Europe Daily News, 14 May 2025

COMPETITION

• Withdrawal of notification of a concentration (Case M.11751 - TPG / Techem)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11823 - Triton / MacGregor)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11657 - KCV / BK FS / SMMS)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11948 - Movendo Capital O / Draycott / SSCP Arome Bidco)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11818 - Interparking / Saba)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11910 - Mapfre / VAS / Mawdy Services / VSL)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11961 - Cooper / Viatris (Over The-Counter Assets))
• Commission clears acquisition of Teibo by Zeppelin (M.11864) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of OCI's Methanol Business by Methanex (M.11908) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Office Ally by New Mountain and Francisco Partners (M.11979) - Midday Express
• Slovakia -  Abuse of dominant position: The PMU's activity contributed to the change of Ticketportal's terms and conditions
• Slovakia - Five entrepreneurs were fined €360,000 for entering into a cartel agreement in a public tender in the field of robotics
• Answer given by EVP Ribera to a MEP written question - Commission’s response to the impact of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on the competitiveness of EU businesses)

STATE AID

• Judgment of the General Court of 14 May 2025 in Joined Cases T‑362/21 and T‑363/21, Telly s. r. o. Česká asociace satelitních operátorů z. s., e Vs. European Commission, supported by Czech Republic
  Actions for annulment - State aid - Digital terrestrial television (DTT) - Extension by the Czech Republic of frequency usage rights allocated to certain operators for the broadcasting of DTT - Decision finding no State aid - Provider of satellite and internet television services - Trade association - Locus standi - No individual concern – Non-regulatory act - Inadmissibility

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - 14 May 2025
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Partnership Committee established by the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part, as regards the replacement of the list of individuals who are willing and able to serve as arbitrator
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2024/823 of 28 February 2024 on exceptional trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the Stabilisation and Association Process
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Commission funding of Mercosur countries
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Protecting EU patients by exempting the medical device sector from EU and US tariffs
• Answer given by to a MEP written question - Increasing customs duties on products imported from Russia and the impact on the agricultural sector in the EU
• WTO - DG Okonjo-Iweala and Japan’s Prime Minister issue joint call to strengthen trading system

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Antici Group (Simplification - due diligence) - 19 May 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness & Growth (Better Regulation) - 27 May 2025
• Presentation by Sillicon Saxony (agenda item 2.) at the Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Industry) on 13 May 2025
• Council "Competitiveness" (Internal Market, Industry, Research and Space) on 22 and 23 May 2025
  - Single Market Strategy - Presentation by the Commission
  - The Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area beyong 2027 - Information from Spain, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia
• EU invests €7.3 billion from Horizon Europe to enhance its competitiveness and talent growth
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné to a MEP written question - Lack of industrial strategy
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné to a MEP written question - State of the automotive industry in Europe

CHEMICAL

• Latest ECHA Weekly Newsletter published 14 May 2025
• New guideline for measuring formaldehyde releases and concentrations - ECHA

FINANCE

• European Commission issues €7 billion in its 5th syndicated transaction of 2025
• ESMA - Klaus Löber's speech at the BME IV Post-Trade Conference - 13 May 2025
• ESMA - Summary of Conclusions Management Board - April 2025
• ESMA - Summary of Conclusions TRACE Delegated Project Board - April 2025
• ESMA - Summary of Conclusions EU T+1 Coordination Committee - 4 April 2025
• ESMA - Summary of Conclusions Board of Supervisors (ad-hoc session & general session) - April 2025 
• The EBA updates Report on the monitoring of the liquidity coverage ratio and net stable funding ratio in the EU

TAXATION

• New approach to VAT for e-commerce imports to simplify trade and compliance - Midday Express
• Draft Directive amending Directive 2006/112/EC as regards VAT rules relating to taxable persons who facilitate distance sales of imported goods and the application of the special scheme for distance sales of goods imported from third territories or third countries and special arrangements for declaration and payment of import VAT - General approach
• Report from the Commission on Chapter III of Council Regulation (EU) No 2022/1854 of 6 October 2022 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices Solidarity contribution and enacted equivalent measures: stocktaking

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Working Party on Forestry - 19 May 2025
• Commission simplifies Common Agricultural Policy to support farmers and enhance competitiveness - See the Q&A, the Roadmap, the Simplification package
• Fruit and vegetables – reviewing sectoral rules and modernising certain market-monitoring rules and mechanisms - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 14 May 2025 - 11 June 2025

ENERGY

• Commission seeks views on new initiative to strengthen EU energy infrastructure - Midday Express
  - The call for evidence - Feedback period: 13 May 2025 - 08 July 2025
  - Open public consultation - Feedback period: 13 May 2025 - 08 July 2025

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• MEPs support proposals to simplify EU carbon leakage instrument (CBAM) 
• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (UNECE CLRTAP) - 21 May 2025
• Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 92/43/EEC as regards the protection status of the wolf (Canis lupus) - Outcome of the European Parliament's first reading (Strasbourg, 5 to 8 May 2025)

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Commissioners Várhelyi and Lahbib to discuss international health priorities at the 2025 EU Global Health Policy Forum
• European Commission seeks input for the new European Biotech Act - See the Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 14 May 2025 - 11 June 2025 - Midday Express

EFSA

• Revised safety evaluation of the food enzyme leucyl aminopeptidase from the non‐genetically modified Aspergillus sp. strain AE‐MB
• Safety of the proposed amendment of the specifications of the food additive E960c(i) or E960c(ii)
• Safety of yellow tomato extract as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Telecommunications & Information Society (cybersecurity) - 14, 15 & 16 May 2025
• noyb sends Meta 'cease and desist' letter over AI training. European Class Action as potential next step

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Access to documents: the Commission decision refusing a journalist of The New York Times access to the text messages exchanged between President von der Leyen and the CEO of Pfizer is annulled (See CPR Nº 60/2025 - Judgment of the General Court in Case T-36/23, Stevi and The New York Times Vs. Commission)
• Statement by the Commission on the decision by the General Court on an access to documents request
• Commissioner McGrath travels to France to discuss justice, rule of law and consumer protection - Midday Express

EURO, ECB & ECONOMY

• Main results: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, 13 May 2025 - See Remarks by Commissioner Dombrovskis
  - Recovery and resilience fund: Council gives green light to amended plans of the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain
• Adapting the EU budget to make it fit for the purpose of future enlargements - See the EP Briefing
• From purchases to exit: central bank interventions in corporate debt markets - ECB Working Paper No.3055
• Rational inattention during an RCT - ECB Working Paper No.3054

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Metsola calls to “re-launch Europe as a global power”
• Possible items for College agendas from 21 May to 23 July 2025

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Eastern Partnership: Workshop on the Rule of Law takes place in Warsaw
• Remarks by President António Costa at the joint press conference with Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas and Commissioner Kos on the parliamentary elections in Albania
• Copenhagen: Press remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas before the Copenhagen Democracy Summit and Keynote Speech 

EU/UKRAINE/RUSSIA

• Council Regulation (EU) 2025/903 of 13 May 2025 amending Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/904 of 13 May 2025 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine

EFTA RELATIONS

• Agenda for: 60th meeting of the EEA Council (Brussels, 21 May 2025
  - Draft Conclusions
  - Progress report of the EEA Joint Committee
  - Draft Minutes of the 59th meeting of the EEA Council ( (Brussels, 25 November 2024)