Europe Daily News, 03 March 2025

COMPETITION

• Commission clears acquisition of Yondr by CDPQ and DigitalBridge (M.11883) - Midday Express

STATE AID

• Action brought on 13 December 2024 - Ryanair Vs. Commission (Case T-649/24)
  Re: annulment of the European Commission’s decision (EU) C(2024) 4623 final on the State aid SA. 110687/SA.110688 - (2024/N) Sweden - Denmark, Restructuring of SAS Group
• Action brought on 20 December 2024 - Georgsmarienhütte Holding Vs. Commission (Case T-678/24)
  Re: annulment of the decision of the Commission of 19 December 2023 on state aid SA.105337 - Germany
• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.116443
• EU to extend relaxed subsidy regime for energy - Draft guidelines show Brussels plans to continue softer policing of state aid curbs to enable green goals - Financial Times

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Deputies) / Attachés & experts - 04 March 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - 04 March 2025
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Înalta Curte de Casație și Justiție (Romania) made on 19 December 2024 - Heineken România SA Vs. Agenția Națională de Administrare Fiscală and Direcția Generală de Administrare a Marilor Contribuabili (Case T-691/24, Heineken România)
  Re: interpretation of Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87; tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff; 2206 00 31, 2206 00 51, 2206 00 81 or under tariff headings 2206 00 39, 2206 00 59
• Action brought on 21 January 2025 – SAIC Motor Corporation and Others Vs. Commission (Case T-25/25)
  Re: Annulment of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2754; definitive countervailing duty; new battery electric vehicle
• Action brought on 21 January 2025 - BYD Auto and Others Vs. Commission - (Case T-26/25)
  Re: Annulment of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2754; definitive countervailing duty; new battery electric vehicle
• Action brought on 21 January 2025 - Zhejiang Geely Automobile and Others Vs. Commission (Case T-29/25)
  Re: Annulment of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2754; definitive countervailing duty; new battery electric vehicle
• Notice of initiation of an expiry review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of steel road wheels originating in the People’s Republic of China (CN codes ex 8708 70 10 , ex 8708 70 99 and ex 8716 90 90)
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Mercosur agreement: agricultural disaster and denial of democracy
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - Monitoring effectiveness and addressing circumvention under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
• 'Reciprocal' tariffs: what's in a word? - Trump's definition does not reflect reciprocity as applied in past multilateral trade negotiations or in equality of tariffs - See Bruegel Analysis

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Report from the Commission on the implementation of Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on market surveillance and compliance of products and amending Directive 2004/42/EC and Regulations (EC) No 765/2008 and (EU) No 305/2011
• Answer given by Mr Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Rules applied by the Commission to determine whether an impact assessment will precede a legislative proposal
• The EU’s sustainability rollback is a retreat disguised as simplification - See CEPS Commentary

CHEMICAL

• Agenda for: Working Party on Technical Harmonisation (Dangerous Substances - Chemicals) - 13 March 2025

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Report from the Commission on ARACHNE - Implementation for CAP expenditure

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 06 March 2025
• Draft Report by MEP Beata Szydło on the security of energy supply in the EU
• Draft Report by MEP Anna Stürgkh: electricity grids: the backbone of the EU energy system
• Evaluation study of the council decision (Euratom) 2021/281 amending decision 2007/198/Euratom establishing the European Joint Undertaking for ITER
• Italy finalised EUR 13 million contribution to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund amidst intensifying attacks on Ukraine

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: 104th Meeting of the Scientific review group on CITES - 13 March 2025
• Agenda for: 30th Environmental Footprint Technical Advisory Board - 21 March 2025
• Agenda for: 29th Environmental Footprint Technical Advisory Board - 14 March 2025
• Agenda for: Ad Hoc Working Party on One Substance One Assessment - 07 March 2025 (Examination of the draft EP amendments)
• EU advancing on 2030 zero-pollution targets but stronger action is needed - See the EEA Report "Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook" & "Fourth Clean Air Outlook" 

DIGITAL, DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 07 March 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on Telecommunications & Information Society - 07 March 2025
• Informal meeting of the EU Ministers for Telecommunication - 04 & 05 March 2025
  - Common mechanisms for cyber threat protection and response in Europe to be discussed at an informal meeting of EU Ministers responsible for Cybersecurity
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Hoge Raad der Nederlanden of 14 November 2024 – Anne Frank Fonds Vs. Anne Frank Stichting, Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, Vereniging voor Onderzoek en Ontsluiting van Historische Teksten (Case C-788/24, Anne Frank Fonds)
  Re: Article 3(1) of the Copyright Directive; VPN or similar service; geo-blocking
• Italy: EIB and INWIT sign €350 million agreement to develop digital telecommunications infrastructure

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 04 & 10 March 2025
• Minutes of the Meeting of the Coreper - 12 & 14 February 2025

EXTERNAL RELATIONS 

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/445 of 27 February 2025 amending for the 345th time Council Regulation (EC) No 881/2002 imposing certain specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities associated with the ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida organisations
• EU boosts humanitarian aid in Bangladesh, Myanmar and for the Rohingya refugee crisis
• European Peace Facility: Council adopts first-ever assistance measure in support of the Armed Forces of Montenegro
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/442 of 28 February 2025 on Union outreach activities in support of the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty 
• Leaders' Statement following the visit of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and College of Commissioners to India, 27-28 February 2025
• The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government, in partnership with the European Union, UNDP, and UN Women, reaffirms its commitment to justice for all under the Provincial Roadmap  

EU/UKRAINE/RUSSIA

• Appeal ppeal brought  on 22 January 2025 by Bogoljub Karić against the judgment of the General Court of 6 November 2024 in Case T-520/22, Karić Vs. Council (Case C-39/25 P)
  Re: Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2022/881; Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/876; Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/421 & Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/419; Belarus
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/437 of 28 February 2025 amending Decision 2014/119/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Ukraine (This Decision shall apply until 6 March 2026)
• Doorstep by President von der Leyen at the leaders' meeting on Ukraine in London
• Remarks by President António Costa following the Leaders’ summit on Ukraine

MIDDLE EAST

• Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/443 of 28 February 2025 appointing the European Union Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process
• Commissioner Šuica in Egypt to strengthen EU-Egypt Partnership and discuss New Pact for the Mediterranean
• EU joins forces with Pakistan to foster sustainable reintegration of returnees
• Israel/Palestine: Statement by the Spokesperson on the ceasefire in Gaza
• Statement by the Spokesperson on the situation in the West Bank
• Sudan: Statement by the Spokesperson calling for a ceasefire