Europe Daily News, 02 February 2026

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12293 - EPEI / Aures Holdings)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12249 - Blackstone / TPG / Hologic)
• Spain - The CNMC investigates possible anti-competitive practices in the aviation sector

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.119266
• Action brought on 1 December 2025 - Union belliloise pour l’environnement et le développement Vs. European Commission (Case T-824/25)
  Re: Annulment of Commission Decision C(2025) 5420 final; aid scheme to accelerate renewable energy deployment, notified by France, construction and operation of three offshore wind farms, one off the coast of southern Brittany and two others in the Mediterranean, under the Framework for State Aid measures to support the Clean Industrial Deal (SA.115764)
• Answer given by EVP Ribera to a MEP written question - Revision of emissions trading system State aid guidelines on indirect cost compensation

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Action brought on 10 December 2025 - Xinjiang Guolin New Materials Vs. Commission (Case T-847/25)
  Re: annulment of Commission Implementing Regulation 2025/1901; definitive anti-dumping duty on glyoxylic acid; People’s Republic of China
• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Full Members) - 06 February 2026
• EU-Singapore digital trade agreement enters into force
• Report of the 3rd round of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the United Arab Emirates - 20 to 24 October 2025
• Minutes of the New Zealand - European Union Free Trade Agreement Inaugural Trade Committee - 25 October 2025
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Legal cases against free trade agreements on the ground of sustainability
• WTO panel issues report  regarding certain US tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act
• Swiss wine growers seek to limit European imports - Falling consumption, cheaper imports, overproduction and quality gaps squeeze the country’s producers - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Internal Market Scoreboard: Transposition of directives improves in Iceland and Norway; Liechtenstein sees small increase

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 03 February 2026
• ACER unveils its playbook to investigate cross-border REMIT energy market abuse
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Varhoven administrativen sad (Bulgaria) of 05 November 2025 – Direktor na Teritorialna direktsia Plovdiv na Natsionalnata agentsia za prihodite Vs. ‘Goreen forest project’ AD - (Case C-699/25, Green forest project)
  Re: Articles 4, Article 7(1)(e) of Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854, high energy prices, biomethane
• Regulation (EU) 2026/261 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 January 2026 on phasing out Russian natural gas imports and preparing the phase-out of Russian oil imports, improving monitoring of potential energy dependencies and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 - See the Statement from the European Commission
• Oil and gas exploration back on Europe’s agenda, says Energean chief - Mediterranean-focused group points to shift from renewables in Greece, Italy and Cyprus - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Answer given by Ms Roswall to a MEP written question - Simplification in the wood packaging sector
• Answer given by Ms Roswall to a MEP written question - Need for a European mechanism to manage water scarcity and ensure the security of water resources

DIGITAL SOCIETY, DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 02 & 05 February 2026
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union vis-à-vis the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding the determination under Article 540(2) 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 the date from which personal data under Article 537 of that Agreement may be supplied by Member States to the United Kingdom

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• The Impact of Ageing on the Fiscal Sustainability of EU Health Care Systems: Projections and Policy Responses - Economic Brief 088
• After the Inflation Shock. Taking Stock of Price Competitiveness in the EU - Discussion Paper 240
• ECB - Survey on the Access to Finance of Enterprises: lending conditions tightened
• ECB Consumer Expectations Survey results – December 2025

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2, Add.1) - 04 & 06 February 2026
• Informal EU leaders' retreat of 12 February 2026 - Invitation letter by President António Costa to the members of the European Council

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• United Nations Human Rights Fora: Council approves EU priorities for 2026
• Myanmar: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the fifth anniversary of the coup
• Answer given by the Council to a MEP written question - Legal basis for EU sanctions and compatibility with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
• Answer given by the Council to a MEP written question - Legal basis for EU sanctions and compatibility with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
• Answer given by the Council to a MEP written question - Including drug trafficking cartels on the EU list of terrorist organisations
• Answer given by the Council to a MEP written question - Lifting of economic sanctions against Syria

EU/UK RELATIONS

• Agenda for: Working Party on the United Kingdom - 03 February 2026
• Commissioners Šefčovič and Dombrovskis in London for meetings with their UK counterparts
• UK to reconsider joining EU defence fund - Ministers and officials meet on Monday to discuss ‘reset’ of relations, including closer security and trade ties - Financial Times
• We will use EU summit to further unwind Brexit, vows Keir Starmer - UK prime minister plans to explore ways to tear down trade barriers to boost growth and cut prices - Financial Times
  
  EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• Appeal brought on 27 November 2025 by Positive Group PAO against the judgment of the General Court of 10 September 2025 in Case T-573/23, Positive Group Vs. Council (Case C-770/25 P)
  Re: Annulment of Article 2(1)(i) of Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP and Article 3(1)(i) of Council Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 and of Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1218, (CFSP) 2024/847, (CFSP) 2024/2456, (CFSP) 2023/1767 and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1216, (EU) 2023/1765 and (EU) 2024/2455
• Appeal brought on 11 December 2025 by Bogoljub Karić against the judgment of the General Court of 24 September 2025 in Case T-238/24, Karić Vs. Council (Case C-817/25 P)
  Re: Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/769 and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/768
• Action brought on 25 November 2025 - Alfa-Bank Vs. Council (Case T-803/25)
  Re: Annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1895 and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1894
• Action brought on 25 November 2025 - Timchenko Vs. Council (Case T-816/25) & Timchenko Vs. Council (Case T-817/25)
  Re: Annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1895 and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1894
• Action brought on 2 December 2025 - TD Kama Vs. Council (Case T-833/25), Nizhnekamskshina Vs. Council (Case T-832/25); NZGSH Vs. Council (Case T-831/25); Tatshina Vs. Council (Case T-830/25)
  Re: Annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/883; (CFSP) 2022/1530; (CFSP) 2023/572; (CFSP) 2023/1767; (CFSP) 2024/847; (CFSP) 2024/2456; (CFSP) 2025/528; CFSP 2025/1895 and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/878; (EU) 2022/1529; (EU) 2023/571; (EU) 2023/1765; (EU) 2024/849; (EU) 2024/2455; (EU) 2025/527 & (EU) 2025/1894
• Council Decision (EU) 2026/258 of 29 January 2026 authorising enhanced cooperation on the establishment of a Loan for Ukraine