Europe Daily News, 07 October 2025

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12098 - Ergo / ASG / BVV / SPN)
• Austria - Decision against key witness G4S Secure Solutions GmbH final
• Austria - Construction cartel update: At the request of the BWB, the Cartel Court imposes a fine of EUR 1.7 million on Traunfellner
• Greece - In depth investigation regarding the notified concentration concerning the acquisition by the company ALLWYN of sole control over NOVIBET
• Latvia - The Competition Council has carried out procedural actions in funeral service provider companies
• UK - How competition authorities across G7 jurisdictions continue to respond to the challenges posed by digital markets - See the Compendium of approaches 

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: 273rd meeting of the Customs Code Committee Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature Section (Sub-Section Agriculture/Chemistry) - 13 & 14 October 2025
• Agenda for: Trade Specialised Committee on Level Playing Field for Open and Fair Competition and Sustainable Development under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement - 15 October 2025
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Trade Committee established by the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand, on the adoption of the operational guidelines of the Civil Society Forum - See the Annex
• EU DG Trade and Economic Security "organisational chart" as of 06 October 2025
• WTO - Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures - Subsidies - New and full notification pursuant to article XVI:1 of the GATT 1994 and article 25 of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures - European Union : Greece - Addendum
• UK steel industry warns of ‘biggest crisis’ due to new EU tariffs - European Commission set to propose a levy of 50% on steel imports - Financial Times
• Donald Trump says US truck imports to face 25% tariff from November - Announcement comes on eve of talks in Washington with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Public Procurement) - 17 October 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Internal Market - SMCP) - 17 October 2025
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Committee on Toy Safety - 08 October 2025
• Draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the safety of toys and repealing Directive 2009/48/EC (first reading)
  - Adoption of the Council's position at first reading and of the statement of the Council's reasons
  - Statements by Austria and by the Commission
• "Better Regulation Practices across the European Union" report (agenda point 4.) - Presentation by OECD
• Public consultation: Geo-blocking Regulation - evaluation - Report - Feedback period: 06 October 2025 - 29 December 2026
• Call for evidence: New EU Delivery Act – EU to reform postal rules - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 06 October 2025 - 14 November 2025

CHEMICAL

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Antici Group (Simplification: Omnibus VI – Regulation on chemical products) - 10 October 2025
• Revision of the draft agenda of the REACH Committee meeting - 22 & 23 October 2025

FINANCE

• EU Supervisory Authorities warn consumers of risks and limited protection for certain crypto-assets and providers - See Warning and Factsheet on crypto-assets
• ESMA - Publication of the first single volume cap data
• ESMA - Compliance table on the Joint Guidelines on oversight cooperation and on costs and losses under DORA
• ESMA - Letter from the European Commission on de-prioritisation of Level 2 acts in financial services legislation - Annex

TAXATION

• Summary report: Reality check on tax exemptions for ethyl alcohol
• Report by MEP Michalis Hadjipantela on the role of simple tax rules and tax fragmentation in European competitiveness - Vote on 08 October 2025

ENERGY

• Public consultation: Legislative initiative on CO2 transportation infrastructure and markets - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 06 October 2025 - 09 January 2026
• New report confirms benefits of using first-generation biomass for food, fuels and chemicals in Europe - ePURE

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar COP 15) (Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 23-31 July 2025) - Compilation of statements and speaking points by EU Member States
• Resumed session of the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP 16.2 / Cartagena MOP 11.2 / Nagoya MOP 5.2) Rome, Italy, 25-27 February 2025 - Statements by the EU and its Member States
• COP30: MEPs want EU climate policy to maintain a high degree of ambition

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Minutes of: Expert groups meeting of the AI Board Sub-group on AI in Financial Services - 06 June 2025
• Minutes of: Expert groups meeting of the AI Board Sub-group on AI Act interplay with other Union legislation - 12 June 2025
• Minutes of: Expert groups meeting of the AI Board Sub-group on Annex III High-risk AI systems - Workshop on high-risk AI use-cases in the area of justice - 10 June 2025
• A European Innovation Act to boost commercialisation and enable growth - DigitalEurope

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Discussion paper for the 3rd Plenary of the High-Level Forum on Justice for Growth - 16 October 2025
• EPPO: Investigation Metallo: €42.8 million VAT fraud leads to major seizures in Italy
• Italy: EPPO cracks down on €20 million agricultural fraud scheme linked to organised crime
• Czechia: Charges brought in €280 000 subsidy fraud involving children’s school club projects
• EU Prosecutors General discuss organised crime and judicial efforts regarding the war in Ukraine at 19th Consultative Forum - Eurojust
• EU to curb Russian diplomats’ travel as suspected spy attacks mount - Intelligence agencies say sabotage operations are often led by spies posing as diplomats - Financial Times

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Speech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament plenary debate on the motions of censure

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Kaja Kallas welcomes progress made in cooperation between EU and Gulf countries - See the Joint statement and Opening Speech by Kaja Kallas
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1935 of 22 September 2025 amending Decision 2012/285/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Guinea-Bissau
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1941 of 22 September 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2015/1763 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Burundi
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1932 of 22 September 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2023/2135 concerning restrictive measures in view of activities undermining the stability and political transition of Sudan
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2025/1936 of 22 September 2025 implementing Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1895 of 12 September 2025 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1790 of 5 September 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses
• Call for evidence: European Framework for Science Diplomacy - Proposal for a recommendation - Feedback period: 06 October 2025 - 03 November 2025