Europe Daily News, 08 April 2025

COMPETITION

• Commission published its Decision approving acquisition by SNAM of the joint control of Terminale GNL Adriatico (M.11568)
• Poland : UOKIK has given its conditional approval for the concentration between Medicover capital group and CityFit and CityFit Blue fitness clubs
• Spain - The CNMC concludes its sanctioning process against Hermandad Farmacéutica del Mediterráneo
• Romania - The Competition Council approved the takeover of Toshiba Materials Co., Ltd, by Interaa Co., Ltd
• Romania - The Competition Council approved the outsourcing of certain services of OMV Petrom S.A. to Eugen Trans S.R.L.
• Romania - The Competition Council has launched an investigation into the market for the sale of medical products and equipment used in epidemic situations
• Car recycling cartel exposed, NGOs demand accountability and transparency - See the EEB Statement
• Top EU official downplays expectations over Apple, Meta digital fines - The bloc’s DMA is about compliance, not fines, says Olivier Guersent - Politico.eu

STATE AID

• State aid Scoreboard for 2024 shows Member States focused State aid expenditures towards long-term key EU priorities

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: 665th meeting of the Export Credits Group - 29 April 2025
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Trade Policy Committee (Experts - Services & Investment) - 15 April 2025
• Main results Meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) - 07 April 2025
• Remarks by Commissioner Šefčovič at the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade)
• Minutes of the 265th meeting of the Tariff & Statistical Nomenclature - (Textiles & Mechanical/Miscellaneous Sub-section) of the Customs Code Committee - 17 to 19 February 2025
• WTO - Committee advances discussions on trade-related climate measures and technology transfer
• EUCDM 7.0 Release: Enhancing customs data efficiency across the EU

CBAM

• Amendments 1- 8: Draft opinion by MEP Karin Karlsbro - Amending Regulation (EU) 2023/956 as regards simplifying and strengthening the carbon border adjustment mechanism
• Amendments 2- 17: Draft budgetary assessment by MEP Sandra Gómez López - Amending Regulation (EU) 2023/956 as regards simplifying and strengthening the carbon border adjustment mechanism
• CBAM simplification - BusinessEurope calls for a swift adoption of CBAM simplification proposals

EU/US TARIFFS

• Read-out of the phone call between President von der Leyen and Chinese Premier Li Qiang
• Press statement by President von der Leyen with Norwegian Prime Minister Støre (US Tariffs)
• Canada files WTO dispute against US on car tariffs
• ACEA urges dialogue to resolve auto tariffs, avoid harmful response and step up EU competitiveness
• EU agonizes over using its trade ‘bazooka’ to hit back at Trump’s mega tariff - Politico.eu
• Trump says EU must buy $350B of US energy to get tariff relief - Politico.eu
• US tariffs create ‘urgent’ problem for Germany, says Friedrich Merz - Chancellor-in-waiting comments after Donald Trump announced 20% levies on all European exports - Financial Times
• EU drops bourbon, wine and dairy products from tariffs list against US - ‘We are not in the business of tit-for-tat or penny for penny’, says EU commissioner Maroš Šefčovič - Financial Times
• US tariffs threaten almost $2tn of investment pledges by global companies - Businesses with supply chains vulnerable to sweeping duties had been hoping to negotiate concessions from Washington - Financial Times
• Can companies exploit differences between Trump’s tariff rates? - Shifting parts of a product’s supply chain may cut charges under ‘rules of origin’ but trying to take advantage comes with risks - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Read-out of the Dialogue on Steel and Metals
• Read-out of the Dialogue with the Automotive Industry
• Public consultation Digital product passport – rules for service providers - Delegated decision - Feedback period: 08 April 2025 - 01 July 2025

FINANCE

• EBA publishes its Peer Review on the performance of stress tests by Deposit Guarantee Schemes
• ESMA fines Modefinance S.r.l. €420,000 for misleadingly using ESMA’s name in statements related to its credit rating activities

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• EU agri-food exports reach record levels of €235.4 billion in 2024 - See the Report
• Combatting unfair trading practices in the agri-food supply chain: Council agrees position on new rules for cross-border enforcement
• Minutes of the Meeting of the Commission Expert Group - European Union Sugar Market Observatory - 25 March 2025
• Wine package: Implementation of the recommendations of the High-Level Group on wine policy - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 07 April 2025 - 02 June 2025

ENERGY

• Energy efficient buildings: templates for sending information to the EU Building Stock Observatory (implementing act) - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 07 April 2025 - 05 May 2025

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (UNECE and other regional issues) - 08 April 2025
• Speech by President von der Leyen at the 2025 Cleantech Conference
• Draft act: Emissions limits (effort sharing) – amending the Union Registry Regulation - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 07 April 2025 - 05 May 2025
• Draft act: Land use, land use change and forestry – amending the Registry Union Regulation - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 07 April 2025 - 05 May 2025
• Answer given by Ms Roswall to a MEP written question - Closer-to-nature forestry initiative and the planned EU certification framework
• EEA launches 'Our environment : Our future' campaign

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for: Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed
  - Section: Novel Food and Toxicological safety of the food chain - 10 April 2025
  - Section: Genetically modified food and feed and environmental risk - 11 April 2025
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Pesticide residues on soybean imports
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Why did the Pfizer/BionTech agreement waive serialisation?
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Traceability of active ingredients in medications sold in the European Union

SCHEER

• Scientific Opinion on "Draft Environmental Quality Standards for PFAS total under the Water Framework Directive"
• Minutes of the Inter-committee Coordination Group (ICCG) meeting - 28 March 2025
  

EMA 

• Guidance on good manufacturing practice and good distribution practice: Q&A
• PRAC recommendations on signals - Adopted at the 10-13 March 2025 PRAC meeting
• Highlight report from the 13th Industry stakeholder platform on research and development support

DIGITAL, DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 11 April 2025
• Agenda for: 24th meeting of the Committee established under Article 93 of the General Data Protection Regulation - 28 April 2025
• Joint Statement: Unleashing Europe’s Digital potential through powerful connectivity – A call for bold action

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• The procedural acts of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) that are capable of affecting the legal situation of the persons challenging them must be amenable to judicial review (See CPR Nº 45/2025 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-292/23, EPPO)

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Call for evidence: EU strategic approach to the Black Sea - Joint communication - Feedback period: 07 April 2025 - 05 May 2025
• EU announces €41 million in humanitarian aid for people in need in Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean
• Montenegro: remarks by HR/VP Kaja Kallas at the presentation of the European Peace Facility equipment to Armed forces
• Montenegro: remarks by HR/VP Kaja Kallas at the joint press conference with Prime Minister of Montenegro
• G7: Statement by Foreign Ministers on China’s large-scale military drills around Taiwan
• FaQ: European Commission: February 2025 update to EU sanctions concerning Syria

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/700 of 7 April 2025 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine
• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/701 of 7 April 2025 implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/395 amending Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine
• Council Decision (EU) 2025/702 of 17 March 2025 authorising the European Commission to take part, on behalf of the Union, in the negotiations for an international instrument setting up an International Claims Commission for Ukraine
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/697 of 7 April 2025 on an assistance measure under the European Peace Facility to support the Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova