Europe Daily News, 06 January 2026

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12259 - GIM / MGX / Aligned)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11992 - MEF / Retelit / Telecom Italia Sparkle)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11749 - AMD / ZT)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11830 - Unicredit / Banco BPM)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12177 - Capvest / Stada Group)
• Belgium - The Competition Authority launches a public consultation on a draft guidance on the application of competition rules to public procurement
• Showdown in Brussels over competition policy is nearing - The EU’s rewrite of merger guidelines has become a battleground for how much leeway companies should have on M&A - Financial Times

STATE AID

• Answer given by EVP Ribera to a MEP written question - Potential distortion of competition by the winding-up of CFR Marfă and the incorporation of Carpatica Feroviar in Romania

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Assessing the EU’s tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Trade defence measures on bicycles, bicycle parts and electric bikes from China
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Financial implications for European importers of provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of candles
• WTO - Committee on Safeguards - Initiation of consultations on the European Union's safeguard measure regarding certain ferro-alloying elements - Joint Communication from Brazil and the European Union - Certain ferro-alloying elements
  
• WTO - Committee on Safeguards - Notification pursuant to article 12 of the Agreement on Safeguards - Notification pursuant to article 9.1, footnote 2 of the Agreement on Safeguards - United Kingdom - Certain steel products - Supplement
• Brussels lines up farm funding concessions to get Mercosur deal over the line - Declaration offering reassurances on budget money for farmers could sway Italy back into the “yes” camp - Politico.eu

CBAM

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Antici Group (AHWP CBAM) - 07 January 2026
• List of National Competent Authorities for CBAM as updated on 05 January 2026
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - CBAM – legal implications of only selling CBAM certificates from 2027

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Commissioner Kubilius in Portugal to discuss European Defence Readiness and space policy - Midday Express

CHEMICAL

• ECHA takes on additional tasks to strengthen chemical safety in Europe - ECHA/NR/26/01
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Clarifications on the restriction of certain chemicals

FINANCE

• ESMA - Public statement on transitional provisions under the BMR review
• ESMA publishes report on cross-border marking of funds including statistics on notifications
• EBA - Guidelines amending Guidelines on equivalence of confidentiality regimes
• ESAs’ Joint Board of Appeal rules on reimbursement of costs in an appeal brought by NOVIS Insurance Company against the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA)

TAXATION

• Commission welcomes OECD agreement on a global minimum tax package - Midday Express
• U.S. Companies score wins in global tax deal - Trump administration issued threats but stayed inside global talks and bent them its way - Wall Street Journal

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on the Environment - 07,08 & 09 January 2026
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/67 of 22 December 2025 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/696 granting a derogation requested by Ireland pursuant to Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources

AGRICULTURE & FOOD SAFETY

• Commission invites ministers of agriculture to discuss the future of farming and food security - Midday Express
• EFSA - Assessment of the feed additive consisting of benzoic acid, thymol, eugenol and piperine (CRINA® Poultry Plus) for chickens for fattening, chickens reared for laying and minor poultry species for fattening and reared for laying for the renewal of its authorisation and its extension of use for all poultry species for fattening and reared for reproduction (DSM Nutritional Products Ltd)
• Brussels’ misguided beef with veggie burgers - Banning plant-based products with meaty names is exactly the kind of red tape the EU said it had left behind - Financial Times

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Answer given by EVP Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Sale of childlike sex dolls on the Shein e-commerce platform

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Has Europe learnt to manage migration? - Policymakers say strict new measures have driven down irregular arrivals, but experts say the underlying factors are little changed - Financial Times

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Economic & Financial Affairs Council - 20 January 2026

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.2) - 09 January 2026

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• President Costa to travel to Paris, Nicosia and the Middle East
• Joint statement by High Representative Kallas and Commissioners Lahbib and Šuica on the registration of international NGOs in Palestine

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• Answer given by Ms Albuquerque to a MEP written question - Circumvention of EU sanctions through imports of petrochemical products derived from Russian crude oil

EU/UK RELATIONS

• Keir Starmer may want closer ties with EU — but will Brussels play ball? - PM tries to reassure Labour’s pro-Europeans a reset is coming, but EU officials say timing is poor - Financial Times