Europe Daily News, 05 August 2025

COMPETITION

• Commission clears merger of Helvetia and Baloise (M.12003) - Midday Express
• Czech Republic - The Competition Authority has again imposed fines on three meal voucher issuers totalling over CZK 279 million
• Germany - The Bundeskartellamt has no competition concerns regarding two CO2 pipeline cooperation projects
• Greece - Final Report of the EA Sector Inquiry into the Provision of Private Health Services and Related Insurance Services
• Italy - The AGCM has imposed a fine of 1 million euros on Infinite Styles Services Co. Ltd for misleading and/or deceptive green claims - Politico.eu
• Portugal - BT Luxembourg II, S.À R.L, part of the Boluda Group, announces the acquisition of sole control of Remolcanosa Portugal – Serviços Marítimos, S.A., and its subsidiaries
• Slovak Republic - The Competition Authority has initiated administrative proceedings against the operator for failing to submit information within the specified time limit
• Slovak Republic - The Competition Authority approved the creation of a joint venture in the field of ISO container and superstructure production.
• Slovak Republic - The Competition Authority approved a concentration in the market for laboratory medical diagnostic services.

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.118317
• Commission approves €11 billion French State aid scheme to support offshore wind energy (SA.115764)
• Commission seeks input on technical updates of Emissions Trading System State aid guidelines - Feedback period: 04 August 2025 - 05 September 2025 - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Minutes of the Meeting of the Market Access Advisory Committee - 09 July 2025
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1711 of 4 August 2025 imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of high-pressure seamless steel cylinders originating in the People’s Republic of China (CN codes ex 7311 00 11 , ex 7311 00 13 , ex 7311 00 19 and ex 7311 00 30)
• Decision No 1/2025 of the EU-Republic of Moldova Association Council as regards the further market opening with respect to the sector of roaming on public mobile communications networks and amending Annex XXVIII-B (Rules applicable to telecommunication services) to the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part
• Public consultation: EU-Japan trade agreement – evaluation - Evaluation - Feedback period: 01 August 2025 - 28 November 2025
• WTO - Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - European Union - Cybersecurity certification of ICT products
• WTO - Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - United Kingdom - Noise emission in the environment by equipment for use outdoors

CBAM

• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2023/956 as regards simplifying and strengthening the carbon border adjustment mechanism - revised legislative financial and digital statement

EU/US TRADE AGREEMENT

• Switzerland: US tariffs - Federal Council to adapt negotiations
• EU-US trade pact causes peak confusion in Brussels - Deal risks flouting World Trade Organization rules - Financial Times
• Trump’s tariffs leave us in the second worst of all worlds - We may have avoided a global trade war but American consumers and businesses will still suffer - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Commission Recommendation (EU) 2025/1710 of 30 July 2025 on a voluntary sustainability reporting standard for small and medium-sized undertakings

TAXATION

• Minutes of the 26th meeting of the Committee on Administrative Cooperation for Taxation (CACT) - 16 July 2025
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - Review of the Tobacco Excise Tax Directive – protecting specific production characteristics and Italy’s and Europe’s economic and cultural heritage

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: 4th Mercury Committee meeting - 05 September 2025
• EU seeks ambitious global agreement to tackle plastic pollution - Midday Express
• Working Documents - 34th Meeting of the Environmental Footprint Technical Advisory Board - 25 June 2025

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Public consultation: Biotech Act - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 04 August 2025 - 10 November 2025
• Answer given by Mr McGrath to a MEP written question - What concrete measures can the Commission take? (GSPR)

DIGITAL ECONOMY & SOCIETY

• Trump official urges Asia to reject Europe’s ‘over-regulation’ of AI - White House technology adviser Michael Kratsios calls on Asian countries to adopt US artificial intelligence systems - Financial Times

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Commission takes step to ensure resilient, competitive and sustainable aviation sector (Consultation period: 05 August 2025 - 28 October 2025) - Midday Express
• Latest figures on Ukrainian exports and imports via the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes - June 2025

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• The impact of climate litigation risk on firms’ cost of bank loans - ECB Working Paper Series No.3087
• Beyond averages: heterogeneous effects of monetary policy in a HANK model for the euro area - ECB Working Paper Series No.3086
• Hand-to-mouth banks: deposit inflows and the marginal propensity to lend - ECB Working Paper Series No.3085

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

EU SANCTIONS

• FAQs on sanctions against Russia and Belarus, with focus on the following provisions:
  • Article 3p of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 - Restrictions on diamonds
• • Article 5i of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 - Banknotes
• Consolidated version of the FAQs on sanctions against Russia and Belarus