COMPETITION
- Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11827 - LDC / Viterra Assets)
- Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11795 - Yunex / VVP / Ascendi / Triangle JV)
- Commission clears creation of joint venture by DP World and Arcese (M.11764) - Midday Express
- The quest to create European corporate champions - Worries about the EU’s waning competitiveness have prompted a rethink of merger rules that prioritised consumers - Financial Times
- Ministers force out chair of UK’s competition regulator - Marcus Bokkerink replaced at CMA with government saying it wants pro-business decisions to drive prosperity and growth - Financial Times
STATE AID
- Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.103325
TRADE & CUSTOMS
- The screening of foreign investments in the Union and repealing Regulation (EU) 2019/452 of the European Parliament and of the Council - See the Draft Opinion & Amendments 26-200
- Corrigendum - Council Decision on the accession of Tuvalu, Niue and Kingdom of Tonga to the Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part - Adoption
- Commission notice concerning the application of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin or the protocols on rules of origin providing for diagonal cumulation between the Contracting Parties to this Convention
- Protocol of the 7th meeting of the Kazakhstan-EU Cooperation Committee in Trade Configuration - 09 April 2024
- Minutes of the 39th meeting of the EU-Türkiye Customs Union Joint Committee (CUJC) - 27 & 28 November 2023
- CETA - Trade and Sustainable Development Committee Joint Work Plan 2024-2025 - Proposed Themes/Activities
- Joint Report of the 6th meeting of the Canada-European Union CETA Committee on Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) -10 & 11 April 2024
- Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on MEP written question - Niche Fused Alumina factory in La Bâthie (France) and the white corundum market
- Heads of WTO, WCO sign agreement to boost cooperation on trade and customs matters
- WTO - Over 80 per cent of global merchandise trade is on most-favoured-nation basis
- Five takeaways on Donald Trump’s opening trade salvo - President vows to correct ‘unfair practices’ as US trading partners prepare for an era of tariffs - Financial Times
- China sees room to avert trade war with Donald Trump despite tariff threat - New US president hints at potential agreement linking TikTok ownership with tariffs - Financial Times
CBAM
- Most important features for the Declarant Portal for release CBAM 1.4.0.1, as of 17 January 2025
- CBAM Quarterly Report structure XSD and “stypes.xsd” (ZIP format & XLS format), as of 17 January 2025
INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY
- Agenda for: Working Party on Intellectual Property - 31 January 2025
- Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Internal Market) - 27 January 2025
AUTOMOTIVE
- New car registrations: +0.8% in 2024; battery-electric 13.6% market share - See Acea Statement
CHEMICAL
- ECHA adds five hazardous chemicals to the Candidate List and updates one entry - ECHA/NR/25/02
TAXATION
- Agenda for: Meeting of the Fiscal Counsellors / Attachés from the Permanent Representations - 31 January 2025
- United States withdraws from international reform of corporate minimum tax - Europeans feel hit - See the Memorandum
- Donald Trump threatens to double tax rates for foreign nationals and companies - President orders officials to draw up retaliatory measures against ‘extraterritorial’ taxes - Financial Times
AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES
- Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 27 January 2025:
- Joint letter of MED9 Ministers related to the need for preparedness and response to the increased risks of climate change in the Mediterranean region - Information from Cyprus on behalf of Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain
- Reducing administrative burden for organic farmers and processors - Information from Germany, supported by Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia
ENERGY
- Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 28 January 2025
- Czech EPH among bidders for German energy company Uniper - Reuters
- International Energy Agency warns gas markets will remain tight in 2025 - see the IEA Gas Market Report, Q1-2025
- Drax lobbied Canada for intervention on EU forest protection measures - Protection rules for old growth and primary forests questioned by UK energy group fuelled by wood pellets - Financial Times
ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE
- Regulation (EU) 2025/40 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 on packaging and packaging waste, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Directive (EU) 2019/904, and repealing Directive 94/62/EC
- EU Green Week 2025: Circular solutions for a competitive Europe - Save the date for Europe’s leading environmental conference in Brussels from 3-5 June
HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY
- Commission Implementing Decision on the financing of the Union contributions to international health and food safety agreements and the adoption of the work programme for 2025, 2026 and 2027
EFSA
- Modification of the existing maximum residue level for acequinocyl in strawberries
- The EU Pollinator Hub: Operationalisation of the EU Bee Partnership Platform for Harmonised Data Collection and Sharing Among Stakeholders on Bees and Pollinators
DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY
- Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Internet addiction
- Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Liability of online marketplaces
- Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen to a MEP written question - AI Act implementation relief – implications for tech startups and SMEs
- Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Liability of online marketplaces for products sold through their services
AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE
- Regulation (EU) 2025/41 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 on import, export and transit measures for firearms, essential components and ammunition, implementing Article 10 of the United Nations Protocol against the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UN Firearms Protocol) (recast)
ECB, EURO & ECONOMY
- Main results of the Economic &Financial Affairs Council - 21 January 2025
- Stability and growth pact: Council adopts recommendations to countries under excessive deficit procedure
- Recovery and resilience fund: Council greenlights the amended plans of Greece, Cyprus and Spain
- Economic governance framework: Council sets fiscal expenditure paths for 21 member states - Remarks by Commissioner Dombrovskis at the ECOFIN press conference
- The Commission receives France's fourth payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, amounting to €3.26 billion - Midday Express
- EVP Fitto in Finland to visit the Eastern border regions and discuss the future of EU Cohesion Policy and the Recovery and Resilience Plan - Midday Express
FUTURE OF EUROPE
- Minutes of the Meeting of the Coreper - 11, 13 and 16 December 2024
- Report by President António Costa to the European Parliament plenary session
- Speech by President António Costa at the meeting of the Conference of the Presidents of the Outermost Regions
- Speech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament Plenary on the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 19 December 2024
- Von der Leyen warns on ‘fracturing’ global economy - German vice-chancellor Robert Habeck says Europe must not ‘let ourselves be pushed around’ - see the Special Address by President von der Leyen - Financial Times
- Are bad governments a threat to sovereign defaults? The effects of political risk on debt sustainability - see Bruegel Working Paper
EXTERNAL RELATIONS
- Agenda for: Working Party on the Western Balkans region - 23 January 2025
- European Peace Facility: Council adopts the third assistance measure in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/129
RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE
- Judgment of the General Court of 22 January 2025 in Case T‑271/22, Andrey Melnichenko, Vs. Council of the European Union, supported by European Commission
Re: CFSP - Restrictive measures adopted in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine - Freezing of funds - List of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources - Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on the list - Concept of ‘leading businessperson involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation’ - Article 2(1)(g) of Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Article 3(1)(g) of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 - Error of assessment - Proportionality - Right to property - Right to respect for private life
EU/UK RELATIONS
- Agenda for: Working Party on the United Kingdom - 24 January 2025
