Europe Daily News, 24 May 2024

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11492 - Baywa / Nufri/ Nuba Berries JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11560 - GIP / Orsted / Southfork Wind/ Revolution Wind)
• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - Investigation into a possible European-wide cartel on concealing the presence of harmful chemicals in products
• EU capitals demand crackdown on €14bn food pricing ploy - Brussels urged to stop multinationals from varying prices by country - Financial Times

STATE AID

• Commission authorises Belgian compensation to bpost for the distribution of newspapers and periodicals (SA.105349) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €4 billion French State aid scheme to support decarbonisation measures in the manufacturing sector (SA.108810) - IP/24/2785

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Opinion by written procedure (Article 3(5) of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 and Article 9 of the Rules of Procedure for the Customs Code Committee)
  - Splitters – draft Regulation (CN: 9013 80 40)
  - Posture shirt/waistcoat – draft Regulation (CN: 6212 90 00)
  - Hair colour swatch book – draft Regulation (CN: 4911 10 90)
  
• Notice of initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of vanillin originating in the People’s Republic of China (CN codes ex 2912 41 00 & ex 2912 42 00)
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1450 of 23 May 2024 making imports of mobile access equipment originating in the People’s Republic of China subject to registration
• EU agri-food trade surplus increased in February 2024
• EU-CARIFORUM EPA - Business opportunities updated on 24 May 2024
  - Information and Communication Technologies
  - Maritime Services Ports and Logistics
  - Infrastructure and Utilities
  - Agriculture Fisheries and Food Processing
  - Sustainable Tourism
  - Renewable Energies
• French cognac makers: Don’t sacrifice us in EU-China trade war - The French cognac industry says it’s being held hostage to an EU trade probe into Chinese electric vehicles - Politico.eu

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Main Results - Council of the European Union - Competitiveness (Space; Research & Innovation) - 23 May 2024
  - The Council has approved conclusions on 'the ex-post evaluation of Horizon 2020 and future outlook'
  - The Council reaches political agreement on the use of super-computing for AI development
  - The Council has adopted a Council recommendation on enhancing research security
  - The Council adopts conclusions on strengthening knowledge valorisation AI
• Corporate sustainability due diligence: Council gives its final approval
• Commission takes action to ensure complete and timely transposition of EU directives - IP/24/2786

CHEMICAL

• Minutes of the REACH committee - 16 May 2024
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Expert Group EU Fertilisers Market Observatory - 05 June 2024

FINANCE

• ESMA consults on "commodity derivatives" under MiFID review
• MiFIR review: ESMA consults on Consolidated Tape Providers and their selection

TAXATION

• Council Decision authorising the opening of negotiations for the amendment of the Agreements concerning the automatic exchange of financial account information to improve international tax compliance between the EU and the Swiss Confederation, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Principality of Andorra, the Principality of Monaco and the Republic of San Marino, respectively

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Electricity cross-border committee - 31 May 2024
• Guidance for the reporting of national practices on implementing act on interoperability
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1366 of 11 March 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2019/943 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing a network code on sector-specific rules for cybersecurity aspects of cross-border electricity flows
• High-level Roundtable underscores the Importance of Ukraine’s Energy Reforms
• Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - Heat recovery from waste
• ENTSO-E and ENTSOG publish joint scenarios for ten-year network development plans 2024 for electricity and gas

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the committee on fluorinated greenhouse gases - 05 & 06 June 2024
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevicius to a MEP written question - Scope and entry into force of the Deforestation Regulation
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevicius to a MEP written question - Regulatory fitness check of Regulation (EC) No 1007/2009 on trade in seal products
• ‘Management of used and waste textiles in Europe’s circular economy’ - See the EEA briefing

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Commission requests Member States to suspend the authorisation for a series of non-compliant generic medicines tested by Synapse Labs - Midday Express

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Meta’s shadow banning of political figures

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• European Cybersecurity Competence Centre Newsletter - 24 May 2024
• Answer given by Vice-President Jourová to a MEP written question - Worldcoin collecting biometric data

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence
• Delegated Decision No 19/2024 on implementing rules for handling "CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL" and "SECRET UE/EU SECRET" information
• EU and US strengthen their cooperation on security to prevent the use of radioactive materials in acts of terrorism - See the joint statement
• Schengen area: Council adopts update of Schengen Borders Code

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Opinion on preliminary assessment of the satisfactory fulfilment of milestones and targets related to the third payment request submitted by France
• Regulation (EU) 2024/1449 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans
• Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1447 of 14 May 2024 on the approval of the assessment of the Ukraine Plan
• Interview with Isabel Schnabel, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, conducted by Steffen Clement
• The path to the reformed EU fiscal framework: a monetary policy perspective - Occasional Paper Series No.349

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• EU’s far-right bloc expels Germany’s AfD - Top candidate’s interview defending SS prompts Alternative for Germany’s ejection from European parliament group - Financial Times
• Has Europe already reached its demographic tipping point? - The EU’s population is shrinking faster than expected, putting strain on government finances and the bloc’s long-term prospects - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• EU Statement – UN Security Council: Strengthening the role of the African State in addressing global security and development challenges
• Diplomatic Missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah condemn escalating settler violence and displacement during visit to Northern Jordan Valley communities
• America must face reality and prioritise China over Europe - This does not mean abandoning US allies on the continent but is based on a sober assessment of military capabilities - Financial Times

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• EU and UNDP transfer 350 Electronic Document Management System licences to Mykolaiv Oblast
• Russian oligarch seeks damages from Luxembourg on $15bn assets - Billionaire Mikhail Fridman demands compensation for sanctions under investor protection treaty - Financial Times
• Russia should pay for Ukraine but using frozen assets won’t be easy - No matter what, any deal will to take time, and a complex set of legal and political challenges await the EU - Politico.eu