Europe Daily News, 24 January 2025

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11575 - Repsol / Bunge / Bisa)
• Commission clears acquisition of Connexa by CDPQ and OTTP (M.11836) - Midday Express
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by Permira and BasicNet (M.11808) - Midday Express
• Belgium: Notification - CONC.CCS.24/0040: L. Louyet SA / Quevrain Management SA
• UK - CMA secures important changes from Google to tackle fake reviews 

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union - 29 January 2025
• Agenda for: Meeting of the ACP Working Party - 28 January 2025
• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Experts - Services & Investment) - 29 January 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - 27 January 2025
• Agenda for: Customs Programme - 27th Plenary Meeting of the Customs Laboratories European Network (CLEN) - 20 February 2025
• Minutes of the 68th meeting of the Customs Expert Group, Tariff & Statistical Nomenclature Section, Heads of Tariff - 13 December 2024
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/114 of 23 January 2025 imposing a definitive countervailing duty on imports of electric bicycles originating in the People’s Republic of China following an expiry review pursuant to Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1037 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/120 of 23 January 2025 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of electric bicycles, originating in the People’s Republic of China following an expiry review pursuant to Article 11(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Decision No 1/2025 of the EU-Switzerland Joint Committee of 13 January 2025 amending Tables III and IV of Protocol 2 to the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Swiss Confederation of 22 July 1972 
• Draft opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – Proposal for a Regulation on the screening of foreign investments in the EU
• Joint Statement of EU and Global Industry & Trade Associations on International Customs Day 2025, asking EU’s political decision-makers for smarter, faster and more secure border management
• Amid tensions, Algeria’s Tebboune seeks to re-negotiate EU association agreement - The Arab Weekly
• German election frontrunner warns of ‘great risk’ for companies investing in China - Friedrich Merz says Berlin will not help businesses if they are forced to write off investments - Financial Times
• Ministers weigh signing up UK to Europe customs scheme - EU trade chief says adding Britain to pan-European area is something Brussels ‘could consider’ - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on detergents and surfactants, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 - First 4-column table
• Commission launches calls for feedback on Net-Zero Industry Act secondary legislation
  - Implementing Act on non-price criteria in renewable energy auctions
  - Delegated act on primarily used components under the NZIA
  - Implementing Act on main specific components relevant for the NZIA access to markets chapter
  - Implementing Act on strategic project selection criteria

AUTOMOTIVE

• German S&D MEPs take a stand for automotive sector - See the Position Paper

RAW MATERIALS

• Setting standards for critical raw materials - State of play and future prospects - see CEPS In-Depth Analysis - January 2025

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Agriculture & Fisheries Council - 27 January 2024
  - Outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Germany (Brandenburg) - Information from Germany
  - Western Mediterranean fisheries management: legal and scientific actions - Information from Spain on behalf of France, Italy and Spain
  - The need to better combat unfair trading practices and to prevent the abuse of a dominant position by certain actors in the food supply chain - Information from Slovakia supported by Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia
• Agenda for: Working Party on Forestry - 30 January 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on Genetic Resources & Innovation in Agriculture (Production and marketing of forest reproductive material) - 05 & 06 February 2025
• EU agri-food exports and imports reached record levels in October 2024

ENERGY

• Judgment of the Court of 23 January 2025 in Case C‑518/23, Bundesverband der Verbraucherzentralen und Verbraucherverbände – Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband e.V. Vs. NEW Niederrhein Energie und Wasser GmbH
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Consumer protection - Unfair commercial practices - Directive 2005/29/EC - Article 7 - Misleading omissions - Invitation to purchase - Material information - Information to be provided to the consumer on the manner in which the price is calculated - Online electricity supply offer - Tariff calculator - Indication of a percentage increase in the price applicable to the consumer
• Answer given by Mr Jørgensen to a MEP written question - Unreasonably high electricity prices
• Advancing renewable energy integration: ECRB report on regulatory developments and flexibility

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Minutes & Working Documents of the Meeting of the Expert Group of the EU Ecolabelling Board - 27 November 2024
• LIFE is looking rosy for the pink waters of Natura 2000 site Atanasovsko lake
• Bringing urban wastewater back to LIFE
• France urges Brussels to indefinitely delay EU green rules for business - Economy minister calls for focus on laws that complicate life for companies and slow their growth - Politico.eu

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Minutes of the Expert Group on Tobacco Policy - 08 October 2024
• Commission signs joint procurement contract for COVID-19 vaccines to ensure preparedness and continued protection of citizens- Midday Express

EFSA

• Scientific Opinion - Commodity risk assessment of debarked conifer wood chips fumigated with sulfuryl fluoride from the US
• Scientific Opinion - Assessment of the feed additive consisting of Pediococcus acidilactici NCIMB 30005 for all animal species for the renewal of its authorisation (Microferm ltd.)

EMA

• 25 new medicines recommended for approval; two with a new active substance

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Agenda for: 11th Meeting of the Expert Group on Urban Mobility - 30 January 2025
  
• Minutes of the 18th meeting of the European eCall Implementation Platform - 29 November 2024

DIGITAL, DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 27 January 2025
• Opinion 01/2025 on the draft decision of the French Supervisory Authority regarding the Controller Binding Corporate Rules of the Coface Group
• EDPB - AI: Complex Algorithms and effective Data Protection Supervision
• EDPB - Data scraping: French Supervisory Authority fined KASPR €240 000
• EDPB - The French Supervisory Authority fines ORANGE €50 million
• Beuc - Consumer groups red card Meta’s latest pay-or-consent policy

AREA OF FREEDOM,  SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Judgment of the Court of 23 January 2025 in Case C‑187/23, [Albausy], (i) E.V.G.-T. other interested parties: P.T., F.T., G.T.
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Article 267 TFEU - Concept of ‘court or tribunal’ - Judicial cooperation in civil matters - European Certificate of Succession - Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 - Article 67(1) - Decisions taken by the issuing authority - No exercise of a judicial function - Inadmissibility
• Judgment of the Court of 23 January 2025 in Case C‑677/23, A. B., F. B. Vs. Slovenská sporitel’ňa a.s.,
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Consumer protection - Credit agreements for consumers - Directive 2008/48/EC - Requirements relating to information to be included in such a credit agreement - Duty to provide information - Duration of the agreement - Annual percentage rate of charge (APRC) - Assumptions used in order to calculate the APRC

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• The ECB needs a rethink of its policy approach - The central bank should be forward-looking and signal its equilibrium level for rates - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council - 27 January 2024
• MEPs: support for Venezuela’s opposition is a “moral duty” - see the EP Resolution
• European Parliament denounces unrestrained repression of human rights - see the EP Resolution
• MEPs call for immediate release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal - see the EP Resolution
• European Parliament rejects Russia’s disinformation and historical falsification to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine - see the EP Resolution
• EU and UNOPS launch the EU4Digital Justice project: “Support to the Rule of Law through Digital Transformation”
• The European Union launches New Civil Society Actions to support Refugees in Armenia

RESTRICTIVE MEASURES

• Statement by the HR/VP on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Venezuela (Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/43)
• Statement by the HR/VP on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Venezuela (Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/49)
• Statement by the HR/VP on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries establishing restrictive measures against those who support, facilitate or enable violent actions by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/85)

EUROPEAN DEFENCE

• Quick march! Ten steps for a European defence surge - see EPC Policy Brief
• The case for a European Defence Compact - The EU needs a European Defence Compact uniting a coalition of likeminded countries to swiftly deliver and finance joint defence capabilities - See Bruegel Paper