Europe Daily News, 14 March 2025

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11833 - ABB / WM / JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11837 - KPS / Ineos Composites)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11797 - Atlas / Rehau Automotive)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11892 - Global Technologies / Novares Group)
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by Daikin and Copeland (M.11867) - Midday Express
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by Minmetals, Meiwa and Toyota (M.11884) - Midday Express
• Commission issued the public version of its decision clearing Exyte's acquisition of rival Kinetics (M.11559)
• Lithuania - The Competition Council recommends ways to promote competition in the electric vehicle charging sector
• The Netherlands - ACM survey: working together important for businesses to become more sustainable

STATE AID

• Commission Decision (EU) 2025/440 of 8 July 2024 on the measures SA.32014, SA.32015, SA.32016 (2011/C) (ex 2011/NN) implemented by Italy and the Region of Campania for Caremar and its acquirer SNAV/Rifim

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Notice of initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of adipic acid originating in the People’s Republic of China - See the Executive Summary of the Complaint
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/500 of 13 March 2025 imposing definitive countervailing duties on imports of certain aluminium road wheels originating in Morocco
• EU trade preferences for the Philippines – monitoring mission (6-12 March 2025)
• GSP+ team visits Uzbekistan for a monitoring mission
• Canada initiates WTO dispute complaint regarding US steel and aluminium duties - WT/DS635/1
• WTO - Members underscore continued focus on trade facilitation implementation and assistance
• WTO - The ninth review of the trade policies and practices of Australia takes place on 12 and 14 March 2025
• Trump’s Tariffs: Where Things Stand - The basics on the president’s far-reaching protectionist agenda - Wall Street Journal
• Tesla warns Trump administration it is ‘exposed’ to retaliatory tariffs - Elon Musk’s electric-car maker says levies could make it costlier to produce vehicles in the US - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• New genomic techniques: Council agrees negotiating mandate
• Answer given by EVP Séjourné to a MEP written question - Polysilicon between the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA)
• Brussels proposes collective arms purchases for EU member states - Response to Donald Trump’s policies would shift decision-making power in Europe - Financial Times

FINANCE

• Opinion of Advocate General Campo-Sànchez-Bordona of 13 March 2025 in Case C‑142/24, Familienstiftung Vs. Finanzamt Köln-West
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Article 40 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area - Article 63 of the FEU Treaty - Free movement of capital - Inheritance tax and gift tax - Taxation of the free inter vivos transfer of assets for the establishment of a family foundation - Family foundation registered in Liechtenstein - Taxation by way of gift tax levied in Germany - Unfavourable tax treatment of the foreign family foundation - Justification - Overriding reasons in the public interest - Cohesion of the tax system - Substitute inheritance tax - Proportionality
• ESMA - Overview of planned consultation papers 2025

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL AFFAIRS

• Opinion of Advocate General Rantos of 13 March 2025 in Case C‑38/24 [Bervidi] (i) G.L. Vs. AB SpA
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Social policy - Directive 2000/78/EC - Equal treatment in employment and occupation - Article 1 - Article 2(1) and (2)(b) - Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of disability - Indirect discrimination by association - Worker who, without being herself disabled, claims to have been put at a particular disadvantage in the workplace on the ground of the disability of her child, to whom that worker provides the primary care and assistance needed by that child - Article 5 - Employer’s obligation to make reasonable accommodation for that worker
• Answer given by EVP Mînzatu to a MEP written question - Ensuring workplace safety at industrial sites with high toxic chemical risk
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - The impact of tax hikes in Spain – A threat to competitiveness and social cohesion

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Expert Group - Subgroup on methane emissions in agriculture - 25 March 2025
• Estonian firm expands market share in medical sector with EU-certified cosmetics
• Minutes of the 31st Meeting of the CEG on MSP on Protecting and Restoring the World’s Forests, including the EU Timber Regulation and the FLEGT Regulation - 04 March 2025
• Answer given by Ms Roswall to a MEP written question - Impacts of quartz mining in north-east Segovia and its alignment with EU strategic policies

ENERGY

• ACER is gathering Power Purchase Agreement templates for EU energy markets
• ACER acknowledges improvements in Regional Coordination Centres’ reporting and encourages further progress
• ACER - Compensation for grid operators covering cross-border power losses reached new peak in 2023
• ACER - New network code on demand response will further advance the energy transition

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Judgment of the Court of 13 March 2025 in Case C‑589/23, Cassella-med GmbH & Co. KG, MCM Klosterfrau Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH Vs. Verband Sozialer Wettbewerb eV
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Medicinal products for human use - Directive 2001/83/EC - Article 1(2)(b) - Concept of ‘medicinal product by function’ - Concept of ‘pharmacological action’ - Binding of a substance, in a reversible manner, to bacteria to prevent them from adhering to human cells - Article 2(2) - Applicable legal framework - Classification as a ‘medical device’ or as a ‘medicinal product’ - Medical devices - Directive 93/42/EEC - Article 1(2)(a) - Concept of ‘medical device’

ECDC

• ECDC assessment of public health workforce capacity in prevention and control of infectious diseases in the EU/EEA

EFSA

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• European Cybersecurity Certification: Celebrating achievements and exploring future horizons
• Cyber threat overview 2024: mobilization and vigilance against attackers - see the ANSSI Report

CONSUMER PROTECTION

• Judgment of the Court of 13 March 2025 in Case C‑337/23, APS Beta Bulgaria EOOD, Agentsia za kontrol na prosrocheni zadalzhenia AD
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Consumer protection - Directive 93/13/EEC - Unfair terms in consumer contracts - Article 4(2), Article 6(1) and Article 7(1) - Point 1(i), (j) and (m) of the Annex to Directive 93/13 - Consumer credit agreements - Term requiring a consumer to conclude a contract of guarantee - Guarantor chosen by the creditor - Exclusion of terms relating to the main subject matter of the contract - Agreement which is ancillary to a credit agreement - Powers of the national court - Order for payment procedure - Directive 2005/29/EC - Unfair commercial practices - Articles 5 and 8 - Annex I - Directive 2008/48/EC - Article 3(g), (i) and (n), Article 10(2), Article 15(2) and Article 23- Linked credit agreement - Concept - Total cost of the credit to the consumer - Annual percentage rate of charge - No indication of the relevant costs - Penalty
• New data shows strong levels of consumer trust, but online threats persist - See the Key Consumer Data & Consumer Conditions Scoreboard

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Belgium targets Huawei in EU corruption probe - Chinese company’s offices in Brussels raided as part of cash-for-influence investigation - Financial Times

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• UniCredit has received ECB authorization to acquire a direct stake in Commerzbank of up to 29.9%
• Background slides by Philip R. Lane - The ECB and Its Watchers XXV
• ECB launches pilot project for research access to confidential statistical data
• Different shades of green: EU corporate disclosure rules and their effectiveness in limiting “greenwashing” - Occasional Paper Series No.370
• Assessing design principles and possible impacts of an in-work benefit scheme in Greece - Discussion Paper 219

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Almost €80 million in EU investment to modernise Cambodia’s agricultural sector and to boost farmers’ access to domestic and global markets
• Armenia/Azerbaijan: Statement by the HR/VP regarding the finalisation of negotiations on Armenia/Azerbaijan Peace Treaty
• The European Union convenes the 9th international conference in support of Syria on 17 March
• EU allocates €200,000 in Humanitarian Aid for Mozambican asylum seekers in Malawi
• Kazakhstan: Annual Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels

EU/RUSSIA/UKRAINE

• EU sanctions alert: High risk of circumvention - Import of plywood (CN 44123310)
• EU to remove 4 Russian nationals from sanctions list - Decision follows Hungary’s threat to block restrictions on more than 2,000 individuals sanctioned over Ukraine war - Financial Times & Politico.eu

EU-SOUTH AFRICA SUMMIT

• Main results - EU-South Africa summit, 13 March 2025
  - EU - South Africa Summit Declaration
  - President von der Leyen in South Africa: launches talks on a new trade and investment deal, unveils €4.7 billion Global Gateway package
  - Statement by President von der Leyen with President Costa and South African President Ramaphosa
  - Opening remarks by President von der Leyen at the plenary session of the EU-South Africa Summit