Europe Daily News, 21 April 2026

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12389 - GIM / TCR)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12338 - Phillips 66 / Lindsey Refinery Assets)
• Commission clears acquisition of Paradise JV by Sirius and Brookfield (M.12345) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Mustang AIV by BCI, Brookfield and NBIM (M.12346) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Maple by Macquarie Group and La Caisse (M.12368) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Teleflex OEM Business by Kohlberg and Montagu (M.12301) - Midday Express
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/877 of 16 April 2026 on the application of Article 101(3) of the TFEU to categories of technology transfer agreements
• Communication from the Commission – Guidelines on the application of Article 101 of the TFEU  to technology transfer agreements
• Commission clears Lisbon railway line bid under Foreign Subsidies Regulation, subject to conditions
• Finland - FCCA approves the acquisition of Ovako Metals by SSAB Group company Tibnor
• Spain - The CNMC closes the investigation against BP, Cepsa (now Moeve) and Repsol over possible agreements in their pricing policies and potential abuse of their collective dominant position
• Revamping EU merger rules is not a cure-all - A bigger priority is completing the single market and streamlining corporate law - 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.121244, SA.120297 & SA.122033
• Commission approves €300 million French State aid scheme for advisory services in agriculture (SA.120916) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union - 29 April 2026
  - Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the EU within the Technical Committees on Customs Valuation and on Rules of Origin, established under the auspices of the WCO, with regard to the adoption of advisory opinions, commentaries, explanatory notes, case studies, studies and similar acts concerning the valuation of imported goods for customs purposes under the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the GATT 1994, and the adoption of advisory opinions, information and advice and similar acts concerning the determination of the origin of goods under the Agreement on Rules of Origin - See the Annex
• Agenda for: EU-Serbia sub-committee on Trade, Industry, Customs & Taxation - 22 April 2026
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/888 of 20 April 2026 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards opening and providing for the management of Union tariff quotas for products originating in Mercosur
• Commission proposes full resumption of EU-Syria Cooperation Agreement,  marking a new step in relations between both sides.
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Increased consumer health risks from products originating in MERCOSUR

EU/UK TRADE

• Agenda for: Twelfth meeting of the Specialised Committee on Fisheries established by the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement - 22 April 2025
• Minutes of the Fifth Trade Specialised Committee on Regulatory Cooperation under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement
• Report from the Commission on the implementation and application of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1 January – 31 December 2025
• Too late to turn to Europe? How Keir Starmer’s Brexit reset ran out of road - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Industry) - 27 April 2026
• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Industry) - 28 April 2026
• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (High Level) - 07 May 2026
• Council adopts rules to strengthen forest reproductive material and support EU seed sector
• The Council formally adopts new rules on new genomic techniques (NGTs), supporting innovation, resilient crops and sustainable food systems, with strong safety measures in place.

CHEMICALS

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (Int. Chemicals/Synergies) - 27 April 2026
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/859 of 20 April 2026 amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards 2,4-dinitrotoluene in articles
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - European Chemical Industry Council closed-door summit: democratic, social, health and environmental safeguards

FINANCE

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/110 of 16 January 2026 supplementing Council Directive (EU) 2025/50 with regard to regulatory technical standards specifying the methodology for the calculation of market capitalisation and the market capitalisation ratio
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) …/... supplementing Regulation 2024/3005 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to regulatory technical standards specifying the measures and safeguards to be implemented by ESG rating providers to separate their ESG rating activities from their other activities

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Harmful substances emitted by filter cigarettes: if an EU directive designed to protect human health refers to international standards, individuals must be able to consult them (See CPR No. 60/2026, Judgment of the Court in Case C-155/24, Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit and Others)
• Commission seeks feedback on cardiovascular health checks - Proposal for a recommendation - Feedback period: 21 April 2026 - 19 May 2026
• Commission makes €63.2 million available to support AI innovation in health and online safety - Midday Express

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• EDPB Letter to the European Commission regarding INGO registration requirements
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the European cybersecurity certification framework, and ICT supply chain security and repealing Regulation (EU) 2019/881 (The Cybersecurity Act 2) [5611/26 - COM(2026) 11 final] - Opinion on the application of the Principles of Subsidiarity and Proportionality - Spanish Parliament
• Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive (EU) 2022/2555 as regards simplification measures and alignment with the (Proposal for the Cybersecurity Act 2) [5627/26 - COM(2026) 13 final] - Opinion on the application of the Principles of Subsidiarity and Proportionality - Spanish Parliament

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• New EU-wide rules set up a harmonised criminal law framework to prevent and fight
• Values of the European Union: by adopting a law which stigmatises and marginalises LGBTI+ persons, Hungary has acted in breach of EU law (See CPR No.59/2026 - Judgment of the Court in Case C-769/22, Commission Vs. Hungary (Values of the European Union))

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Commissioners participate in the 2026 Delphi Economic Forum - Midday Express
• Commission disburses €230.7 million to Slovenia under NextGenerationEU - Midday Express
• Keynote speech by ECB's Christine Lagarde: The energy shock: where we stand and what we need to know
• Simplifying climate change adaptation for banks in the EU - ECB Occasional Paper Series No.386
• Navigating uncertain times with the help of artificial intelligence - ECB Blog

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• EU and Bangladesh pave the way for a closer partnership and more cooperation - Midday Express
• Commissioner Síkela in Ethiopia to deepen bilateral partnership and open EU-Ethiopia Business Forum - Midday Express
• HR/ VP Kallas and Commissioner Šuica attend high-level discussions on the Two-State Solution and support to Palestine - Midday Express

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• Russian hybrid threats: EU lists two entities over information manipulation activities - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/884 & Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/885 
• France and Germany plan ‘symbolic’ EU membership benefits for Ukraine - Berlin and Paris say no to Kyiv accessing bloc’s budget and having voting rights until it becomes a full member - Financial Times

OTHERS SANCTIONS

• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/887 of 21 April 2026 implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2147 concerning restrictive measures in view of activities undermining the stability and political transition of Sudan
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/886 of 21 April 2026 amending Decision (CFSP) 2023/2135 concerning restrictive measures in view of activities undermining the stability and political transition of Sudan
• Republic of Moldova: EU restrictive measures extended until 29 April 2027