Europe Daily News, 02 April 2025

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11929 - MET / Mega)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11828 - BNPP / Axa IM)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11955 - Apax Partners / Norva24 Group)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11648 - APG REP / Pimco PRE / Omgh JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11911 - ETA / SPL / SP Mobility)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11734 - SQM / Codelco/ SQM Salar JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11851 - Unicredit / Unicredit Allianz Vita)
• Commission clears acquisition of Ardonagh by Stone Point Capital, HPS and MDP (M.11869) - Midday Express
• Commission fines car manufacturers and association €458 million over end-of-life vehicles recycling cartel - Financial Times
• Poland - The UOKiK has published clarification of concentration control
• Spain - The CNMC investigates the distribution of tenders for civil works, building and other construction services in Cantabria

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.117027 & SA.116287
• Judgment of the General Court of 02 April 2025 in Case T‑398/21, Ryanair DAC, Ryanair Sun S.A., Vs. European Commission, supported by Republic of Poland, and by Polskie Linie Lotnicze ‘LOT’ S.A.
  Re: State aid - Polish air transport market - Aid granted by Poland to LOT in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic - Subsidised loan and capital injection - Decision not to raise any objections - Article 107(3)(b) TFEU - Temporary Framework for State aid measures - Principle of non-discrimination - Freedom to provide services - Freedom of establishment - Obligation to state reasons
• Commission approves €380 million French State aid scheme to support the production of equipment to foster the transition to a net-zero economy (SA.117244) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the ACP Working Party - 04 April 2025
• European Parliament legislative resolution of 1 April 2025 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2018/196 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 February 2018 on additional customs duties on imports of certain products originating in the United States of America
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the International Grains Council with respect to establishing new rules on written procedure and Member access to International Grains Council’s archives
• Communication in accordance with Article 34 (7)(a)(iii) of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, on decisions relating to binding information issued by the customs authorities of the Member States concerning the classification of goods in the customs nomenclature
• WTO - Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - European Union - Chemical substances classified as drug precursors
• EFTA-Moldova free trade agreement now in force for all Parties
• WTO members appoint new chair for agriculture negotiations
• EU brandishes ‘strong plan’ to retaliate against US tariffs - Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says Brussels could hit Big Tech services exports - Financial Times
• What price will the UK pay for a trade deal with Donald Trump? - Sir Keir Starmer may have to make concessions on Britain’s digital services tax and agriculture - Financial Times
• Trump tariffs drive imports into US foreign trade zones - Policy uncertainty fuels surge in use of approved facilities that temporarily exempt businesses from paying levies - Financial Times
• ECB’s Rehn on Trump tariffs: Europe must give as good as it gets - Bank of Finland governor says the EU should draw up “proportionate countermeasures” against U.S. tariffs - Politico.eu

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Commission launches consultation to promote industry cooperation to procure and recycle critical raw materials in line with EU competition rules
• EU invests €608 million to train over 1,800 researchers - Midday Express

CHEMICAL

• Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/660 of 1 April 2025 amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in clay targets
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) …/... amending Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the harmonised classification and labelling of certain substances
• Latest ECHA Weekly Newsletter published

FINANCE

• ESMA publishes the annual peer review of EU CCP supervision
• Preparing for the Consolidated Tape Provider for bonds - ESMA clarifies some aspects
• EBA's platform contributes to successful execution of the NBSG crisis simulation exercise
• François-Louis Michaud’s term as EBA Executive Director renewed by the Board of Supervisors

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL AFFAIRS

• Commission proposes broader, faster EU social and employment funds

ENERGY

• Minutes of the Coordination Group for oil and petroleum products - 22 January 2025
• Energy in the next long-term EU budget: Commission invites input

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Commission statement on the LIFE Programme
• European Parliament adopts position on ‘one substance, one assessment’ legislative package - See the Report on: 
  - Common data platform on chemicals, establishing a monitoring and outlook framework for chemicals
  - Re-attribution of scientific and technical tasks to the European Chemicals Agency
  - Re-attribution of scientific and technical tasks and improving cooperation among Union agencies in the area of chemicals
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in preparation for the 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP20)

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Commission offers 36,000 free EU travel passes to 18-year-olds
• Excellence in Road Safety Awards 2025 are open for applications
• Growing demand for seamless multimodal travel, but significant challenges remain - See the Survey
• Commission proposes flexibility to help manufacturers comply with 2025 CO2 emission targets for new cars and vans - See the Targeted amendment

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Commission unveils ProtectEU – a new European Internal Security Strategy? - See the QaA, the FactSheet, the Communication
• Remarks by EVP Virkkunen and Commissioner Brunner on the European Internal Security Strategy
• Commissioner McGrath travels to Ireland to discuss justice, rule of law and consumer protection - Midday Express
• Berlin seeks to deport EU citizens over pro-Palestinian protests - Financial Times

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Commission endorses preliminary assessment of Slovakia's fifth payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Facility
• Commission pays second instalment of €1.18 billion to the Netherlands under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express
• Commission disburses the second payment of €378.1 million to Finland under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express
• Commission disburses the third payment of €128 million to Denmark under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express
• Commission pays third instalment of €76.9 million to Cyprus under Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express
• A modernised cohesion policy to boost the EU's strategic priorities - See the QaA, the Communication & Proposal and Press remarks by EVP Fitto
• ECB - Euro area bank interest rate statistics: February 2025
• Interest rate control and the transmission of monetary policy - ECB Working Paper Series No.3048
• Opinion of the European Central Bank of 31 March 2025 on a proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 as regards a shorter settlement cycle in the Union (CON/2025/7)

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Possible items for College agendas from 9 April to 25 June 2025
• Speech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament Plenary debate on the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 20 March 2025

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• EU launches Humanitarian Air Bridge after Myanmar earthquake and provides further assistance
• President Ursula von der Leyen in Uzbekistan to take the EU-Central Asia partnership to the next level
• Human Rights: Speech by HH/VP Kaja Kallas at the EP plenary on the 2024 Annual report on Human Rights and Democracy in the world
• Taiwan: Statement by the Spokesperson on China’s military drills

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• Judgment of the General Court of 02 April 2025 in Case T-297/23; Gennady Nikolayevich Timchenko 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 - List of persons, entities and bodies to whom the freezing of funds and economic resources applies - Restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - List of persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - Maintenance of the applicant's name on the lists - Obligation to state reasons - Concept of ‘influential businessmen or women operating in Russia’ - Article 2, (1)(g) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Article 3(1)(g) of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 - Plea of illegality - Error of assessment - Right to be heard - Citizenship of the Union - Freedom of movement - Right to property - Proportionality
• Judgment of the General Court of 02 April 2025 in Case T-298/23; Gennady Nikolayevich Timchenko Vs. Council of the European Union and European Commission
  Re: CFSP - Restrictive measures taken in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine - Freezing of funds - List of persons, entities and bodies to whom the freezing of funds and economic resources applies - Restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - List of persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - Maintenance of the applicant's name on the lists - Obligation to state reasons - Concept of ‘influential businessmen or women operating in Russia’ - Article 2, (1)(g) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Article 3(1)(g) of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 - Plea of illegality - Error of assessment - Right to be heard - Citizenship of the Union - Freedom of movement - Right to property - Proportionality
• Judgment of the General Court of 02 April 2025 in Case T‑1108/23, Galina Evgenyevna Pumpyanskaya, Vs. Council of the European Union
  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 - Maintenance of the applicant’s name on the lists - Article 2(1), in fine, of Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Concept of ‘benefit received from a leading businessperson operating in Russia’ - Article 2(1)(g) of Decision 2014/145 - Article 3(1)(g) of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 - Error of assessment
• Judgment of the General Court of 02 April 2025 in Case T‑221/24, Alexander Dmitrievich Pumpyanskiy Vs. Council of the European Union
  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 - Maintenance of the applicant’s name on the lists - Article 2(1), in fine, of Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Concept of ‘benefit received from a leading businessperson operating in Russia’ - Article 2(1)(g) of Decision 2014/145 - Article 3(1)(g) of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 - Error of assessment
• Commissioner Kubilius participates in a high-level conference on support to Ukraine - Midday Express
• Ukraine: Speech by HR/VP Kaja Kallas at the EP plenary on Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine