Europe Daily News, 23 October 2024

COMPETITION

• Revised agenda for: Working Party on Competition - 28 October 2024
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11722 - Lone Star Funds / Crown)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11723 - Onex / QH / Mars Debtco)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11714 - One Rock Capital / Europe Snacks)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11707 - Omers / DWS / Grandi Stazioni Retail)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11704 - Trafigura / Meroil / Meroil Tank JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11693 - Platinum Equity Group / Fratelli Polli)
• Commission clears JD Sports acquisition of Courir subject to conditions (M.11159)
• Commission clears acquisition of Eviosys by Sonoco (M.11637) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Lebara by Waterland (M.11712) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control of Odevo by Fidelio and CVC (M.11735) - Midday Express
• Commission partially waives commitments made by Nidec to obtain clearance of its acquisition of Embraco (M.8947) - Midday Express
• Commission published its decision clearing UK private equity firm Intermediate Capital Group's takeover of Spain's Grupo J. Uriach and France's PAM Invest-Ineldea Santé - see case M.11532
• Commission fines České dráhy and Österreichische Bundesbahnen €48.7 million over collusion to exclude common competitor (AT.40401)

STATE AID

• Judgment of the Court of 23 October 2024 in Cases T-724/22 and T-725/22, Neottolemo, Lda (Zona Franca da Madeira), supported by Intercement Portugal SA, intervener, Register.com LP - Sucursal em Portugal (Zona Franca da Madeira), Vs. European Commission
  Re: ‘State aid - Madeira free zone - Aid scheme implemented by Portugal - Decision finding that the scheme does not comply with Decisions C(2007) 3037 final and C(2013) 4043 final, declaring that scheme incompatible with the internal market and ordering the recovery of aid paid under it - Action for annulment - Standing to bring proceedings - Legal interest in bringing proceedings - Admissibility - Concept of ‘State aid’ - Fiscal autonomy of Member States - Concept of ‘existing aid’ within the meaning of Article 1(b)(ii) of Regulation (EU) 2015/1589 - Recovery - Unjust enrichment’
  
• Belgium - State aid SA.53630 (2019/FC) - Belgium - Alleged aid granted to Ladbrokes in relation to virtual betting - Invitation to submit comments pursuant to Article 108(2) of the TFEU
• Commission notice on current State aid recovery interest rates and reference/discount rates applicable as from 1 November 2024
• Commission approves Swedish tax exemption schemes for non-food biogas and bio-propane (SA.56125 & SA.56908)

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on the United Kingdom - 25 October 2024
• Agenda for: 6th meeting of the EU-Armenia Partnership Committee in Trade configuration - 24-25 October 2024
• EVP Dombrovskis travels to Brazil for G20 trade ministerial - Midday Express
• Commission appoints Myrto Zambarta and Léon Delvaux as new Director for its department for trade - Midday Express
• DigitalEurope - Response to USTR consultation on EU-US TTC Global Trade Challenges Working Group
• Joint Statement - EU-Mercosur agreement: A “compensation Fund” for farmers that sparks more concern than reassurance - Copa-Cogeca
• WTO - Kuwait formally accepts Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
• France speeds up game-planning with possible second Trump presidency looming - There are concerns in France that Trump might try to divide and conquer Europe during a potential trade war - Politico.eu
• As possible Trump return looms, EU’s Lagarde urges US to avoid trade wars - Fears are growing that a victorious Trump will deploy the tariff weapon, just as he did against the EU and China in his first term - Politico.eu
• Tariff surge would damage global growth, IMF warns - In a forecast two weeks before US election the fund says greater protectionism would drag down world economy - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Commission analyses potential to boost European Research Area
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Commission expert group on Radio Equipment - 28 November 2024

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

• 36th session of the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) (Geneva, 14-18 October 2024) - Final EU/Member Sates statements

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 25 October 2024
• CEF Energy: new CB RES Project List enters into force
• New energy labelling rules to improve quality of information for consumers and companies
• Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - Impact of possible curb on exports of Russian uranium
• Electrification Alliance calls on European Commission to provide necessary conditions for electrification of European industry - see the Position Paper

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• EU invests €4.8 billion of emissions trading revenues into innovative net-zero projects
  - Q&A on the results of the 2023 call for proposals under the Innovation Fund
• Request for urgent procedure (rule 170) - Deforestation Regulation: provisions relating to the date of application - 22 October 2024

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• SCHEER - Minutes of the Meeting of the Working Group on Weight of Evidence - 10 October 2024
  
• EFSA - Update of the risk assessment of brominated phenols and their derivatives in food

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Minutes of the European Artificial Intelligence Board - 10 September 2024
• Commission makes €16 million of funding available to support journalism and media literacy across Europe
• Commission opens calls worth €323 million to support advanced digital connectivity infrastructures under Connecting Europe Facility  - Midday Express

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• European Parliament validates agreement with EU Council on ‘Single European Sky’

EURO, ECB & ECONOMY

• Commission disburses the third payment of €257.6 million to Slovenia under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express
  
• Eurogroup President travels to the Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group in Washington, DC - Midday Express
• Commissioners Gentiloni and Urpilainen participate in the annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF, in Washington D.C. - Midday Express
• Commission approves Reform Agendas of Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, paving way for payments under the Reform and Growth Facility

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Judgment of the Court of 23 October 2024 in Case T‑480/23, Vladimir Gheorghe Plahotniuc, Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: CFSP - Restrictive measures taken in view of actions destabilising Moldova - Freezing of funds - Restrictions on entry into the territories of the Member States - Lists of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds and to restrictions on entry into the territories of the Member States - Inclusion of the applicant’s name on the lists - Criminal investigations and prosecutions initiated by the authorities of a third State - Obligation to verify that that decision observes the rights of the defence and the right to effective judicial protection - Obligation to state reasons
  
• Agenda for: Working Party on Development cooperation & international partnerships - 24 October 2024
• Ukraine/Russia: Speech by HR/VP Josep Borrell in the EP plenary on the protection of journalists reporting on the war
• Lebanon/UNIFIL: Speech by HR/VP Josep Borrell at the EP plenary on the armed conflict and attacks on UN peacekeeper
• Azerbaijan/Armenia: Speech by HR/VP Josep Borrell at the EP plenary on the issues of human rights, international law and normalization of relations
• China: Speech by HR/VP Josep Borrell at the EP plenary on the misinterpretation of the UN resolution 2758 and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan