Europe Daily News, 11 December 2025

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12217 - Aurelius / Landis+GYR Emea)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12142 - Moh / GEK Terna/ NRG / Heron)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12187 - SMFG / Jefferies/ Japanese Equities JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12188 - TJC / Dupont's Aramids Business)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12166 - MSC / NYK / JV)
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by ACS and Global Infrastructure Management (M.12203) - Midday Express
• Commission opens in-depth foreign subsidies investigation into Nuctech's activities in the threat detection systems sector
• Commission opens in-depth investigation into the proposed acquisition of joint control over TERCAT by TIL and Hutchison Ports (M.11811)
• France - Acquisition of the defence business of Texelis by the KNDS group cleared
• Greece - The Hellenic Competition Commission (HCC) announces the launch of a mapping study on the conditions of competition in the value chain of the food sector
• Switzerland - The Secretariat of COMCO launches preliminary investigation into NFC access on Apple devices
• Brussels raids Temu in foreign subsidy investigation - ‘Unannounced inspection’ comes as European Commission steps up efforts against Chinese online retailers - Financial Times

STATE AID

• State aid - Decision to raise no objections - Decision No.122/25/COL
• EFTA Surveillance Authority Decision No.121/25/COL of 9 July 2025 amending the substantive rules in the field of State aid by introducing the new Framework for State Aid measures to support the Clean Industrial Deal (Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework)
• Commission approves €350 million Dutch State aid to Invest International (SA.120017) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €623 million German State aid to support set-up of two first-of-a-kind chips factories in Germany

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Notice of initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of certain wires of silico-manganese steel originating in the People’s Republic of China (CN code (ex) 7229 20 00)
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2490 of 10 December 2025 making imports of urea originating in Russia subject to registration with a view to allowing the levy of anti-dumping duties on the imports subject to registration (CN codes 3102 10 12 , 3102 10 15 , 3102 10 19 and 3102 10 90)
• Council Decision (EU) 2025/2516 of 4 December 2025 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Customs Cooperation Committee established under the Agreement establishing an Association between the European Community and Turkey as regards the adoption of a decision concerning the mutual recognition of the authorised economic operator programme of the Union and the authorised economic operator programme of the Republic of Türkiye
• Report by MEP Gabriel Mato on the 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
• Foreign direct investment: Council and Parliament reached political agreement to improve FDI screening - See Commission reactions & EP Statement

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• December infringements package: key decisions
• Commission seeks public feedback on postal deliveries - (open until 5 March 2026) - Midday Express
• Commission decides to refer Bulgaria to the Court of Justice of the European Union for a breach of EU procurement rules (INFR(2018)2268) for failing to correctly transpose Directive 2014/24/ EU on public procurement
• Public consultation: Construction products – assessment and verification systems - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 10 December 2025 - 07 January 2026
• Carmakers sound warning over EU’s ‘very dangerous’ local sourcing rules - Companies and industries divided over bloc’s ‘Made in Europe’ plans - Financial Times

RESEARCH

• Main results - Competitiveness Council (Research & space) - 09 December 2025
• Council signs off simplification of "InvestEU programme" to boost EU competitiveness
• Commission invests €14 billion through Horizon Europe to boost global research and innovation leadership
• MEPs’ recommendations for a new EU framework for innovative companies
• Commission launches European Partnership for Virtual Worlds
• Digital skills should receive the same amount of attention at school as reading, mathematics, and science latest Eurobarometer reveals

CHEMICALS

• Enforcement Forum finds non-compliance in imported substances, mixtures and products - ECHA/NR/25/43
• ECHA Weekly Newsletter - 10 December 2025

FINANCE

• AFME comments on agreement to simplify EU sustainability reporting and due diligence rules
• EFAMA response to the EBA consultation on the guidelines on the sound management of third-party risk for non-ICT related services

TAXATION

• Minutes of the Indirect Tax Expert Group - 26 September 2025
• European Commission releases report on tax gaps to support competitiveness and fairer tax systems

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Council agrees negotiating position on new rules for plant reproductive material 
• EU and UK reach €1.2 billion deal on 2026 fishing rights for EU fishers

ENERGY

• Opinion of Advocate General Biondi of 11 December 2025 in Case C‑468/24, SR Vs. Netz Niederösterreich GmbH
  Re: eference for a preliminary ruling - Energy - Supply of electricity - Measurement tools - Smart meters - Consumer’s right to refuse - Security of data transmitted by smart meters
• Meeting of the TTE - Energy Council on 15 December 2025
  - Strengthening regional energy security: Greece’s pivotal role in diversification of gas supply - Information from Greece
  - Implementation solutions for the import requirements of Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector - Information from the Commission
• Energy Union Task Force addresses energy price challenges and the implementation of EU methane regulation
• Electricity security means energy security - see the Eurelectric letter

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: 1st meeting of the Expert Group on Nature Credits - 11 December 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (Basel Convention) - 17 December 2025
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Antici Group (Simplification: Omnibus VIII: Environmental Omnibus) - 15 December 2025
• Presentations - Commission expert group on climate change policy - 27 November 2025 
• Meeting of the Council (Environment) on 16 December 2025
  - Proposals to increase price predictability and frontload ETS2 revenues - Information from the Commission
  - Sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP6) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (Geneva, Switzerland, 3 - 7 November 2025) - Information from Presidency and the Commission 
  - The dangers posed by lithium batteries and the feasibility and potential benefits of introducing an EU-wide battery deposit system - Information from Austria, supported by Germany and Lithuania
  - Eighth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention and its High-level Segment (MOP8) (Geneva, Switzerland, 17–20 November 2025) - Information from the Presidency and the Commission
  - 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP20) (Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 24 November - 5 December 2025) - Information from the Presidency and the Commission
  - Impact of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on the technical and non-commercial electricity imports from Ukraine to EU MS - Information from Poland, supported by Estonia and Lithuania
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 as regards certain obligations of operators and traders - Letter to the Chair of the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) - (Deforestation)
• Public consultation: EU emissions trading system (ETS2) – early auctioning of allowances - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 08 December 2025 - 05 January 2026
• Remarks by Executive Vice-President Ribera, Commissioner Dombrovskis and Commissioner Roswall on the "environmental simplification" package
• Commission endorses Sweden's €500 million Social Climate Plan to support vulnerable households in the clean transition - See the Decision
• Commission decides to refer Romania to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to comply with EU air monitoring obligations
• Commission decides to refer Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to comply with EU rules for treating urban waste water
• Commission decides to refer Portugal to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to comply with EU rules for treating urban waste water
• Commission decides to refer Portugal to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to properly assess projects that may have a significant impact on Natura 2000 sites

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Judgment of the Court of 11 December 2025 in Case C‑665/24, Staatssecretaris Jeugd, Preventie en Sport Vs. Diamond Flavours BV, UEG Holland BV
  Re: Preliminary ruling - Directive 2014/40/EU - Article 2(40) - Concept of ‘placing on the market’ - Article 23(2) and (3) - Monitoring of the implementation of Directive 2014/40 - Objective of ensuring a high level of health protection - Approximation of laws - Manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products - Supply of refill bottles for electronic cigarettes, with incorrect nicotine content information on their packaging, by a distributor of tobacco products and related products to a retailer - Fine imposed on the distributor - Principle of nulla poena sine culpa - Proportionality of the fine
• Prevention, investment and reform in healthcare bring economic prosperity - See the report
• Pharma package: Council and Parliament reach a deal on new rules for a fairer and more competitive EU pharmaceutical sector - See Commission reactions & EP Statement
• Public consultation: European Health Data Space Board operations - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 09 December 2025 - 06 January 2026
• Call for evidence & Public consultation: Biocidal Products Regulation – evaluation - Report - Feedback period: 11 December 2025 - 05 March 2026

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2499 of 9 December 2025 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2191 as regards harmonised standards for short range devices and mobile communication on board aircraft systems
• Public consultation: Cybersecurity – repeal of Delegated Regulation supplementing the Radio Equipment - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 10 December 2025 - 07 January 2026

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Commission decides to refer Greece to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to implement Performance Based Navigation approach procedures at airports (Regulation (EU) 2018/1048)

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• The EU strengthens the protection and support of victims of crime - See the EP Statement & Commission reactions
• Commission hosts Second International Conference of the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling - Keynote speech by President von der Leyen
• France: €113 000 seized in investigation into suspected fraud involving EU research and innovation funds - EPPO
• Case-law by the Court of Justice of the European Union on the European Arrest Warrant - Updated overview by Eurojust
• Working in several countries: the Court clarifies how the law applicable is to be determined in the event of a change in the habitual place of work (See CPR No.155/25 - Judgment of the Court in Case C-485/24; Locatrans)

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• The climate-biodiversity-pollution nexus: the pricing of environmental credit risks for European - ECB Working Paper Series - No. 3164
• Speech by Luis de Guindos: Simplification of the European prudential regulatory, supervisory, and reporting framework
• ECB - Euro area monetary and financial statistics - Quality report 2024
• ECB - Governing Council proposes simplification of EU banking rules

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Possible items for Commission agendas from 16 December to 28 January 2026
• Europeans see strong benefits from EU membership and call for a more assertive Union

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• The Council endorsed the Global Gateway list of flagship projects for 2026, which now comprises 256 initiatives
• EU and United Arab Emirates launch Strategic Partnership Agreement negotiations - see the joint statement and factsheet