheet
  - Remarks by EVP Mînzatu and Commissioner Lahbib 
• Commission presents first ever Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness - See the Communication & Factsheet
• Council agrees position on EU law to protect vulnerable adults

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Commission approves technical support to help Member States implement reforms and modernise public services - Midday Express
• Commission seeks input to shape new European islands strategy (Feedback period: 04 March 2026 - 01 April 2026) - Midday Express
• Call for evidence: Guidance on applying the ‘do no significant harm’ principle under the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework - Act - Feedback period: 04 March 2026 - 01 April 2026

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• EU Statement – UN General Assembly: Revitalization of the GA
• EU and GCC foreign ministers call for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve crisis - See the Joint statement by GCC-EU Ministers
• Answer given by HR/VP Kallas to a MEP written question - Weakening of the European Union’s position and the risks to the international order

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• EU unveils new €1.5 billion investment boost to drive Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction and modernisation
• With EU support, a consortium of several CSOs launches new project to monitor public investment projects
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Russia