Europe Daily News, 25 February 2025

COMPETITION

• A refusal by an undertaking in a dominant position to ensure that its platform is interoperable with an app of another undertaking, which thereby becomes more attractive, can be abusive (See CPR Nº 19/2025 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-233/23,Alphabet and Others)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11821 - Segro / PSPIB / Real Estate Assets)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11795 - Yunex / VVP / Ascendi / Triangle JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11841 - Tikehau Capital / Armira Group / FTAPI)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11853 - Novo Holdings / TA Associates / Biocomposites) 
• Commission clears the acquisition of Yoko by GreenYellow, STOA and DEG (M.11891) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Zzoomm and Full Fibre by Oaktree and Basalt (M.11857) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Gigamon by Siris Capital Group and Elliott Investment Management (M.11824) - Midday Express

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.116931
• Commission Decision (EU) 2025/317 of 20 June 2024 on the measures State Aid SA.44944 (2019/C ex 2016/FC) and SA.53552 (2019/C ex 2019/FC) - Tax treatment of public casinos operators – and alleged guarantee for public casinos operators (Wirtschaftlichkeitsgarantie) – Germany

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) …/... amending Regulation (EU) 2019/287 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards specific provisions contained in the Interim Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Chile
  
• WTO - Panel to examine measures adopted by Türkiye targeting Chinese electric vehicle imports

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: 8th meeting of the Commission Expert Group on Machinery - 11 April 2025
• Minutes for: 7th meeting of the Commission Expert Group on Machinery - 17 October 2024
• President von der Leyen will hold Strategic Dialogue on Steel on 4 March, and announces Steel and Metals Action Plan

FINANCE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the CEG on Banking, Payments and Insurance - 17th March 2025
• Minutes of the 46th CEG on Banking, Payments and Insurance (EGBPI) (Payments formation) - 17 October 2024

TAXATION

• Agenda for: Working Party on Tax Questions (High Level) - 26 February 2025
• Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation) - Subgroup on internal and external issues

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Main results - Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 24 February 2025
  - Communication on a vision for agriculture and food
  - Market situation, in particular following the invasion of Ukraine – Information from the Commission and the member states
  - Proposal for a regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats? the need to address the specific situation of hunting dogs – Information from Slovakia

ENVIRONMENT CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: 36th CEG Meeting of the competent CITES Management Authorities - 14 March 2025
• Agenda for: Meeting of the CEG on climate change policy (Social Climate Fund Formation) - 06 March 2025
• Agenda for: 31st Meeting of the “Multi-Stakeholder Platform on Protecting and Restoring the World’s Forests” (Deforestation) - 04 March 2025
• Minutes of the 30th Meeting of the “Multi-Stakeholder Platform on Protecting and Restoring the World’s Forests” - 06 December 2024
• Minutes & Working Documents - CEG on Circular Economy and Sustainable Production and Consumption - 23 January 2025

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• SCHEER - Minutes of the Working Group meeting on Brain stimulators of 4 February 2025
• SCCS - Scientific Advice open for comments on the safety of Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate - DHHB (deadline: 25 April 2025)

TRANSPORT MOBILITY

• Decision No 2/2025 of the Joint Committee established by the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road of 17 January 2025 as regards the recognition of smart tachographs for the enforcement of the Agreement and the provision by the European Commission of smart tachograph certification services to Ukraine

AREA OF FREEDOM SECURITY JUSTICE

• Judgment of the Court of 25 February 2025 in Case C-339/22, BSH Hausgeräte GmbH Vs. Electrolux AB
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Jurisdiction and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters - Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 - Article 4(1) - General jurisdiction - Article 24(4) - Exclusive jurisdiction - Jurisdiction over the registration or validity of patents - Infringement action - European patent validated in Member States and in a non-member State - Challenge to the validity of the patent by way of plea - International jurisdiction of the court hearing the infringement action ’
• Judicial independence: the Court of Justice clarifies the requirements of EU law concerning the determination of national judges’ remuneration (See CPR Nº 20/2025 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Joined Cases C-146/23, C-374/23, Sąd Rejonowy w Białymstoku)

EURO, ECB & ECONOMY

• Commission strengthens further the European Union's financial risk management framework - See the Commission Decision

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 26 February 2025

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Main results - EU-Israel Association Council, 24 February 2025 - See the EU Statement
• Main results - Meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, 24 February 2025
  - updated Common Military List of the European Union
• Council appoints new EU Special Representative for Central Asia and extends the mandate of the EUSR for the Gulf region

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/386 of 24 February 2025 implementing Article 8a of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/385 of 24 February 2025 amending Decision 2012/642/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine
• Remarks by President António Costa at the International summit on the support of Ukraine

OTHER RESTRICTIVE MEASURES

• The Commission welcomes the suspension of restrictive measures concerning key economic sectors in Syria - see Council Regulation (EU) 2025/407, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/408 & Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/406
• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/376 of 24 February 2025 implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2147 concerning restrictive measures in view of activities undermining the stability and political transition of Sudan
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/377 of 24 February 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2023/2135 concerning restrictive measures in view of activities undermining the stability and political transition of Sudan