Europe Daily News, 24 November 2025

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12001 - Mitsui / MHI / Melco / JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12140 - BC Partners / Biogaran)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12179 - Temasek / Brookfield / Luminace)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12173 - Amphenol / Commscope (Connectivity and Cable Solutions))
• Council Decision (EU) 2025/2376 of 4 November 2025 on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding cooperation on the application of their respective competition laws
• Commission approves unconditionally the acquisition of IPG by Omnicom (M.11902)
• Commission sends Statement of Objections over proposed acquisition of Downtown by UMG (M.11956)
• Commission clears acquisition of Becton, Dickinson and Company's biosciences and diagnostic solutions businesses by Waters Corporation (M.12135) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of EDF Man Chile by Hartree (M.12149) - Midday Express

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections - SA.120357
• Action brought on 6 October 2025 - Ogólnopolski Związek Pracodawców – Niepublicznych Operatorów Pocztowych Vs. Commission (Case T-686/25)
  Re: annulment of European Commission Decision (EU) C(2024) 7997 of 15 November 2024 on State Aid SA.105121 (2024/NN); compensation from the Republic of Poland to Poczta Polska S.A. for the net cost of the obligation to provide a Universal Postal Service in 2021-2025

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Deputies) - 27 November 2025
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2380 of 18 November 2025 concerning the classification of certain goods in the Combined Nomenclature
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council implementing the bilateral safeguard clause of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement and the EU-Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement for agricultural products - Letter to the Chair of the European Parliament Committee on International Trade (INTA)
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Very serious doubts about the Commission’s commitment to safeguard clauses in the EU-Mercosur Agreement
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Consideration of SMEs in preparation of a follow-up to EU steel safeguard measures
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Uzbekistan’s new law on mandatory HIV testing and compliance with GSP+ commitments
• China's rare-earth export restrictions - See the EPRS Briefing
• EU to tighten investment rules to stand up to China - Commission wants greater benefits for local workers and technology transfers when foreign companies set up in bloc - Financial Times
• Car parts chief warns of job losses from ‘Darwinian’ competition in Europe - Valeo and other companies in the sector want Brussels to protect the industry from Chinese rivals - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• 2025 Report of the Network of SME Envoys to the Competitiveness Council - Presentation by the Commission
• Preparation of the Council (Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry, Research and Space)) on 8 December 2025
  - E-commerce: Challenges with product compliance and enforcement - Exchange of views
  - Removal of Internal Market barriers - Exchange of views
• Public consultation - Vehicle emissions and safety – updates to the whole vehicle type approval - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 19 November 2025 - 17 December 2025

CHEMICAL

• Agenda for: Ad Hoc Working Party on the ECHA Basic Regulation - 28 November 2025
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - REACH restriction on lead in rimfire ammunition

FINANCE

• Answer given by Ms Albuquerque to a MEP written question - Review of the EU Taxonomy Regulation
• EBA: AI Act: implications for the EU banking and payments sector
• Esma - Verena Ross' keynote speech at the "Financial Services Ireland" Annual Dinner - 20 November 2025
• Esma - Compliance table on the Joint Guidelines on "oversight cooperation" and on "costs and losses" under DORA
• Esma - Tentative Agenda Decision: Classification of a Foreign Exchange Difference from an Intragroup Monetary Liability (or Asset) (IFRS 18)

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 25 November 2025
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/2052 of 13 October 2025 laying down ecodesign requirements for external power supplies, wireless chargers, wireless charging pads, battery chargers for portable batteries of general use and USB Type-C cables, pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1782
• ACER - €11 billion spent EU-wide on fragmented electricity security-of-supply support in 2024
• ACER's latest REMIT Quarterly is out

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: 103rd meeting of the Nitrates Committee (Directive 91/676/EEC) - 09 December 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (UNECE CLRTAP) - 28 November 2025
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Oberverwaltungsgericht für das Land Nordrhein-Westfalen (Germany) of 1 September 2025 – Deutsche Umwelthilfe e. V.  Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, Land Niedersachsen, Land Baden-Württemberg, Freistaat Bayern, Land Hessen, Land Rheinland-Pfalz, Land Saarland and Freistaat Thüringen (Case C-576/25, Deutsche Umwelthilfe)
  Re: Article 11(1) of Directive 2000/60/EC (‘the Water Framework Directive’),Art. 1 of Directive 2014/101/EU
• Public consultation - Persistent organic pollutants – long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, their salts and related compounds - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 21 November 2025 - 19 December 2025
• Public consultation - Persistent organic pollutants – medium-chain chlorinated paraffins - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 21 November 2025 - 19 December 2025
• Public consultation - Persistent organic pollutants – chlorpyrifos - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 21 November 2025 - 19 December 2025
• Commissioner Kadis hosts implementation dialogue on small-scale and coastal fisheries - Midday Express

COP 30

• COP30 outcome: slow progress, but insufficient to meet climate crisis urgency - See the EP Statement
• EU secures an agreement on a global response to keep the 1.5C limit within reach
• EU leads isolated group of countries pushing for global climate action - ‘Axis of obstruction’ stalls progress with poor and middle-income countries reluctant to quit fossil fuels despite peril - Financial Times

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Commission launches whistleblower tool for AI Act
• Enforcement of the Digital Services Act on online platforms and e-commerce - Exchange of views
• Public consultation - Simplification – digital package and omnibus - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period - 21 November 2025 - 19 January 2026
• Commission seeks views and information for the evaluation of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive - Feedback period: 23 November 2025 - 21 December 2025

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Council gives green light to the EU’s annual budget for 2026
• ECB publishes consolidated banking data for end-June 2025
• Decisions taken by the Governing Council of the ECB (in addition to decisions setting interest rates)
• Stablecoins on the rise: still small in the euro area, but spillover risks loom - ECB Financial Stability Review Issue 2, 2025
• Piero Cipollone's Presentation: Central bank money for the digital era: Our strategy in response to digitalisation and fragmentation

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Speech by President von der Leyen at the EU-AU Business Forum
• EU reinforces humanitarian response with €143 million for Sub-Saharan Africa - Midday Express
• “One Partnership. One Future” – op-ed article by President António Costa and President Ursula von der Leyen
• European Peace Facility: Council adopts assistance measures in support of the armed forces of Jordan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad
• Commission and High Representative/Vice-President call for increased efforts to end all forms of sexual and gender-based violence

G20 SUMMIT

• Main results - G20 summit, South Africa, 22-23 November 2025
• Remarks by President António Costa at the G20 Summit - see the Leaders’ Declaration
  - Session I: Inclusive and sustainable economic growth - leaving no one behind
  - Session II: A resilient world
  - Session III: A fair and just future for all

• Statement by President von der Leyen at G20 Summit
  - Session I: Inclusive and sustainable economic growth - leaving no one behind
  - Session II: A resilient world
  - Session III: A Fair and a Just Future for All

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• Action brought on 10 August 2025 - Nikolaev Vs. Council (Case T-553/25)
  Re: Annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/936 and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/933
• Action brought on 11 September 2025 - Nayara Energy Limited Vs. Council (Case T-619/25)
  Re: Annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1478 and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1476
• Action brought on 8 October 2025 - Bank 131 Vs. Council (Case T-691/25)
  Re: Annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1495 and of Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1494
• Action brought on 9 October 2025 -Tokareva Vs. Council (Case T-693/25)
  Re: Annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1895 and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1894
• Action brought on 13 October 2025 - Zhukova Vs. Council (Case T-698/25) and Vakorin Vs. Council (Case T-699/25)
  Re: Annulment of Article 1, paragraph (15) and (16) of Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1495 and of Article 1, paragraph (18), (19) and (20) of Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1494
  
• Statement by President von der Leyen on Peace Discussions for Ukraine, see also the Leaders’ statement on Ukraine
• Answer given by HR/VP Kallas MEP written question - Actions of the Commission concerning the Russian shadow fleet

EU/INDO-PACIFIC

• Main results - EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum, 21 November 2025
  - 'Building together a resilient, prosperous and secure future' - Chair’s statement, EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum, Brussels, 20-21 November 2025