Europe Daily News, 20 June 2025

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11963 - ADNOC / OMV / Nova)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11871 - Kingdom of Denmark/ Kobenhavns Lufthavne)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11985 - KKR / TMUS / USI / Ridgeview / JKT Holdings)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11575 - Repsol / Bunge / Bisa)
• Commission approves UniCredit's acquisition of Banco BPM, subject to conditions - See Case M.11830
• Ireland - CCPC clears proposed acquisition of CG Hotels by Dalata subject to binding commitments
• UK - The CMA invites views on proposed changes to its mergers guidance on jurisdiction and procedure (CMA2), and its mergers notice template
• EU prepares to investigate Mars-Kellanova deal - European regulators poised to launch antitrust probe into food group’s takeover of Pringles and Pop-Tarts maker - 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.111272
• Commission approves €192 million Polish State aid measure for the construction of a gaming and technology hub (SA.114301) - Midday Express
• Commission finds recapitalisation of Romania's Exim Banca Românească does not constitute State aid (SA.115897) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Generalised System of Preferences (GSP))/ Attachés & experts - 20 June 2025
• Agenda for: 271st Meeting of the Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature Section of the Customs Code Committee (Sub-Section Combined Nomenclature) - 03 July 2025
• Notice of the impending expiry of certain anti-dumping measures (Sulphanilic acid - The People’s Republic of China - Anti-dumping duty - Regulation (EU) 2021/441 - 13.3.2026)
• Decision (EU) 2025/1228 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2025 amending Council Decision 2003/17/EC as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in the Republic of Moldova on seed-producing fodder plant crops and on the equivalence of fodder plant seed produced in the Republic of Moldova, and as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in Ukraine on seed-producing beet crops and seed-producing oil plant crops and on the equivalence of beet seed and oil plant seed produced in Ukraine
• Regulation (EU) 2025/1227 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2025 on the modification of customs duties applicable to imports of certain goods originating in or exported from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1202 of 19 June 2025 extending the definitive anti-dumping duty imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/558 on imports of certain graphite electrode systems originating in the People’s Republic of China to imports of artificial graphite in blocks or cylinders originating in the People’s Republic of China
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1206 of 19 June 2025 on the suspension of the GSP+ tariff preferences with regard to imports of ethanol originating in Pakistan
• Commission restricts Chinese participation in medical devices procurement - See Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1197
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Negotiations on the abolition of tariffs on imports of fisheries products from the Maldives
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - End of customs exemption for small packages worth less than EUR 150

EU/UK RELATIONS

• Decision No 1/2025 of the Partnership Council established by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part of 18 June 2025 issuing an interpretation of Article 508(2)(d) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part
• Decision No 2/2025 of the Partnership Council established by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part of 19 June 2025 issuing an interpretation of Article 331(2) and extending the application of Part Two, Heading One, Title VIII on energy, of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part
• Decision No 1/2025 of the Specialised Committee on Fisheries established by Article 8(1)(q) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part of 19 June 2025 as regards the arrangements on the level and conditions of access granted by each Party to vessels of the other Party to fish in its waters from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2038
• Joint Declaration 1/2025 of the Union and the United Kingdom in the Partnership Council established by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part of 19 June 2025

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Simplification: Council agrees position to ‘stop-the-clock’ on due diligence rules for batteries

CHEMICAL

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1222 of 2 April 2025 amending Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the harmonised classification and labelling of certain substances

ENERGY

• MEPs push for more coordination and resilience in European electricity grids - See EP Resolution and the Entso reaction
• Swedish and Lithuanian energy regulators request more time to agree on electricity cross-zonal risk hedging opportunities
• Expert Panel will review the reports on the 28th April blackout published this week by the Spanish government and the Spanish TSO
• The TYNDP 2026 received applications from 179 pan-European electricity transmission projects and 50 storage projects during the first collection window

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Europe's bathing waters safe for summer swimming
• Clean Industrial Deal must marry industrial competitiveness with climate action - See the EP Resolution
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - Strengthening support for renewable hydrogen to meet EU energy and climate targets

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Meeting of the “Agriculture and Fisheries” Council on 23-24 June 2025:
  - Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a monitoring framework for resilient European forests - General approach = Statement
  - Outcome of the high-level conference on research, innovation and digitalisation to advance the competitiveness of European agriculture and ensure food security - Information from the Presidency  
• Council agrees position on a set of updated measures for a competitive and future-proof EU wine sector
• The EU and UK formalise agreements on fisheries - Midday Express

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• Main results: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Social policy) - 19 June 2025
  - Council calls for targeted efforts to advance gender equality in the AI-driven digital age
  - Combatting 'false' traineeships: Council agrees its position

DIGITAL, DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY 

• Council Recommendation of 6 June 2025 on an EU blueprint for cyber crisis management
• Finnish SA: pharmacy company Yliopiston Apteekki issued administrative fine for online shop data protection shortcomings
• The EU Cybersecurity Index (EU-CSI): A tool, developed by ENISA in collaboration with the Member States, to describe the cybersecurity posture of Member States and the EU
• Chinese cyber threat to Europe on par with Russia’s, warns Czech president - Petr Pavel’s government was recently the target of a hacking group linked to Beijing’s top spy service - Financial Times

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Main results: Eurogroup, 19 June 2025
  - Euro area member states recommend that Bulgaria become the 21st member of the euro area
  - Remarks by Paschal Donohoe and by Commissioner Dombrovskis following the Eurogroup meeting
• ECB - Economic Bulletin Issue 4, 2025

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• 20th EU-Canada Summit: a new ambition for our strategic partnership- Midday Expres
• Joint statement by the European Commission and the High Representative on World Refugee Day - Midday Express
• Fit for war by 2030? European rearmament vis-a-vis Russia lagging in numbers and technologies - see Joint Report by Bruegel & Kiel