Europe Daily News, 04 November 2024

COMPETITION

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competition - 15 November 2024
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11615 - JBT / Marel)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11666 - Neveon / Brantner Österreich / JV)
• ABN AMRO files acquisition of HAL for EU foreign subsidy review - See Case FS.100104
• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - Unjustifiably high prices set by multinationals in Europe
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt cleared the acquisition of assets of the insolvent buecher.de GmbH & Co. KG by Thalia Bücher GmbH
• Greece - Approval of the concentration concerning the acquisition of sole control by 'Tönnies International Management GmbH' of the companies 'Vion GmbH' and 'Vion Beef B.V.' and the latter's direct and indirect subsidiaries
• Greece - Clearance of a proposed concentration between Hellenic Train S.A.” and “Damco Energy  S.A. Company, subject to terms and conditions (remedies)

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections: SA.116169; SA.116115 & SA.116093

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Full Members) - 07 November 2024
• ‘Rebuilding trust, boosting trade and transforming our multilateral institutions’ - Speech by Charles Michel, President of the European Council, at WTO Presidential Lecture
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Commercial exploitation of seal products
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Šefčovič to a MEP written question - Fitness check of regulation banning trade in seal products
• The perfect storm for European automakers - Volkswagen and its EU rivals have allowed China to steal a march in EVs - Financial Times
• China complains to Prague about EU duties on EVs and asks for help - Beijing has made it clear that it does not accept Brussels’ decision against Chinese carmakers - Politico.eu
• Chickpeas for tangerines: Russian exporters ‘taste’ barter system - Moscow pushes Soviet-style trade after western sanctions cause months-long payment delays - Financial Times
• WTO chief braces for a fresh fight with Donald Trump - Donald Trump and the WTO’s first African leader Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are worlds apart — and both want a second term - Politico.eu

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Technical Harmonisation - 14 November 2024

CHEMICAL

• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Fővárosi Törvényszék (Hungary) of 23 July 2024 – BÁV Zrt. Vs. Budapest Főváros Kormányhivatala (Case C-512/24, BÁV)
  Re: other metal components for jewellery making’, cadmium, Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, Reach
• Provisional Draft Agenda of the 65th meeting of the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis - 26-28 November 2024
• Summary of European Commission Decisions on authorisations for the placing on the market for the use and/or for use of substances listed in Annex XIV to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the REACH:
  - C(2024) 7271: sodium dichromate & chromium trioxide
  - C(2024) 7408: sodium dichromate; potassium dichromate & chromium trioxide
  - C(2024) 7274: chromium trioxide; sodium dichromate; potassium dichromate & chromium trioxide

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Action brought on 13 September 2024 - European Commission Vs. Italian Republic (Case C-594/24)
  Re: Article 3 of Council Directive 91/271/EEC, urban waste-water treatment, Italy, implementing, infringement
• UNECE: 29th session of the Committee on Environmental Policy (CEP 29) (Geneva, 6-8 November 2024) - First EU coordination
• Minutes of the 101st Meeting of the CITES Scientific Review Group - 05 June 2024
• Biodiversity COP16 concludes with several landmark EU-championed outcomes with some implementation decisions requiring further discussions - Midday Express
• Review of species subject to long-standing import suspensions - Part VI - september 2024

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Kúria (Hungary) of 24 July 2024 – Magyar Telekom Nyrt. Vs. Nemzeti Média- és Hírközlési Hatóság Elnöke (Case C-514/24, Magyar Telekom)
  Re: Article 105(4) of Directive (EU) 2018/1972, European Electronic Communications Code, 2016 BEREC Guidelines, 2022 BEREC Guidelines, Directive 2002/22/EC - universal service and users’ rights, Regulation (EU) No 531/2012 - roaming on public mobile communications networks
• Apple's operating system iPadOS must comply with all relevant obligations under the Digital Markets Act - see the DMA Compliance Report - Midday Express
• "Connectivity - safe, secure and accessible to all - see Speech by BEREC's Robert Mourik

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Amtsgericht Arnsberg (Germany) of 31 July 2024 – Brillen Rottler GmbH & Co. KG Vs. TC (Case C-526/24)
  Re: Article 4(2); Article 12(5); Article 15(1); Article 82(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); infringement
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Landesarbeitsgericht Niedersachsen (Germany) of 10 July 2024 – NTH Haustechnik GmbH Vs. EM (Case C-484/24)
  Re: Article 92 of the Grundgesetz (Basic Law, ‘the GG’), Paragraphs 138, 286, 355 et seq. of the Zivilprozessordnung (Code of Civil Procedure, ‘the ZPO’); Article 5(1)(a), 5(1)(e), 6, 9,17(3)(e), Article 47(2) of the GDPR; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
• Agenda for: EDPB plenary meeting - 04 November 2024

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 06 November 2024
• Europe is trapped between technocracy and democracy - As the EU fills its top jobs, the risk is that von der Leyen will end up as a leader without followers in national capitals - Financial Times
• Mario Draghi: "Europe can learn fiscal lessons from the UK on how to achieve its goals - A co-ordinated reform agenda is crucial if the EU is serious about becoming a climate leader and geopolitical player" - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Appeal brought on 5 September 2024 by Council of the European Union against the judgment of the General Court of 26 June 2024 in Case T-740/22, Pumpyanskiy Vs. Council (Case C-584/24 P)
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1767, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1765 - restrictive measures  - Russia- Ukraine
• Japan: HR/VP Borrell holds first EU-Japan Strategic Dialogue with Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya - See the Press remarks & Japan-EU Security and Defence Partnership
• Joint statement by High Representative Josep Borrell and Vice-President Věra Jourová on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
• Joint Statement by the European Commission and High Representative Josep Borrell on the second round of Presidential Elections in Moldova
• Ethiopia: Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell to mark two years of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement
• Bangladesh: European Union and Bangladesh discuss cooperation to uphold human rights
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the UNRWA legislation
• Botswana: Statement by the High Representative on elections in the country