Europe Daily News, 15 April 2025

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11950 - Salling Group / Rimi Baltic)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11899 - SRI / Dunlop Tire Business)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11847 - Hartree / EDF Man Commodities)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11878 - Boliden / Zinkgruvan / Somincor / NAN)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11279 - CTS Eventim / FNAC Darty / France Billet)
• Commission clears acquisition of DFG by A-ware (M.11699) - Midday Express
• Decision of "Nvidia-Run:ai" deal clearance published by EU Commission - See Case M.11766
• Austria - Construction cartel update: Decision against ABO Asphalt-Bau Oeynhausen GmbH legally binding
• Germany - The Bundeskartellamt approved Harry-Brot GmbH's plan to take over the Bergkirchen wholesale bakery of Glockenbrot Bäckerei GmbH & Co. OHG and to establish two joint ventures with the REWE Group
• Finland - The FCCA approves the acquisition between Stora Enso and Junnikkala
• Finland - The FCCA is investigating an arrangement whereby Koskisen Oyj acquires the business of Iisveden Metsä Oy.
• Poland - UOKiK is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its establishment

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.104974; SA.105088; SA.105126; SA.105085 & SA.117244
• Commission approves a €400 million Spanish State aid scheme to support renewable hydrogen production (SA.116676 )

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: 665th meeting of the Export Credits Group - 29 April 2025
• Minutes of the 46th meeting of the Customs Expert Group - Data Integration & Harmonization - 03 February 2025
• Notice of reopening the investigation following the judgment of 5 February 2025 in case T-122/23 regarding Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2390 amending the definitive countervailing duty imposed on imports of certain rainbow trout originating in Türkiye by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/823 following a partial interim review pursuant to Article 19 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1037 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/719 of 14 April 2025 making imports of certain rainbow trout originating in Türkiye subject to registration following the reopening of the investigation in order to implement the judgment of 5 February 2025 in case T-122/23 regarding Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2390
• Council Decision (EU) 2025/536 of 27 January 2025 on the accession of the Kingdom of Tonga to the Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part
• Council Decision (EU) 2025/537 of 27 January 2025 on the accession of Niue to the Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part
• Council Decision (EU) 2025/541 of 27 January 2025 on the accession of Tuvalu to the Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part
• EU pauses countermeasures against US tariffs to allow space for negotiations - See Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/778 & Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/ 786
• Arms export control: Council reviews EU framework strengthening the control and accountability of international arms trade - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/779 and the User's Guide
• WCO Secretary General Ian Saunders addresses first ICAO Global Air Cargo Summit
• Ryanair warns aircraft deliveries at risk from tariff chaos - Airlines and manufacturers prepare for stand-off over cost of levies - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET &  INDUSTRY

• Call for evidence: Cities – new policy agenda - Communication - Feedback period:14 April 2025 - 26 May 2025
• ACEA Fact sheet: EU battery supply chain and import reliance

CHEMICAL

• Provisional Draft Agenda for: 66th meeting of the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis - 10-13 June 2025

FINANCE

• Commission takes steps in facilitating EU capital markets integration - Deadline: 10 June 2025
• ESMA publishes implementing rules on Liquidity Management Tools for funds

TAXATION

• Statement by the OECD/G20 inclusive framework on BEPS
• Council adopts rules to extend cooperation and information exchange between tax authorities to minimum effective corporate taxation

ENERGY

• Communication from the Commission – Guidance on heating and cooling aspects in Articles 15a, 22a, 23 and 24 of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources as amended by Directive (EU) 2023/2413
• Call for evidence: Nuclear illustrative programme - Communication - Feedback period: 14 April 2025 - 12 May 2025
• EU explores legal options for ending Russian gas deals - Brussels says invoking ‘force majeure’ clause would allow contract termination without penalties - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• 2024, the hottest year on record in Europe - See the Report - Midday Express
• Commission invests €86 million to improve climate resilience and water security - See the LIFE Strategic Projects
• Call for evidence: Modernisation Fund – first evaluation of the operating rules - Evaluation - Feedback period:14 April 2025 - 12 May 2025

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Call for evidence: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control – evaluation - Report - Feedback period:14 April 2025 - 12 May 2025

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• The Council adopted a decision to conclude an EU-Canada passenger name record agreement
• Decision No 1/2024 of the Community/Switzerland Inland Transport Committee of 13 December 2024 as regards the amendment of Annexes 1, 5 and 8 to the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on the Carriage of Goods and Passengers by Rail and Road and the amendment to Committee Decision No 2/2019
• Commissioner Tzitzikostas hosts implementation dialogue on high-speed rail

DIGITAL, DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Commission invests €140 million to deploy key digital technologies - Midday Express
  
• EDPB adopts guidelines on processing personal data through blockchains and is ready to cooperate with AI office on guidelines on AI Act and EU data protection law
  - Guidelines 02/2025 on processing of personal data through blockchain technologies
• Opinion 3/2025 on the draft decision of the French Supervisory Authority (FR SA) regarding the “Lexing GDPR certification criteria”

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, to visit Cyprus and Greece
• ECB - April 2025 euro area bank lending survey

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Possible items for College agendas from 6 May to 25 June 2025

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Main results of the Foreign Affairs Council - 14 April 2025
• Main results of the 1st EU-Palestine High-Level Political Dialogue - 14 April 2025
  - Press remarks by High Representative Kaja Kallas after the meeting
  - Statement by the High Representative on the High-Level Dialogue between the EU and the Palestinian Authority
• Main results of the Fourth Accession Conference with Albania - EU opens negotiations on the internal market cluster - 14 April 2025
• Iran: 7 individuals and 2 entities targeted by EU’s sanctions over serious human rights violations - See Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/776 & Decision (CFSP) 2025/774
• EU and Member States pledge over €522 million to address Sudan crisis
• EU issues US-bound staff with burner phones over spying fears - EC officials heading to IMF and World Bank spring meetings advised to travel with basic devices - Financial Times
• Britain should embrace European and other middle powers - With the US and China facing off in a tariff war, the time has come for the UK to pivot - Financial Times