Europe Daily News , 16 April 2026

COMPETITION

• Judgment of the Court of 16 April 2026 in Joined Cases C‑672/23 and C‑673/23, Electricity & Water Authority of the Government of Bahrain, GCC Interconnection Authority, Kuwait Ministry of Electricity and Water, Oman Electricity Transmission Company SAOC Vs. Prysmian Netherlands BV and Others
  Re: Preliminary ruling - Judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters - Jurisdiction, recognition, and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters - Regulation (EU) No 1215 /2012 - Special jurisdiction - Article 8(1) - Multiple defendants - Claims so closely connected that there is an interest in hearing and determining them together - Concept of “so closely connected” - Concept of “anchor defendant” - Infringement of Article 101 TFEU - Directive 2014/104/EU - Compensation for damages caused by a cartel - Concept of an undertaking - Liability of the parent company and a subsidiary - Commission decision - Decision of a national competition authority - Damage occurring outside the European Economic Area (EEA)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12296 - Salzgitter Mannesmann / Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12237 - Carlyle / BASF Coatings)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12380 - Capvest / TSG)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12358 - JLL / PIF / FMTEC)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12373 - CPP Investments / I Squared/ Inkia Energy)
• Commission updates EU competition rules for technology licensing agreements
  - Revised Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation (‘TTBER')
  - Guidelines on the application of Article 101 of the Treaty to technology transfer agreements
• Commission clears acquisition of NÜRNBERGER by VIG (M.12343) - Midday Express
  Commission clears acquisition of TCR by GIM (M.12389) - Midday Express
• Commission sends Meta fresh charge sheet on possible interim measures to reverse exclusion of third-party AI assistants from WhatsApp
• Commission proposes measures to Google on sharing search engine data with third parties under Digital Markets Act - See the Consultation
• France - The Autorité de la concurrence fines the Syndicat national des distributeurs spécialisés de produits biologiques, Greenweez (Carrefour), ITM Entreprises and Les Comptoirs de la Bio (Les Mousquetaires group) €12.67 million for a brand allocation agreement
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt approves creation of joint venture between Rheinmetall and OHB in the satellite communications sector
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt : Rheinische Post can take over Westfälische Nachrichten and Westfalen-Blatt
• Iceland - Ari­on Bank: Mer­ger between Ari­on banki and Kvika banki will not take place
• The Netherlands - The Amsterdam District Court also ruled that the truck cartel led to higher prices
• Norway - Elkjøp’s acquisition of Eplehuset needs further examination
• Switzerland - The Competition Commission (WEKO) is launching separate investigations into two private construction projects suspected of involving collusion.
• Ferrero targeted in EU antitrust probe, says company - The maker of Nutella and Kinder said it is cooperating with the investigation - Politico.eu & Financial Times
• EU to relax merger rules in bid to create ‘European champions’ - Draft reforms stress benefits of scale and investment in competition regulator’s assessment of proposed deals - Financial Times

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.119750
• Commission activates emergency funding to shield fisheries and aquaculture from Middle East crisis
• Commission approves prolongation of Swedish State aid scheme to promote sustainable biofuels in transport (SA.120516) - Midday Express
• Commission finds Dutch compensations to two coal plant operators do not constitute State aid (SA.109564 and SA.121044) - Midday Express
• Commission approves Bulgarian (SA.120414), German (SA.120495) and Slovenian (SA.120965) State aid schemes providing temporary electricity price relief for energy-intensive companies

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Law Enforcement Working Party (Customs) - 28 April 2026
• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Experts - Services & Investment) - 22 April 2026
• Agenda for: Second Meeting of the EU - NZ FTA Committee on Wine and Spirits - 22 April 2026
• Agenda for: Second Meeting of the EU - NZ FTA Committee on Trade in Goods - 21 April 2026
• Agenda for: The EU - NZ FTA Committee on Investment, Services, Digital Trade, Government Procurement and IP including Geographical Indications (IP formation) - 21 April 2026
• Notice of initiation of an expiry review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of monosodium glutamate (CN code ex 2922 42 00) originating in the P.R. of China and Indonesia
• New EU guidance promotes cooperation between customs and businesses to tackle illicit trade
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Circumvention of future EUR 3 customs duty on e‑commerce parcels
• DigitalEurope - Response to Section 301 Investigations on structural excess capacity

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Online games of chance: EU law does not preclude a Member State from prohibiting certain services provided online and authorised in other Member States, and from attaching civil-law consequences to that prohibition (See CPR No.53/2026 - Judgment of the Court in Case C-440/23 - European Lotto and Betting and Deutsche Lotto- und Sportwetten)
  
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Ensuring risk assessment as the basis for proportionate regulation of cosmetic products

TAXATION

• Agenda for: Ad Hoc Working Party on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (AHWP CBAM: Temporary Decarbonisation Fund & anti-circumvention measures) - 22 April 2026
• Publication of the study on Wealth Taxation, including Net Wealth, Capital and Exit Taxes

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL AFFAIRS

• Indexation of Bavarian family allowance on the basis of the Member State where the children reside is contrary to EU law (See CPR No.56/2026 - Judgment of the Court in Case C-642/24 - Commission Vs. Germany (Bavarian family allowance))

ENERGY

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/855 of 14 April 2026 on interoperability requirements and non-discriminatory and transparent procedures for access to data required for customer switching
• Answer given by Mr Jørgensen to a MEP written question - Great Sea Interconnector and EU energy security in the Eastern Mediterranean
• Visible rise in electricity distribution grid investment: ACER recommends actions to optimise the ramp-up
• ACER to amend the electricity day-ahead capacity calculation methodology for the Core region
• EU climate chief warns there is ‘no workaround’ for high energy prices - Crisis shows Europe’s need to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, says Wopke Hoekstra - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• A national law which neutralises the compensatory effect of CO2 emission allowances allocated free of charge is contrary to the objectives of the directive on the system of emission allowance trading (See CPR No.52/2026 - Judgment of the Court in Case C-519/24 - Nitrogénművek)
  
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Antici Group (Simplification: Omnibus VIII: Environment) - 17 April 2026
• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (Global) - 22 April 2026
• EU lawmakers support the future of LIFE, the EU’s longest-running environmental fund

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Antici Group (Simplification:Omnibus IV: Small Mid-Caps (SMCs); Digitalisation and Common Specifications) - 17 April 2026
• Commission invests €16 million in pan-European reporting - See the call for proposals - Midday Express
• Statement by EVP Virkkunen and by President von der Leyen on the digital age verification app
• ETSI’s Response to the European Commission’s Proposal for the Cybersecurity Act 2

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Combined Transport Directive – Joint industry position paper

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Advocate General: J. Richard de la Tour, non-resident students who have completed most of their secondary education and obtained their diploma in Belgium must be treated as residents for the purposes of access to medical studies (See CPR No.58/2026 - Advocate General's Opinion in Case C-131/25 Dris)
  
• Advocate General Ćapeta: associations representing judges have standing to bring actions for annulment against the Council’s decision approving justice system milestones concerning Poland under the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (See CPR No.57/2026 - Advocate General’s Opinion in Case C-555/24 P, Medel and Others Vs. Council)
  
• European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO): the Court of Justice dismisses the appeal of a Romanian citizen against an order of the General Court of the EU (See CPR No.55/2026 - Judgment of the Court in Case C-328/24 P - Mincu Pătrașcu Brâncuși Vs. EPPO)
• A detention centre holding an asylum applicant whose application is processed in accordance with the border procedure does not necessarily have to be located at the border of the Member State concerned (See CPR No.54/2026 - Judgment of the Court in Joined Cases C-50/24 to C-56/24 [Danané and Others])

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Bank to non-bank lending and the reallocation of credit - ECB Working Paper Series - No.3220
• Speech by Piero Cipollone: Sparking the transformation of finance: tokenisation and the role of central banks

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• EU and Member States pledge over €811 million in response to crisis in Sudan
• Press remarks by President António Costa following the visit to United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar

EU/UK RELATIONS

• European Union and United Kingdom take decisive step towards Erasmus+ association in 2027