Europe Daily News, 18 March 2025

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11793 - Mytheresa  / YNAP)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11872 - Triton / Keenfinity)
• Commission clears acquisition of BGC Cementitious by Holcim and Heidelberg (M.11875) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Omega Healthcare by Goldman Sachs and OTPP (M.11921) - Midday Express
• Belgium - The Competition Authority approves the acquisition of joint control over PGB by Waterland Private Equity Investments
• Belgium - The Competition Authority sends a statement of objections to the Roche Group concerning exclusionary practices aimed at biosimilars of two of its anticancer medicines
• Czech Republic - ACCOM Czech pays a fine of CZK 1,560,000 for abuse of significant market power
• Czech Republic -  EC approves second Czech programme to support affordable rental housing
• Hungary - GVH to investigate Nitrogénművek's cartel in a new procedure
• Lithuania - The Competition Council to carry out targeted inspections the Digital sector 
• Lithuania - Extension of the period of the interim measures (3 months) imposed on MM Group

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.57982
• Commission approves €960 million Czech State aid scheme to support investments in strategic sectors (SA.117292)

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union - 25 March 2025
• Agenda for: Meeting of the CETA Committee on wines and spirits - 18 March 2025
• Council Decision (EU) 2025/490 of 18 February 2025 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of an Agreement on the participation of the Republic of Croatia in the European Economic Area, and of three related agreements

CBAM

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/486 of 17 March 2025 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2023/956 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the conditions and procedures related to the status of authorised CBAM declarant
• A Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism fit for the power sector - See the Eurelectric position paper

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Public consultation: Ensuring the quality of data from chemical testing – the Good Laboratory Practice Directives (evaluation) - Evaluation - Feedback period: 14 March 2025 - 06 June 2025
• Minutes of the 6th (High-level) meeting of the European Semiconductor Board - 02 December 2024
• Draft Council Conclusions "Towards the EU strategy on AI in science" - Revised text for informal silence procedure

CHEMICAL

• Agenda for: Working Party on Technical Harmonisation (Dangerous Substances - Chemicals) - 14 March 2025
• Commission Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards carcinogens, germ cell mutagens or reproductive toxicants subject to restrictions - See the Annex
• European Ombudsman examines ECHA’s refusal to give full public access to a document on export of seeds treated with pesticides

FINANCE

• SRB - Public consultation on the Operational Guidance on resolvability testing for banks
• The EBA updates technical standards on the joint decision process for internal model authorisation
• EBA Chair: José Manuel Campa interview with Les Echos: Basel III is a good reform, we must go through with it

ENERGY

• Main results - Meeting of the TTE Council (Energy), 17 March 2025
• Call for evidence: Ecodesign requirements for circulators (review) - Regulation - Feedback period: 14 March 2025 - 11 April 2025
• ACER - Expanding EU energy market integration is key for EU decarbonisation and global competitiveness
• ACER is gathering Power Purchase Agreement templates for EU energy markets

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Tobacco track and trace systems
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Infection prevention and action against antimicrobial resistance, including innovative therapies
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Decision-making authority under the WHO pandemic prevention, preparedness and response accord
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - European Commission involvement in implementing the WHO Pandemic Agreement and ensuring transparency

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• 2024 sees 3% drop in EU road fatalities, yet progress remains slow
• Report from the Commission - Review of Regulation (EU) 2015/757 on the monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport in relation to the potential inclusion of ships below 5 000 gross tonnage but not below 400 gross tonnage

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Commission proposes to extend adequacy decisions for the UK by six months for free and safe data flows - Midday Express
• EDPB - Report on the use of SPE external experts in 2024

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• A more dynamic and strategic Cohesion Policy: delivering change in the current and next perspective - Exchange of views
• The European Commission has approved a €122 million disbursement for Estonia's Recovery and Resilience Plan - Midday Express
• The European Commission issues a positive assessment of Latvia's payment request worth €293 Million under NextGenerationEU following positive Commission assessment
• Banking in the negative: a vector error correction analysis of bank-specific lending and deposit rates - ECB Working Paper Series No.3039

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Main results - Meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council - 17 March 2025 - Remarks by HR Kaja Kallas
  - Moldova: Council gives final green light to support reforms and economic growth with €1.9 billion
  - ISIL(Da'esh) and Al-Qaeda: the Council adds one entity to its autonomous list of sanctions
  - Democratic Republic of the Congo: EU lists further nine individuals and one entity
• EU strengthens digital and economic ties with Uzbekistan under Global Gateway
• EU Allocates €200,000 in Humanitarian Aid for Congolese Asylum Seekers in Burundi
• With EU support UNESCO launches initiative to preserve the Jewish documentary heritage of Ukraine
• 9th Brussels Conference on Syria
  - Speech by President von der Leyen
  - EU pledges €2.5 billion to support Syria and the region
  - The EU mobilises international support for Syria's transition and the region raising €5.8 billion