Europe Daily News, 05 March 2025

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11857 - Oaktree / Basalt / JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11919 - Pure Health Holding / Hellenic Healthcare)
  
• Commission clears acquisition of TI Fluid Systems by ABC Technologies (M.11835) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Larus by Igneo and the Höegh Family Group (M.11870) - Midday Express
• Austria - Supernova/XXXLutz: BWB closes investigations on suspicion of illegal implementation of a merger
• Germany - Organisation chart of the Bundeskartellamt as updated on 05 March 2025
• Poland - Coffee-machine importer Jura, distributors get Polish fines for pricing collusion
• UK - Grocery retailer addresses over 100 land agreements which restrict rivals opening nearby

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.116309

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Working Party on Dual Use Goods - 12 March 2025
• Agenda for: 6th Meeting of the Committee on Government Procurement under the Agreement between the EU and Japan for an Economic Partnership -12 March 2025
• Agenda for: 4th Meeting of the Committee on Trade in Services, Investment Liberalisation & Electronic Commerce under the Agreement between the EU and Japan for an Economic Partnership - 13 March 2025
• EU will stand in solidarity with Canadian and Mexican partners - See the EP INTA Statement - Politico.eu
• Clarification of the procedures for the addition of GIs to current lists of Annex XVIII to the Association Agreement between the EU and Central America
  
• Europe’s clampdown on Chinese EVs forces U-turn at state-owned GAC - Carmaker looks at hybrids and local production after tariffs lead to strategic overhaul - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Modification of the calculation method for financial sanctions proposed by the Commission in infringement proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union
• Commission boosts European automotive industry's global competitiveness - See the Q&A and FactSheet
  - Communication: Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector & FactSheet
  - Communication: Decarbonise Corporate Fleets & FactSheet
• President von der Leyen launches "Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the Steel sector"

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL AFFAIRS

• A Union of Skills to equip people for a competitive Europe - See the Q&A, FactSheet and the Communication

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the EP ENVI Committee - 06 March 2025
• Commission Delegated Decision (EU) …/… amending Decision 2000/532/EC as regards an update of the list of waste in relation to battery-related waste
• Commission guides Member States on Social Climate Plans and green safeguards for the Social Climate Fund - Technical guidance on applying the ‘do no significant harm’ principle 
• Commission Notice on the interpretation and implementation of certain legal provisions of the EU Taxonomy Environmental Delegated Act, the EU Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act and the EU Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act
• EFPIA seeks clarity on Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive in the European Courts
• Watering down of car CO2 targets will make electric cars more expensive and less accessible for consumers -See Beuc Statement

ENERGY

• European Commission and World Bank Group join forces to expand Energy Access in Africa
• QaA on the 2-year externsion  of the Gas Storage Regulation and Recommendation to the Member States - see the Q&A
• Successful synchronisation of the Baltic electricity systems with the Continental Europe Synchronous Area - Information from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
• Call for evidence: Energy efficiency - review of energy labelling for professional refrigerators - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 03 March 2025 - 31 March 2025
• Call for evidence: Energy efficiency - review of ecodesign requirements for professional refrigeration products - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 03 March 2025 - 31 March 2025

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Amendment of protective measures against pests of plants - measures against Anoplophora - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 03 March 2025 - 31 March 2025
• Measures related to specific plant pests - Anoplophora chinensis & Anoplophora glabripennis - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 03 March 2025 - 31 March 2025
• Exchange of views on the Strategic report of the Critical Medicines Alliance
• ECDC - Tenth external quality assessment scheme for Listeria monocytogenes typing in EU/EEA and EU enlargement countries, 2023
• EU project launched to prepare health workers for a digital future - Medical schools, engineers and technologists are coming together to accelerate innovation in patient care - Financial Times

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Commission adopts decision on Schiphol Airport noise reduction plan - Midday Express

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Telecommunications & Information Society - 11 March 2025
• Answer given by EVP Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated accounts on social media
• Answer given by Mr McGrath to a MEP written question - TikTok campaign in Romania
• BEUC joins civil society and challenger companies in urging Commission to take action against Google on Digital Markets Act 

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Commission launches process to allow free and safe data flows with the European Patent Organisation
• EDPB - CEF 2025: Launch of coordinated enforcement on the right to erasure

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Council establishes position for the progressive launch of a new digital border management system

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Possible items for College agendas from 11 March to 16 April 2025
• Letter by President von der Leyen on Defence to the European Council ahead of its meeting on 06 March 2025

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Speech by President António Costa at the Emergency summit of the League of Arab States on Gaza

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• Judgment of the Court of 05 March 2025 in Case T-249/22, Alexander Ponomarenko Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: CFSP - Restrictive measures taken in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine - Freezing of funds - Restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - List of persons, entities and bodies to whom the freezing of funds and economic resources applies or who are subject to restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant's name on the list - Concept of ‘material or financial support for Russian decision-makers’ - Article 2, Article 2(1)(d) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Concept of ‘association’ - Article 2(1), in fine, of Decision 2014/145 - Right to a fair trial - Right to effective judicial protection - Rights of the defence - Obligation to state reasons - Proportionality - Right to property - Equal treatment’
• Commissioner Kos visits the European Investment Bank to sign €1.95 billion guarantee under Ukraine Facility - Midday Express