Europe Daily News, 22 April 2026

COMPETITION

• Antitrust investigations: only additional costs incurred exclusively by an inspection having been continued at the Commission’s premises can be reimbursed to undertaking (See CPR No. 61/2026 - Judgment of the General Court in Case T-682/24, Red Bull and Others Vs. Commission)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12422 - Lone Star Funds/ Capsugel Belgium / Capsugel Switzerland / Capsugel Holdings US)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12376 - Foxconn / MFTBC / MFBM)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12343 - VIG / Nürnberger)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12314 - Biomarin Pharmaceutical / Amicus Therapeutics)
• Commission clears acquisition of Nexans autoelectric by Motherson Global Investments (M.12340) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Tingstad Group by Bain Capital (M.12379) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Aviloo by Invest KG and Armira (M.12335) - Midday Express
• UK: CMA - Review of Vandemoortele / Délifrance deal moves to in-depth investigation - Referral to phase 2 comes after period to resolve concerns has expired

STATE AID

• Answer given by EVP Ribera to a MEP written question - Approving Solar Package I provisions on repowering photovoltaic systems under State aid rules

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: 280th meeting of the Customs Code Committee Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature Section (Sub-section Agriculture/Chemistry) - 04 & 05 May 2026
• Notice of the impending expiry of certain anti-dumping measures (Grain- oriented flat-rolled products of silicon-electrical steel; The P.R. of China - Japan - The Republic of Korea - The Russian Federation - The United States of America; Regulation (EU) 2022/58; 18.1.2027)
• Commission Implementing Regulation amending Implementing Regulations (EU) 2020/761 and (EU) 2020/1988 regarding the creation, amendment and management of certain tariff quotas following the Interim Agreement on Trade between the European Union, of the one part, and the Common Market of the South, the Argentine Republic, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Republic of Paraguay and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, of the other part
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Modernisation of the EU-Andean Trade Agreement
• Bangladesh, EU eyeing FTA after partnership deal
• WTO - Technology transfer workshop highlights role of enabling environment in LDCs

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Implementation gaps in the Commission’s critical raw materials policy

CHEMICALS

• Omnibus VI - Simplification of requirements and procedures for chemicals
• Report by MEP Dimitris Tsiodras, Piotr Müller on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EC) No 1272/2008, (EC) No 1223/2009 and (EU) 2019/1009 as regards simplification of certain requirements and procedures for chemical products

FINANCE

• Commission seeks views on market risk prudential requirements for EU banks - Feedback period: 21 April 2026 - 19 May 2026
• ESMA support ESEF implementation with updated taxonomy

TAXATION

• Judgment of the General Court of 22 April 2026 in Case T-233/25, Mokoryte SRL Vs. Direcţia Generală Regională a Finanţelor Publice Cluj-Napoca et al.
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Taxation - Common system of VAT - Taxable amount - Reduction in the event of cancellation, termination, non-payment, or price reduction - Article 90(1) of Directive 2006/112/EC - Acquisition by a subcontractor of a claim held by a contractor against the principal - Uncollectible claim - Right of the subcontractor to benefit from the reduction of the tax base
• Opinion of Advocate General Brkan of 22 April 2026 in Case T‑268/25, Sampension Livsforsikring A/S Vs. Skatteministeriet
  Re: reference for a preliminary ruling - Taxation - VAT - Article 11 of Directive 2006/112/EC - Taxable persons - ‘VAT group’ - Persons closely bound to one another by financial, economic and organisational links - Measures to prevent tax evasion or avoidance - National legislation requiring 100% ownership for certain taxable persons

ENERGY

• EU energy and climate diplomacy: Council approves conclusions
• Commission proposes actions to protect Europeans from the fossil energy crisis and accelerate the shift to clean, homegrown energy - See the QaA, Factsheet and Communication
• Commission Recommendation on removing barriers to the development of power purchase agreements and other energy purchase agreements - See the Synopsis Report 
• EU countries struggle to replenish gas reserves for winter - Iran war keeps prices high despite consumer demand dropping as heating season ends - Financial Times
• How the EU’s mega energy crisis plan will and won’t help - There’s only so much the EU can do to address the fallout of the chaotic war in the Gulf - Politico.eu

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Antici Group (Simplification: Omnibus VIII: Environmental Omnibus) - 23 April 2026

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• War in Middle East – Member States focussing on coordinated response, with flexibilities for aviation sector - See the results of the Informal conference of transport ministers - 21 April 2026
• Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and of the Council on the implementation of Directive 2010/40/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2010 on the framework for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems in the field of road transport and for interfaces with other modes of transport
• New rules for pets traveling in the EU

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Possible items for Commission agendas from 22 April 2026 to 22 July 2026

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Main results of the Foreign Affairs Council - Press remarks by HR Kaja Kallas - 21 April 2026
• EU announces €235 million in humanitarian aid for West and Central Africa
• EU-Norway: Joint Press release on the 5th Security and Defence Dialogue
• Sudan: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union marking three years of war
• Commissioners Kubilius and Kos reinforce EU commitment to enlargement and global partnerships - Midday Express
• Armenia: EU establishes a new civilian mission to contribute strengthening the country’s resilience - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/894
• Republic of Moldova: EU restrictive measures extended until April 2027 - See Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/898 & Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/897
• The real transatlantic divide is about more than Trump - Europe and the US have fundamentally different world views when it comes to risk, force and international law - Financial Times

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• Judgment of the General Court of 22 April 2026 in Case T‑528/24, Viktor Arkadievich Chevtsov, Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine - Freezing of funds - Restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - List of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources or to restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on the list - Error of assessment
• Commissioner Kos hosts third EU-Ukraine Business Summit - Midday Express
• EU, Ukraine and Canada to co-host high-level meeting on returning Ukrainian children
• Dettol maker Reckitt hit by Russia sanctions and weak Europe demand - UK-listed group no longer permitted to ship cleaning products to Russia under changes to EU sanctions - Financial Times