Europe Daily News, 04 March 2025

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11888 - HIG Capital / Heller)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11862 - PSS / Maccaferri / JV)
• Commission clears acquisition of Teka by Midea (M.11684) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Vitronet by BlackRock (M.11906) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Sauber by Audi and Qatar Holding (M.11819) - Midday Express

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections - SA.113358; SA.112954 & SA.116934
• State Aid - Member State - State aid SA.109707 (2024/C) (ex 2024/N) - Aid measures for the first nuclear power plant in Poland - Invitation to submit comments pursuant to Article 108(2) of the TFEU

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Market Access Advisory Committee - 12 March 2025
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/412 of 3 March 2025 making imports of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Resins originating in the Republic of Korea and Taiwan subject to registration
• Updated Guidance on the Preferential Rules of Origin
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Mercosur
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Mercosur
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - EU-Mercosur agreement
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Effects of the Mercosur trade agreement on European agriculture
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Protecting food producers in the European Union and negotiations with Mercosur countries
• Answer given by Mr Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Impact of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement on agriculture, the economy and European consumers
• Revamped WTO tariff and trade platform enhances access to data
• U.S. Trade Representative announces 2025 Trade Policy Agenda

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform, STEP, mobilises over €15 billion to boost investments in Europe in its first year.

DEFENCE

• Press statement by President von der Leyen on the defence package

AUTOMOTIVE

• Press statement by President von der Leyen on the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the Automotive Industry

CHEMICAL

• Summary of European Commission Decisions on authorisations for the placing on the market for the use and/or for use of substances listed in Annex XIV to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the REACH (chromium trioxide: C(2025) 1073; C(2025) 1084; C(2025) 1103; C(2025) 1075 & C(2025) 1077)

FINANCE

• Agenda for: 23rd Plenary meeting of the 2nd mandate of the Platform on Sustainable Finance - 04 March 2025
• Current financial services legislative proposals - Information from the Presidency (EcoFin Council - 11 March 2025)
• Answer written by Ms Albuquerque to a MEP written question - Impact on financial data traffic of hybrid attacks on Baltic Sea fibre-optic cables
• Europeans move towards seizing €200bn of Russian assets - French discuss proposal for Kremlin to lose securities if it breaches a future ceasefire - Financial Times
• Europe’s only sanctioned oil trader appeals against decision, citing ‘disinformation’ - Niels Troost’s lawyers argue EU may have been influenced by the trader’s estranged former business partner - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (Basel Convention) - 10 March 2025
• Minutes of the Consultation Forum on Access and benefit sharing (ABS) - 18 February 2025
• Minutes of the 8th Meeting of the Expert Group on the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive - 28 January 2025
• Remarks by Commissioner Roswall at the press conference on the results of the second Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook and fourth Clean Air Outlook reports
• EU eases emissions rules on petrol cars to help industry - Fines for failing to meet CO₂ targets will only be levied in 2027 in recognition of slow EV take-up - Financial Times
• Drugmakers prepare to sue EU over tax to pay for waste water clean-up - Pharma and cosmetics industries want other sectors to contribute ‘fair share’ towards cost of removing pollutants - Financial Times

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Public Health - 10 March 2025
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Standards for non-EU foods
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Mercury levels in tuna and their potential risks to public health

EFSA

• Scientific Opinion - BIOHAZ scientific opinion on the equivalence of an alternative heat treatment process of feathers and down
• Scientific Opinion - Safety evaluation of the food enzyme glucose oxidase from the non‐genetically modified Aspergillus tubingensis strain GOX

SCHEER

• Minutes of the Working Group meeting on Emerging Risks of 24 February 2025
• Minutes of the Working Group meeting on Groundwater Directive & Water Framework Directive of 14 February 2025

SCCS

• Minutes of the Working Group meeting on Nanomaterials in Cosmetic Products of 11 February 2025

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: 89th meeting of the Radio Spectrum Committee - 19 March 2025
• Answer written by Mr McGrath to a MEP written question - Training AI: will the EU allow major US platforms to draw on our personal data?
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Transparency obligations in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Applying the Digital Services Act to German public service broadcasters
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Digital Services Act and amendments to Poland’s Electronic Services Act
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Censorship measures on social networks in breach of to the Digital Services Regulation
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Controversial activities by the Commission seeking to moderate content on social media platforms
• Washington accuses EU of using DMA to deliberately disadvantage its digital companies - See the Letter
• Ensuring Europe’s competitiveness key principles and actions for the GPAI Code of practice - See the ETA Position Paper

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Commission welcomes ICAO agreement on new aircraft standards for fuel efficiency and noise levels driving sustainability in aviation
• European Capital of Smart Tourism and European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism 2026: applications open tomorrow

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Minutes of: 10th Meeting of the Commission Expert Group on Firearms Export Coordination - 11 September 2024
• EU and Brazil sign international agreement to fight organised crime and terrorism - Midday Express
• Polish Presidency - State of play of ongoing legislative files in the area of Justice & Home Affairs
• Minutes of the Standing Committee on operational cooperation on internal security (COSI)

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures against ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda and persons, groups, undertakings and entities associated with them
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses
• EIB supports food resilience in Egypt with €90 Million investment
• EU-Philippines sign new support programme of €16.5 million on governance
• EU Statement – UN General Assembly: Organisational session on the 2026 UN Water Conference
• Stanbic Bank and EIB Global launch €20 million credit line for SMEs and women entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe
• EU’s Global Gateway supports Sri Lanka to increase Investment Opportunities in Agri-Food and Alternatives to Single-Use Plastics
• The EU Unity4Community Project expands the opportunities for civil society organizations (CSOs) and communities on the path to reforms

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• US suspends military aid to Ukraine - EU announces new defence loan facility to ship ‘immediate’ weapons to Kyiv - Financial Times
• Europe has bought Zelenskyy some time - The big question remains whether Ukraine can survive without American assistance - Financial Times
• Europe must be prepared for Trump to walk away - Ukraine’s non-American allies have to be ready to replace US military support - Financial Times