Trade defence: Franco-German convergence on China. At the 26th Franco-German Council of Ministers, held in Brühl on 17 July, Paris and Berlin asked the Commission for swift proposals to strengthen trade defence instruments, industrial policy and economic security, floating a new European resilience instrument to reduce dependencies in critical sectors. The relevant ministers will draw up a joint roadmap on China by September. The stated aim is not decoupling, but a combination of dialogue, de-risking and protection of European industry.
Omnibus I: revised sustainability standards adopted. On 3 July the Commission adopted the revised ESRS and a new voluntary standard for smaller undertakings. The amendments clarify that fair presentation concerns reporting as a whole, allow information prejudicial to commercial position to be omitted, and grant an extra year to update estimates of expected financial effects. For companies outside the CSRD scope the voluntary VSME standard is confirmed, with a ban on CSRD-covered companies requesting data from their value chain beyond what is provided for.
Deforestation: the EUDR scope updated. On 13 July the Commission adopted the delegated act amending Annex I to the deforestation-free products Regulation, excluding hides and leather among others and including soluble coffee and certain palm-oil derivatives. Newly included products will be subject to the obligations from 30 December 2027; the general dates of application are confirmed, 30 December 2026 for large and medium-sized operators.
Portable batteries: six new exemptions. With the delegated act of 14 July the Commission extended the list of products exempted from the removability and replaceability requirements for portable batteries, covering wearable devices, electric toys, ATEX products, wireless food-thermometer probes, wearable medicine-delivery systems and certain telematics devices for agricultural and construction machinery. Removal and replacement must still be feasible for qualified independent operators.
SMEs: the recommendation on business transfers. The Commission presented its recommendation to facilitate the transfer of SMEs, replacing the 1994 text. Member States are invited to act along four lines: information and mentoring; modernisation of legal, tax and succession systems; support for carrying out transfers, including through digital tools; and coordination and exchange of good practice. A directly relevant issue for a business fabric made up predominantly of family firms.
