Europe Daily News, 10 July 2025

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12033 - HIG Capital / Rentokil Initial Holdings)
• Commission clears acquisition of Kantar Media by H.I.G. Capital (M.11901) - Midday Express
• Italy - The AGCM launches investigation into Federconsorzio Dolomiti SuperSki and the twelve participating Consortia for suspected anti-competitive agreement
• France - Benoît Coeuré, President of the Autorité de la concurrence, presents the 2024 annual report and the roadmap and priorities for 2025-2026
• The Commission’s guidance on the creation of an Automotive LNG for SEPs threatens innovation and may harm consumers

STATE AID

• Advocate General Szpunar: Member States may adopt support measures to ensure the effectiveness of the rights of press publishers provided that such measures do not undermine freedom of contract (See CPR No 90/2025 Opinion of the Advocate General in the Case C-797/23, Meta Platforms Irelan State aid)
• ESA approves Norwegian aid to rail freight carrier CargoNet
• ESA adopts new State aid guidelines linked to the Clean Industrial Deal
• ESA approves Norwegian compensation scheme for rail freight operators following damage to the Otta bridge
• ESA approves amendment to Norwegian innovation and development scheme for news and current affairs media

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - 15 July 2025
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the General Council of the World Trade organization on the adoption of a decision to grant a WTO waiver permitting the United States to provide duty-free treatment under the US Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA)
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1344 of 9 July 2025 amending Implementing Regulations (EU) 2020/761 and (EU) 2020/1988 and Regulation (EC) No 218/2007 as regards tariff measures for certain agricultural goods originating in or exported directly or indirectly from Belarus and Russia
• Commission must tackle China’s export restrictions on rare earth elements

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Managing the influx of substandard goods from non-EU web shops - See the EP Statement
• Keynote speech by President von der Leyen at the 7th French-Italian Economic Forum Confindustria-MEDEF
• General-Purpose AI Code of Practice now available 

FINANCE

• Answer given by Ms Albuquerque ton a MEP written question - Commission contradictions over the regulation of corporate sustainability
• The EBA consults to amend its technical standards on own funds and eligible liabilities
• The EBA consults on the revision of product oversight and governance Guidelines for retail banking products to consider products with ESG features and greenwashing risks
• The EBA launches consultation on its draft Guidelines on third-party risk management with regard to non-ICT related services
• The EBA consults on draft Guidelines on Ancillary Services Undertakings
• ESMA identifies opportunities to strengthen MiCA authorisations

ENERGY

• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of  Council Amending Regulation (EU)2017/1938 as regards the role of gas storage for securing gas supplies ahead of the winter season - Outcome of the European Parliament's first reading (Strasbourg, 7 to 10 July 2025
• Energy label for low-temperature emitting radiators: Call for evidence launched - Feedback period: 01 July 2025 - 29 July 2025
• European Parliament misses opportunity to fully anchor energy security in renewables and flexible electrification - SolarPower Europe

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Position (EU) No 4/2025 of the Council at first reading with a view to the adoption of a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste Adopted by the Council on 23 June 2025 - Statement of the Council’s reasons
• MEPs support EU aid worth €280 million for flood-stricken countries

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Commissioner Kadis in Galicia to discuss the future of the Common Fisheries Policy - Midday Express
• Market situation in particular following the invasion of Ukraine - Information from the Commission and Member States - Exchange of views
• Amending Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012 on certain measures for the purpose of the conservation of fish stocks in relation to countries allowing non-sustainable fishing

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175 of 16 June 2025 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the glossary of common ingredient names for use in the labelling of cosmetic products and repealing Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/677
• Report from the Commission on the implementation of the EU Global Health Strategy
• SCCS - Minutes of the 11th plenary meeting, Luxembourg, 26 June 2025
• SCCS - Minutes of the Working Group meeting on Cosmetic Ingredients of 25 June 2025

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Advocate General Rantos: a Member State which refuses to execute a European arrest warrant on account of the conditions of detention in the issuing Member State is required to order the execution, on its own territory, of the sentence imposed in the issuing Member State (See CPR No 89/2025 - Opinions of the Advocate General in joined Cases C-722/23, C-91/24, Rugu)
• Advocate General Medina: The dismissal of an employee by a Catholic organisation for leaving the Catholic Church may amount to discrimination on grounds of religion(See CPR No 91/2025 - Opinion of the Advocate General in the Case C-258/24, Katholische Schwangerschaftsberatung
• EU migration trends and policy changes revealed in new report

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• European Commission releases €492 million to Slovakia as part of NextGenerationEU - Midday Express
• EU annual budget: Council agrees its position on the 2026 draft budget
• Balance crisis response with predictability in next EU budget, MEPs demand
• Remarks by Commissioner Dombrovskis before the Simplification Committee of the Italian Parliament
• An Assessment of the Euro Area Fiscal Stance in 2025 and 2026, Considering the Flexibility for Higher Defence Spending - Economic Brief 085
• ECB - Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 4 July 2025
• ECB Blog - Climate risks: no longer the tragedy of the horizon

EU INSTITUTIONS

• With 175 votes in favour, 360 against, and 18 abstentions, MEPs reject motion of censure against the European Commission
• Advocate General Kokott: No penalty payment for Poland due to lignite mining in Turów (See CPR No 92/2025 - Opinion of the Advocate General in Case C-554/24 P, Poland Vs. Commission)

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Report from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy "Common Foreign and Security Policy Report - Our priorities in 2025"
• Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia must step up reforms - Three reports highlight the urgent need for EU-related reforms, effective use of the Growth Plan and a decisive stance against foreign interference
• Parliament deplores the democratic backsliding and repression in Georgia
• Parliament adopted three emergency resolutions on Dubai, the Central African Republic, and Syria

EU/RUSSIA/UKAINE

• EU announces new €2.3 billion agreements package at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 - Speech by President von der Leyen
• Parliament condemns Russia’s brutal attacks on Ukrainian civilians -  See the EP Resolution