Europe Daily News, 29 January 2026

COMPETITION

• Judgment of the Court of 29January 2026 in Case C-286/24, Meliá Hotels International, S.A. Vs. Associação Ius Omnibus
  Re: Preliminary ruling - Actions for damages under national law for infringements of the competition law provisions of Member States and the European Union - Directive 2014/104/EU - Article 5(1) - Scope - Special declaratory action for the production of documents prior to the possible bringing of an action for damages - Assessment of the plausibility of the claim for damages
  
• Withdrawal of notification of a concentration (Case M.11992 - MEF / Retelit / Telecom Italia Sparkle)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12244 - Rheinmetall Naval Systems / NVL)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12297 - Blackrock / Grasim / Abren)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12292 - Aena / DigitalBridge/ JV)
• Commission clears acquisition of Vitanas by Domidep (M.12216)
• Cyprus - Notification of concentration concerning the acquisition of the share capital of Project Como Topco Limited by Asyad Logistics LLC, via Asyad Logistics International limited

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.121052
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Ribera to a MEP written question - Responsibility and electricity preparedness

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Judgment of the Court of 28 January 2026 in Case T‑177/25, C. sp. z o.o. sp.k. Vs. Dyrektor Izby Administracji Skarbowej w Gdańsku, other party: Prokurator Krajowy
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Customs union - Union Customs Code - Import and export procedures - Tariff quotas - Exhaustion of the quota on the first day of its opening - No quota number integrated into the TARIC code - Subsequent amendment of the customs declaration in order to benefit from inclusion in the quota - Concept of ‘amendment [permitting] the declarant to comply with his or her obligations relating to the placing of the goods under the customs procedure concerned’ - Article 173(3) of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013
• Judgment of the Court of 29 January 2026 in Joined Cases C‑72/24, [Keladis I] and C‑73/24 [Keladis II] (i), HF (C‑72/24), WI (C‑73/24) Vs. Anexartiti Archi Dimosion Esodon
  Re: Preliminary ruling - Customs union - Regulation (EEC) No. 2913/92 - Community Customs Code - Regulation (EU) No. 952/2013 - Union Customs Code - Imports of goods - Customs value - Undervaluation - Secondary methods for determining customs value - Method based on the ‘minimum acceptable price’ calculated on the basis of aggregate statistical values established at European Union level - Admissibility
• Judgment of the Court of 29 January 2026 in Case C‑811/23 P, European Commission, Vs. Zippo Manufacturing Co., e Zippo GmbH
  Re: Appeal - Commercial policy - Commercial policy measures concerning certain products originating in the United States of America - Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/502 – Measures adopted by the United States of America on imports of certain derivative aluminium and steel products - European Union decision to suspend equivalent trade concessions and other obligations - Additional customs duties on imports of products originating in the United States - Article 41(2)(a) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union - Principle of good administration – Right to be heard - Principle of ne ultra petita
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/191 of 28 January 2026 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/265 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of ceramic tiles originating in India and Türkiye
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/198 of 28 January 2026 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2239 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of certain utility scale steel wind towers originating in the People’s Republic of China
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Council of Members of the International Olive Council (IOC), with respect to the accession of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, 2015
• Commission registers European Citizens' Initiative on phasing out EU imports from Russia and Belarus
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Barrier to unfair Asian competition

EU-ECUADOR

• EU textual proposal - EU-Ecuador Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement as of 28 January 2026
• EU-Ecuador SIFA - Joint Report of the second round of negotiations - 21 & 22 January 2026

EU/UK RELATIONS

• Agenda for: Working Party on the United Kingdom - 30 January 2026
• Europe and the UK would lose more than the US in a trade war, research finds - Aston University study highlights the economic risks to the EU and UK of matching Donald Trump’s tariff threats - Financial Times

EU-INDIA

• GSP Regulation, Copa-Cogeca deplores COM INTA vote that falls short of protecting EU rice sector from devastating import surges
• EU-India trade agreement: Why it’s important that Europe kept renewable ethanol out of it - ePURE Statement
• The EU-India free trade agreement opens major opportunities for EU wine companies - CEEV Statement

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Commission hosts high-level conference on sustainability, growth and competition policy - Midday Express
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné to a MEP written question - Regulatory barriers to critical raw material extraction in the EU

TOYS

• Commission Directive (EU) 2026/192 of 28 January 2026 amending Appendix A of Annex II to Directive 2009/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the safety of toys, as regards cobalt

FINANCE

• Judgment of the Court of 29 January 2026 in Case C‑291/24, Steiermärkische Bank und Sparkassen AG, KL, TR Vs. Österreichische Finanzmarktaufsichtsbehörde (FMA)
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing - Directive (EU) 2015/849 - Penalties - Article 58 - Liability of legal persons - Article 59 - Imputation to a legal person of a breach of its obligations committed by natural persons - Conditions - Article 60
• ESMA - Guidelines for the criteria on the assessment of knowledge and competence under the Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA)
• Speech by ESMA's Chair Verena Ross: The vital need for growth & the role of capital markets in Europe’s strategic renewal
• ESMA - List of Central Counterparties authorised to offer services and activities in the Union
• The European Banking Authority (EBA) announced the go-live of its Pillar 3 data hub

ENERGY

• EU mobilises additional €50 million for Ukraine's urgent winter energy needs - Midday Express
• Commissioner Jørgensen in Portugal to discuss energy resilience, interconnections and affordable housing - Midday Express
• Stakeholders’ Forum on Small Modular Reactors provides useful platform ahead of the Commission’s SMR strategy
• EU invests €650 million in cross-border energy infrastructure

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (Basel Convention) - 04 February 2026
• Commission takes stock of EU action towards "zero pollution" and of the societal cost of forever chemicals pollution (see the Report) - Midday Express
• New study confirms huge and growing costs of PFAS pollution - Current levels of 'forever chemicals' pollution could cost the EU approximately €440 billion by 2050
• Answer given by Ms Roswall to a MEP written question - Excluding printed products from the scope of the EUDR
• Hedge funds pile into EU carbon permits ahead of supply squeeze - Net bets on rising prices reach record high this month ahead of expected drop in number of permits - Financial Times

AGRICULTURE & FOOD

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Antici Group (Simplification: Omnibus X: Food and feed safety) - 02 February 2026
• European Parliament’s Environment Committee approves agreement with EU Council on new genomic techniques
• Copa and Cogeca hail ENVI Committee adoption of provisional NGT deal and urge final plenary endorsement
• Agri-Fish Council: key discussions and announcements to address concerns faced by the sector – Decisive follow-up actions needed - Copa-Cogeca

DIGITAL, DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• MEPs want to protect and remunerate copyrighted works used by generative AI - See the Draft Report by MEP Axel Voss
• Answer given by Mr McGrath to a MEP written question - Digital Omnibus 2: safeguards against function creep in EU digital infrastructure if GDPR rules are relaxed
• An analysis of the EU telecom sector’s ability to remunerate its cost of capital - See CEPR Analysis

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Judgment of the Court of 29 January 2026 in Case C‑562/24, [Munik] (i), S. H. d.o.o., M. A. d.o.o.
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Judicial cooperation in criminal matters - Mutual recognition of confiscation orders - Framework Decision 2006/783/JHA - Article 8(2)(d) - Ground for non-recognition and non-execution - Rights of interested parties - Third parties acting in good faith - Mortgagee - Property constituting the proceeds of crime - Procedure for the recognition and execution of a confiscation order - Judicial mortgage registered before the adoption of that order
• Judgment of the Court of 29 January 2026 in Case C‑431/24 [Multan] (i), W Vs. Staatssecretaris van Justitie en Veiligheid
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Asylum policy - Directive 2013/32/EU - Common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection - Article 23(1) - Access to information in the file of an applicant for international protection - Article 46 - Right to an effective remedy - Charter of Fundamental Rights of the E U - Article 4, Article 18 and Article 19(2) - Principle of non-refoulement - Article 47, second paragraph - Right to a fair trial - Investigation in the applicant's country of origin - Rejection of an application for international protection and adoption of a return decision - Access by the court of first instance and the applicant to information relating to the manner in which the investigation was conducted in the applicant's country of origin - Scope of the rights of defense and the right to an effective remedy - Relationship with the principle of non-refoulement
• Commission presents a five-year strategy on migration - See COM(2026) 45 final & Factsheet
• Commission adopts a first-ever EU Visa Strategy - See Q&A, Factsheet
  - Commission Recommendation on attracting talent for innovation

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Speech by Frank Elderson: Hearing of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament
• Interview with Claudia Buch, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the ECB, conducted by Francesco Ninfole

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Possible items for Commission agendas from 4 February 2026 to 25 March 2026

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Joint statement on upgrading relations between the European Union and Viet Nam to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
  - Press statement by President Costa following the meeting with Viet Nam’s President Lương Cường
• EU announces €153 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Moldova
• Foreign Affairs Council : Press remarks by High Representative Kaja Kallas upon arrival
• EU and Azerbaijan step up cooperation to boost investment and connectivity
• EU Statement – UN ECOSOC: 2026 ECOSOC Coordination Segment