Review of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/693
This regulation adjusts the financial reimbursement scales for EU officials traveling on official duties within Member States. Specifically, it updates the daily subsistence allowances and hotel ceilings to account for fluctuations in hotel, restaurant, and catering costs. The regulation replaces the existing table in Annex VII of the Staff Regulations with updated figures for hotel ceilings and daily allowances for each Member State, ensuring that the reimbursement amounts reflect current costs. The most important part is the updated table in Article 1, which impacts the amount of reimbursement that EU officials receive for their expenses during missions in the Member States.
Review of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/886
This regulation amends Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/796, which concerns restrictive measures against cyber-attacks threatening the Union or its Member States. It updates the reasons for including six individuals already listed, who are connected to cyber-attacks and are considered a threat to the EU or its member states. The annex provides the updated entries for natural persons listed under the original regulation, specifically entries 3 to 8. These entries include names, identifying information, reasons for listing, and the date of listing. The key update provides more detailed information regarding the individuals’ involvement in specific cyber-attacks. This includes details on their affiliation with the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GU/GRU), like Evgenii Serebriakov, now identified as leading the “Sandworm” hacking group.
Review of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/863
This regulation provides the essential technical data for insurance and reinsurance companies to calculate their technical provisions and basic own funds, as required by the Solvency II Directive. It lists risk-free interest rates, fundamental spreads for calculating matching adjustments, and volatility adjustments for different national insurance markets. Article 1 mandates that the technical information outlined in the regulation when calculating their technical provisions and basic own funds for reporting during the specified period (March 31, 2025 – June 29, 2025). The regulation is effective for a limited period, from March 31, 2025, to June 29, 2025, making the temporal scope a key consideration. Annexes contain the specific numerical values for risk-free interest rates, fundamental spreads, and volatility adjustments.
Review of Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/877
This regulation updates the list of prohibited and restricted substances in cosmetic products, as outlined in Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, to align with current scientific classifications of substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic for reproduction (CMR). The regulation adds several newly classified CMR substances to the list of prohibited substances in Annex II. Also, one substance, Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide, is removed from the list of restricted substances in Annex III and added to Annex II, as it has been classified as a CMR substance. Annex II lists the newly prohibited substances, effective from 1 September 2025, meaning they can no longer be used in cosmetic products after that date.
Review of each of legal acts published today:
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/693 of 26 February 2025 on reviewing the scale for missions by officials and other servants of the European Union in the Member States
This Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/693 revises the scales for mission reimbursements for EU officials and other servants when they undertake official travel within the Member States. It adjusts the daily subsistence allowances and hotel ceilings to reflect changes in the costs of hotels, restaurants, and catering services. Additionally, it updates the rules following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union.
The regulation consists of two articles. Article 1 replaces the existing table in Article 13(2)(a) of Annex VII to the Staff Regulations with updated figures for hotel ceilings and daily allowances for each Member State. Article 2 stipulates that the regulation will come into effect on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. The main change is the adjustment of the amounts for hotel ceilings and daily subsistence allowances for missions within the EU member states. The previous version is not included in the document, so it is impossible to compare the exact changes.
The most important provision is the updated table in Article 1, which directly impacts the amount of reimbursement that EU officials and other servants receive for their expenses during missions in the Member States. These updated rates for hotel ceilings and daily allowances will be used to calculate the reimbursement of mission expenses.
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/886 of 12 May 2025 implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/796 concerning restrictive measures against cyber-attacks threatening the Union or its Member States
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/886 amends Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/796, which concerns restrictive measures against cyber-attacks threatening the Union or its Member States. The regulation updates the reasons for including six individuals already listed, who are connected to cyber-attacks and are considered a threat to the EU or its member states. This regulation serves to reinforce the EU’s stance against cyber threats by updating and maintaining the accuracy of its sanctions list.
The structure of the regulation is straightforward. It contains two articles and an annex. Article 1 states that Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/796 is amended as per the attached annex. Article 2 specifies that the regulation will come into effect the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and confirms its binding and directly applicable nature in all Member States. The annex provides the updated entries for natural persons listed under the original regulation, specifically entries 3 to 8. These entries include names, identifying information, reasons for listing, and the date of listing.
The most important provision of this regulation lies in the updated reasons for listing individuals. These updates provide more detailed information regarding the individuals’ involvement in specific cyber-attacks, such as the attempted attack against the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and attacks against the German federal parliament. The updated information also includes the individuals’ affiliations with the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GU/GRU) and their roles within this organization. For example, Evgenii Serebriakov is now identified as leading the “Sandworm” hacking group, which has carried out cyber-attacks on Ukraine. These detailed updates are crucial for ensuring that the restrictive measures are targeted and justified, and for providing transparency regarding the reasons for the sanctions. ****
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/863 of 8 May 2025 laying down technical information for the calculation of technical provisions and basic own funds for reporting with reference dates from 31 March 2025 until 29 June 2025 in accordance with Directive 2009/138/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the taking-up and pursuit of the business of Insurance and Reinsurance
Here’s a breakdown of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/863:
**1. Essence of the Act:**
This regulation provides specific technical information that insurance and reinsurance companies must use to calculate their technical provisions and basic own funds. These calculations are essential for complying with the Solvency II Directive (2009/138/EC), which regulates the insurance industry in the EU. The technical information includes risk-free interest rates, fundamental spreads for calculating matching adjustments, and volatility adjustments for different national insurance markets. The regulation applies for a limited period, covering reporting reference dates from March 31, 2025, to June 29, 2025.
**2. Structure and Main Provisions:**
* **Article 1:** This article mandates that insurance and reinsurance companies use the technical information outlined in the regulation when calculating their technical provisions and basic own funds for reporting during the specified period (March 31, 2025 – June 29, 2025). It specifies that the technical information includes:
* Relevant risk-free interest rate term structures (Annex I)
* Fundamental spreads for matching adjustment calculations (Annex II)
* Volatility adjustments for national insurance markets (Annex III)
* **Article 2:** This article states the regulation’s entry into force and application date. It becomes effective the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and applies retroactively from March 31, 2025.
* **Annex I:** Sets out the relevant risk-free interest rate term structures for various currencies (Euro, Czech Koruna, Danish Krone, Forint, Swedish Krona, Bulgarian Lev, Pound Sterling, Romanian Leu, Polish Zloty, Icelandic Krona, Norwegian Krone, Swiss Franc, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Colombian Peso, Hong Kong Dollar, New Taiwan Dollar, Renminbi-Yuan, US Dollar, Japanese Yen) and terms to maturity (in years).
* **Annex II:** Specifies the fundamental spreads for calculating the matching adjustment for exposures to central governments/central banks and financial institutions.
* **Annex III:** Lists the volatility adjustments applicable to the relevant risk-free interest rate term structure for different currencies and national insurance markets.
**3. Main Provisions Important for Use:**
* **Temporal Scope:** The regulation is only applicable for a specific reporting period in 2025. Insurers need to be aware of these dates to use the correct technical information.
* **Specific Values:** The annexes contain the specific numerical values for risk-free interest rates, fundamental spreads, and volatility adjustments. These values are essential for the calculations required under Solvency II.
* **Currency and National Market Specifics:** The technical information varies depending on the currency and the national insurance market. Insurers must use the correct values applicable to their specific situation.
* **Matching Adjustment:** The fundamental spreads provided in Annex II are used in the calculation of the matching adjustment, a key component of the Solvency II framework that allows insurers to reflect the specific characteristics of their long-term investments.
* **Volatility Adjustment:** The volatility adjustments in Annex III are designed to mitigate the impact of market volatility on insurers’ balance sheets.
Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/877 of 12 May 2025 amending Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the use in cosmetic products of certain substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction
This is a description of Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/877 amending Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products.
The essence of this regulation is to update the list of prohibited and restricted substances in cosmetic products in accordance with the latest scientific classifications of substances as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic for reproduction (CMR). This is done to ensure a high level of protection of human health and to provide legal certainty for economic operators. The regulation adds several newly classified CMR substances to the list of prohibited substances in Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and removes one substance, Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide, from the list of restricted substances in Annex III, as it has been classified as a CMR substance. Additionally, it updates an existing entry in Annex II for clarity and legal certainty.
The regulation amends Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. It adds new entries (1731 to 1751) to Annex II, listing prohibited substances along with their chemical names, CAS numbers, and EC numbers. It also replaces entry 1580 in Annex II to include additional chemical names and CAS numbers for cymoxanil. Furthermore, it deletes entry 311 from Annex III, which previously allowed the use of Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide in artificial nail systems for professional use. The main change is the inclusion of several new substances classified as CMRs into the list of prohibited substances in cosmetic products. One substance, Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide, is moved from the list of restricted substances to the list of prohibited substances.
The most important provisions for its use are those that list the newly prohibited substances in Annex II, as these substances can no longer be used in cosmetic products from 1 September 2025. The deletion of entry 311 from Annex III is also significant, as it means that Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide is no longer allowed in artificial nail systems.
