Europe Daily News, 08 May 2025

COMPETITION

• Judgment of the Court of 08 May 2025 in Case C-581/23, Beevers Kaas Vs. Albert Heijn België NV, Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV, Albert Heijn BV, Ahold België BV, in the presence of : B. A. Coöperatieve Zuivelonderneming Cono
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Competition - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - Prohibition - Vertical agreements - Article 101(3) TFEU - Regulation (EU) No 330/2010 - Block exemption - Article 4(b)(i) - Hardcore restriction withdrawing the benefit of that exemption - Exception - Exclusive distribution agreements - Restriction on active sales in an exclusive territory - Concept of ‘agreement’ - Competing intentions of the supplier and its buyers - Proof - Exclusive territory allocated to a buyer - Absence of active sales by other buyers in that territory.
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11896 - Carnival / RCCL / MSC / GBSY JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11602 - SES / Intelsat)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11863 - Auchan/ Codim / ADIS)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11727 - Swiss Life/ NBIM / Gaité)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11262 - Framatome / Naval Group / Jeumont Electric)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11937 - Warburg Pincus / Berkshire Partners / Triumph Group)
• Commission clears acquisition of Transdev by Rethmann (M.11893) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Radici by Lone Star (M.11931) - Midday Express
• Commission seeks feedback on the review of EU merger guidelines
• Belgium - Notification - MEDE.CCS.25/0003: Ghistelinck / MIG
• Cyprus - Notification of concentration concerning the acquisition of the share capital of Osttra Group Ltd by Orion Bidco Ltd
• Greece - Sector Inquiry by the Hellenic Competition Commission into the sector of coastal shipping
• Finland - Wolt waived anti-competitive conditions during the investigation by the FCCA - forthcoming investigation by the Authority will reveal the impact of the changes
• Lithuania - MM Grupp may have violated the law by taking control of forum cinemas and its cinemas without the approval of the competition-council

STATE AID

• EFTA Surveillance Authority’s notice on state aid recovery interest rates and reference/discount rates for the EFTA States applicable as of 1 January 2025
• Commission approves €200 million German State aid scheme supporting knowledge exchange and information activities in the agricultural sector (SA.117659 ) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Opinion of Advocate General Norkus of 08 May 2025 in joined Cases C-72/24 & C-73/24, Keladis I; Keladis II Vs.Anexartiti Archi Dimosion Esodon
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Customs Union - Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 - Community Customs Code - Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 - Union Customs Code - Imports of goods - Fraud resulting from undervalued imports of products - Secondary methods for determining customs value - Administrative practice using the ‘lowest acceptable price’ to determine customs value
• Judgment of the Court of 08 May 2025 in Case C-252/24, Prisum Healthcare SRL Vs. Autoritatea Vamală Română
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Customs Union - Common Customs Tariff - Combined Nomenclature - Tariff classification - Headings 2106 and 2202 - Food supplements in liquid form
• Agenda for: CBG meeting on EU Customs Single Window – Certificates Exchange (EU CSW-CERTEX) - 20 & 21 May 2025
• Agenda for: CBG on the management of authorisation process for Centralised Clearance for Import (CCI) - 27 May 2025
• Minutes of the 10th EU-Moldova Sanitary and Phytosanitary Sub-committee - November 2024
• Recommendation for a Council Decision concerning new negotiating directives for a regional FTA and bilateral FTAs with the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and respectively the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of the United Arab Emirates
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/880 of 25 February 2025 amending Regulation (EU) 2019/287 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards specific provisions contained in the Interi Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Chile
• Decision No 1/2024 of the Partnership Committee established by the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the EU and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part, of 25 October 2024 on the adoption of the Mediation Mechanism, the Rules of Procedure and the Code of Conduct
• EU and Singapore sign landmark digital trade agreement - see the Joint Statement by Commissioner Maros Šefčovič and Singapore Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu
• EU and Japan reaffirm close cooperation on trade and economic security during High-Level Economic Dialogue - Midday Express
• Donald Trump to announce trade deal with UK - Limited agreement is expected to be focused on UK steel and car exports - Financial Times
• Maersk boss says upending global trade with tariffs could take decades - Vincent Clerc says changing supply chains fast using trade war is ‘very unrealistic’ - Financial Times
• EU capitals want retaliation against Donald Trump delayed to avoid Nato summit clash - Diplomats are urging Brussels to prioritise US security relations and put contentious trade decisions on hold - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Commission expert group on Radio Equipment - 12 June 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness & Growth (Industry) - 12 May 2025
• Agenda for: Council of the EU Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry, Research and Space)) - 22 May 2025
  - The need to continue discussions on the Commission’s proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on standard essential patents and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 - Information from Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Slovakia and Spain

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on the Environment - 12 May 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (Global) - 16 May 2025
• CO2 emissions: EP adopts flexibility measures for carmakers
• CO2 emissions in cars: Council adopts position on Commission’s proposal without changes
• European Parliament adopts its own-initiative report on European Water Resilience Strategy
• European Parliament has changed the EU’s wolf protection status from ‘strictly protected' to ‘protected', to align it with the Bern Convention
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - Addressing the impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the wind energy sector
• Waste management: the Court imposes a financial penalty on Slovenia for having failed to comply with its obligations with regard to the landfilling of waste (See CPR Nº 59/2025 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-318/23, Commission Vs. Slovenia)

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Opinion of Advocate General Norkus of 08 May 2025 in Case C‑315/24, Nestlé Sverige AB Vs. Miljönämnden i Helsingborgs kommun
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Approximation of laws - Food safety - Food for special medical purposes - Information requirements - Additional mandatory particulars - Specific requirements relating to the mandatory nutrition declaration - Prohibition of the repetition on the labelling of information contained in that declaration
  
• SCCS - Scientific advice – children’s exposure to Methyl salicylate (methyl 2 hydroxybenzoate) - Revision of SCCS/1654/23
• SCCS - Final Opinion on Salicylic Acid and on Butylparaben - Children's exposure

DIGITAL, DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• EU seeks input on its future external digital policy - see the Call for Evidence
• EVP Virkkunen will co-chair the third EU-Japan Digital Partnership Council in Tokyo
• EDPS - Guidance for co-legislators on key elements of legislative Proposals

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Current financial services legislative proposals - Information from the Presidency - EcoFin 13 May 2025
• Parliament’s priorities for the EU’s post-2027 long-term budget

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Speech by President António Costa at the European University Institute event on peace and security in Europe
• Commission launches call for the new generation of Europe Direct centres
• EU Talks 2025: Dialogues on the Future of Europe
• Culture unites, latest Eurobarometer shows

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Human rights breaches in Tanzania, Russia and Tibet - See the EP Statement
• Commissioners Serafin and Hansen visit Poland as part of their tours - Midday Express
• India/Pakistan: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the latest developments

ACCESSION TO THE EU

• Türkiye’s EU accession process must remain frozen - See the EP Statement & Reports
• Syria: Statement by the Spokesperson on the recent wave of violence in Southern Syria
• Parliament encourages Kosovo and Serbia to advance their EU accession reforms - See the EP Statement
• Commissioner Kos in Moldova to celebrate Europe Day and showcase the EU's Reform and Growth Plan - Midday Express

EU/UKRAINE

• Judgment of the Court of 08 May 2025 in Case C‑681/23 P, Mikail Safarbekovich Gutseriev Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: Appeal - CFSP¨- Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Belarus - Decision 2012/642/CFSP - Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 - Freezing of funds - Restriction on admission to and transit through the territory of the EU - Inclusion and maintenance of the appellant’s name on the lists of persons, entities and bodies concerned - Criterion of benefit from or support for the Lukashenko regime
• Ukraine receives an additional €1 billion under G7 loan initiative - Midday Express
• EU and Ukraine to strengthen defence cooperation at second Defence Industry Forum - Midday Express
• Speech by President von der Leyen at the EP plenary debate on EU support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine