Europe Daily News, 03 February 2025

COMPETITION

• Appeal brought on 11 December 2024 by Silgan Holdings Inc., Silgan Holdings Austria GmbH, Silgan International Holdings BV, Silgan Metal Packaging Distribution GmbH und Silgan White Cap Manufacturing GmbH against the judgment of the General Court of 02 October 2024 in Case T-589/22, Silgan Holdings and Others Vs. Commission (Case C-845/24 P)
  Re: annulment of Commission Decision C(2022) 4761 final of 12 July 2022 (Case AT.40522 – Metal Packaging, ‘Pandora’ originally)
• Belgium - The Competition Authority approves the acquisition of Garage Quevrain by the Louyet Group
• Greece - Notification of the acquisition by Ideal Holdings S.A. ('IDEAL') of Barba Stathis Unipersonal Industrial and Commercial Company of the CVC Capital Partners group
• Luxembourg - Unannounced inspections in the insurance sector

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.104904
• Commission approves €500 million French State aid scheme to support chemical recycling of plastic waste (SA.108044)

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Trade Questions - 11 February 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on the United Kingdom - 04 February 2025
• Minutes of the 263rd meeting of the Tariff & Statistical Nomenclature - Section (Textiles and Mechanical/Miscellaneous Sub-section) of the Customs Code Committee - 09 to 11 December 2024
• Notice of the impending expiry of certain anti-dumping measures (Certain heavyweight thermal paper; The Republic of Korea; Anti-dumping duty; Regulation (EU) 2020/1524; 21.10.2025)
• Notice of the impending expiry of certain anti-dumping measures (Certain prepared or preserved citrus fruits; The P.R. of China; Anti-dumping duty; Regulation (EU) 2020/1534; 23.10.2025)
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/214 of 28 November 2024 amending Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards Kenya
• The EU-Chile Interim Trade Agreement (ITA) has entered into force, following the completion of Chile's ratification process
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Drastic reduction in fertiliser production and closure of production facilities in Grupa Azoty companies
• WTO - Paraguay President: Any multilateralism crisis can only be solved with more multilateralism
• Trump: The EU is an ‘atrocity’ on trade - U.S. president amps up incendiary rhetoric as he moves toward a global trade war - Politico.eu
• Trump suggests trade issues with ‘out of line’ UK ‘can be worked out’ - US president contrasts British position with that of EU - Financial Times
• EU to ‘respond firmly’ if Trump imposes tariffs - Bloc warns of ‘unnecessary economic disruption’ after US president hits China, Canada and Mexico with trade measures - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Europeans strongly support science and technology according to new Eurobarometer survey
• Armenia: EIB Global Ameriabank join forces to provide €105 million loan to support small businesses
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné to a MEP written question - EU dependency on Russian fertilisers: challenges and strategies for boosting domestic production
• Europe’s perfect storm - The continent needs its own industrial strategy to cope with challenges from China and the US - Financial Times

AUTOMOTIVE

• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné to a MEP written question - Potential retroactive ban on diesel-powered passenger vehicles
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné to a MEP written question - Crisis in the automotive industry and review of the ban on diesel and petrol cars from 2035

CHEMICAL

• List of authorisation decisions adopted on the basis of Article 64(8) of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) Created by GROW.F.1 as updated on 31 January 2025 
  - Commission Implementing Decision of 24.1.2025 granting an authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council to Belloni S.a.s Di Belloni Adriano & C. for a use of chromium trioxide
  - Commission Implementing Decision of 24.1.2025 granting an authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council to Benoni S.r.l. and Cromatura Cristofoletti s.r.l. for a use of chromium trioxide
  - Commission Implementing Decision of 24.1.2025 granting an authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council to BWI Poland Technologies Sp. z. o.o. for a use of chromium trioxide
  - Commission Implementing Decision of 24.1.2025 partially granting an authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council to Sarrel and Sarreliber - Transformação de Plásticos e Metais, S.A., for a use of CT
  - Commission Implementing Decision of 24.1.2025 granting an authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council to MAIER S. COOP., MAIER CZ and MAIER CROMOPLASTICA S.p.A. for certain uses of chromium trioxide

FINANCE

• ESMA - 2026-2028 Programming Document
• ESMA provides guidance on MiCA best practices
• ESMA - List of firms that have meet the obligations under the Article 69 or Article 70 of the European Green Bonds Regulation

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Intellectual Property (Copyright) - 10 February 2025

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (Basel Convention) - 07 February 2025
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - Grants paid to suspended Eramet Group project
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - Mitigating the social impact of upcoming EU rules about fossil-fuel-powered vehicles
• Europe ‘can’t cope’ with extreme weather costs, warns insurance watchdog - EU regulator Hielkema says governments and banks will struggle to pay for natural disasters - Financial Times

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices - 06 February 2025
• Agenda for: Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed - Section Animal Nutrition - 11 & 12 February 2025
• Minutes of the Antimicrobial Resistance One Health Network meeting - 24 October 2024
• Commission publishes Country Cancer Profiles ahead of World Cancer Day

EFSA

• Plant Health Newsletter on Horizon Scanning - January 2025
• Chemical monitoring reporting guidance: 2025 data collection
• Re‐evaluation of butane (E 943a), isobutane (E 943b) and propane (E 944) as food additives
• Safety evaluation of the food enzyme α‐amylase from the non‐genetically modified Aspergillus sp. strain FUA
• Flavouring group evaluation 418 (FGE. 418): 3‐[3‐(2‐isopropyl‐5‐methyl‐cyclohexyl)‐ureido]‐butyric acid ethyl ester

DIGITAL, DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Telecommunication & Information Society - 06 February 2025
• Agenda for: 14th meeting of Digital Europe Programme Coordination Committee - 06 February 2025
  
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Liability of online marketplaces
• Answer given by Ms Albuquerque to a MEP written question - Protection of borrowers’ personal data and the need for non-performing loan management companies to comply with Directive 2021/2167
• The state of play of the NIS2 Directive by DigitalEurope
• 5G as Key to Europe’s Digital Transformation - See Berec Statement

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 04 & 05 February 2025
• Remarks by President António Costa ahead of the Informal EU leaders' retreat

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• EU Ambassadors Conference 2025: Annual Conference of EU Ambassadors starts in Brussels on Monday 3 February - See the Opening speech by HR/VP Kaja Kallas
• Four years on from the Military Coup in Myanmar: joint statement by Australia, Canada, the EU, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the UK and the United States - See the statement by the HR/VP on behalf of the EU
• Europe’s geoeconomic and development objectives clash in Goma - Despite its critical mineral interests, the EU should be strict on Rwanda to maintain credibility and encourage conflict de-escalation - see Bruegel Paper

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Svea hovrätt (Sweden) of 20 November 2024 - NV Reibel Vs. JSC VO Stankoimport (Case C-802/24)
  Re: Article 11(1) of Regulation 833/2014; restrictive measures; Russia; arbitration tribunal
• Action brought on 22 November 2024 - Khudaynatov Vs. Council (Case T-597/24)
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2456 & Regulation (EU) 2024/2455
• Action brought on 22 November 2024 - Boguslayev Vs. Council (Case T-604/24)
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2456 & Regulation (EU) 2024/2455
• Action brought on 25 November 2024 - Fridman Vs. Council (Case T-605/24)
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2456 & Regulation (EU) 2024/2455
• Action brought on 25 November 2024 - Deripaska Vs. Council (Case T-606/24)
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2456 & Regulation (EU) 2024/2455
• Action brought on 24 November 2024 - Bazhaev Vs. Council (Case T-608/24)
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2456 & Regulation (EU) 2024/2455

EU/ISRAEL/PALESTINE

• EUBAM Rafah: Statement by the Spokesperson on the redeployment of the mission at the Rafah Crossing Point
• Israel/Palestine: Statement by the High Representative Kaja Kallas on the entry into force of the UNRWA legislation