Europe Daily News, 31 January 2025

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11836 - CDPQ / OTPP / Connexa)
• Commission launches a Public consultation and a Call for evidence on the revision of EU competition rules on technology transfer agreements - Midday Express
• Commission release the text of its decision approving the Carlsberg's takeover of soft-drinks maker Britvi - Case reference M.11675
• Commission clears acquisition of ADRE by TTE and AES (M.11802) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Opella by CD&R (M.11813) - Midday Express
• Estonia - Competition Authority to conduct a brief analysis of the competitive situation on the packaging waste collection and recovery market

STATE AID

• State aid SA.31550 (2022/C) (ex 2012/NN) - Germany - Possible State aid involved the sale of Nürburgring - Invitation to submit comments pursuant to Article 108(2) of the TFEU
• Commission approves €48 million French State aid measure to support Envision AESC France's production of batteries for electric vehicles - SA.109228
• Commission approves €1.1 billion Italian State aid scheme to support employment of young people and women - SA.114799

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/110 of 23 January 2025 concerning exemptions from the extended anti-dumping duty on certain bicycle parts originating in the People’s Republic of China pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 88/97
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the Conclusion and on the Signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Digital Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Singapore
• The new Guidance on the rules on preferential origin under EU-Chile Interim Trade Agreement (ITA) enter into force on 1 February 2025
• The EFTA Parliamentary Committee (EFTA PC) and the EFTA Consultative Committee (EFTA CC) convened on 28 and 29 January in Geneva to exchange views on multilateral, regional and bilateral trade.
• Canada warns Trump’s tariffs could leave US reliant on Venezuela’s oil - Financial Times
• Trump says he might exclude oil from tariffs on Canada and Mexico - Financial Times
• EU fertilizer dilemma: How to kill Putin’s profits without hitting farmers - Tariffs on Russian fertilizers aim to hit Moscow’s war machine. Europe’s growers are still angry - Politico.eu

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness & Growth (Internal Market + eDeclaration) - 07 February 2025
• Commission seeks views on the future of the European automotive industry (Feedback period: 30 January 2025 - 13 February 2025) - Midday Express
• Commission takes action to ensure complete and timely transposition of EU directives

FINANCE

• Commission extends time-limited equivalence for UK central counterparties - See Decision (EU) 2025/215
• New Commission report shows urgent global climate action still needed to limit temperature rise

TAXATION

• Agenda for: Fiscal Counsellors / Attachés from the Permanent Representations - 31 January 2025
• Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation) - Work Programme under the Polish Presidency

ENERGY

• EU invests over €1.2 billion in cross-border infrastructure contributing to build our Energy Union and to boost competitiveness
• ACER’s data dashboard provides insights into EU household energy price trends
• ACER - 31 January 2025 marks the final day of the Market Correction Mechanism (MCM)
• Ukraine launches solar PV and wind power auctions as part of efforts to strengthen energy security - Energy Community Secretariat
• Norway’s government collapses over EU energy dispute - Eurosceptic junior coalition partner quits after PM’s push to implement energy directives from Brussels - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (Global) - 12 February 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on Plants and Plant Health Questions (Roosendaal Group) - 11 February 2025
• Agenda for: First meeting of the Group of Experts on Eco-design for Sustainable Products and Energy Labelling - 19 & 20 February 2025
• Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) - 44th session of the Executive Body (EB 44) (Geneva, 9–12 December 2024) - Statements by the EU and its Member State

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Opinion of Advocate General Emiliou of 30 January 2025 in Case C-759/23, PJ Carroll & Company Ltd, Nicoventures Trading Ltd Vs. The Minister for Health, Ireland, Attorney General, joined parties: Philip Morris Ltd, Philip Morris Products SA, Philip Morris Manufacturing & Technology Bologna SpA
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Internal market - Public health - Directive 2014/40/EU - Manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products - Articles 7 and 12 - Validity of Delegated Directive (EU) 2022/2100 - Article 290(1) TFEU - Delegated powers of the European Commission - Essential elements - Novel tobacco products - Heated tobacco products - Ingredients - Labelling
• Call for evidence: Critical Medicines Act - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 30 January 2025 - 27 February 2025
• Draft act: Medical devices - spectacle frames, lenses and ready-made reading glasses (unique identifiers) - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 30 January 2025 - 27 February 2025

SCCS

• Minutes of the Working Group meeting on Cosmetic Ingredients of 21-22 January 2025

ECDC

• Detections of poliovirus in sewage samples require enhanced routine and catch-up vaccination and increased surveillance

EMA

• New Chikungunya vaccine for adolescents from 12 and adults - The review of Vimkunya was expedited because of public health interest
• New combination of medicines to treat parasitic worm infections - EMA opinion for ivermectin and albendazole supports global efforts to eliminate widespread infections
• Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) 27-30 January 2025 - Eight new medicines recommended for approval; one positive opinion for a medicine intended for use outside the EU

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 03 February 2025

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Opinion of Advocate General Spielmann of 30 January 2025 in Joined Cases C‑636/23 (Al Hoceima) and C‑637/23, (Boghni) (i), W VS. Belgische Staat (C‑636/23) and X, Vs. État belge, represented by the secrétaire d’État à l’Asile et la Migration (C‑637/23)
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Border controls, asylum and immigration - Immigration policy - Return of illegally staying third-country nationals - Directive 2008/115/EC - Return decision - Article 7 - Voluntary departure - No grant of period for voluntary departure - Article 13 - Right to an effective remedy - Consequences of unlawfulness on the return decision - Article 11 - Entry ban issued a considerable period of time after adoption of the return decision
• Report & Staff working document from the Commission on the application of Regulation (EC) No 864/2007 on the law applicable to non-contractual obligations (Rome II Regulation)

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• ECB selects motifs for future euro banknotes
• ECB Consumer Expectations Survey results – December 2024
• Results of the ECB Survey of Professional Forecasters for the first quarter of 2025
• The great supply shock and the euro area, viewed through a suite of supply indices - ECB Working Paper Series No.3015
• ECB warns of ‘headwinds’ to Eurozone economy as it cuts rate to 2.75% - see Speech by Christine Lagarde, Luis de Guindos: Monetary policy statement (with Q&A)

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Sanctions against terrorism: Council renews the EU Terrorist List and related humanitarian exceptions - See Council Regulation (EU) 2025/205; Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/204; Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/206, Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/207 & Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/208
• Armenia: Council extends the mandate of the EU civilian mission for two years - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/211
• EU Statement – UN Peacebuilding Commission: Ambassadorial-level 19th session of the Organizational Committee
• European Union announces new €45 million new package of Global Gateway assistance for Lao PDR
• How five years of Brexit reshaped Britain - Starmer’s ‘reset’ with EU could reduce friction and improve relations for some sectors of society - Financial Times