Europe Daily News, 02 December 2024

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11769 - VMAG / Noa)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11532 - ICG / Holding Uriach / Uriach / Ineldea)
• Communication from the Commission concerning the withdrawal of act 2021/C 113/01 (Article 22 and the Illumina/GRAIL case)
• Commission approves EasyJet, IAG and AFKLM as remedy takers in the context of ITA Airways merger control investigation (M.11071)
• Commission clears acquisition of SICK Engineering by SICK and EH and the acquisition of SICK MAIHAK and of certain distribution assets of SICK by EH (M.11692) - Midday Express
• Germany - The Bundeskartellamt has cleared plans by Konsum Dresden eG, Dresden, to join EDEKA Nordbayern-Sachsen-Thüringen eG, Rottendorf, and thus the EDEKA group

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.63107 & SA.116114

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Trade Policy Committee (Full Members) - 05 December 2024
• Council Decision amending the Decision of 30 November 2017 authorising the opening of negotiations with the CARIFORUM States for an agreement on the protection of geographic indications based on Article 145 of the CARIFORUM Agreement, as regards craft and industrial products - Adoption
• EU launches consultation on dispute with India over tariffs on information and communication technology (ICT) goods
• Agenda for: 1st EU-New Zealand FTA - Committee on Wine and Spirits Annex - 02 & 03 December 2024
• Minutes of the 14th Meeting of the Special Committee on SPS EU-Mexico Free Trade Agreement - 09 April 2024
• EU - New Zealand Free Trade Agreement - Country Factsheet: Germany
• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - The CE marking and China Export marking
• Answer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Mercosur
• Answer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Mercosur agreement
• Answer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Chinese cars entering the EU market via China
• EFTA and Thailand conclude free trade negotiations - Factsheet: Chapter by Chapter
• EU initiates dispute complaint against China regarding Chinese duties on brandy (WT/DS631/1)
• WTO General Council reappoints Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Director-General for a second term
• A trade policy framework for the European Union-United Kingdom reset - A reset in the relationship between the UK and the EU is underway. This paper recommends the main elements of the reset in terms of trade - see the Bruegel Policy Brief
• Chinese exporters front-load shipments in bid to dodge Trump tariffs - Sellers from China, Canada and Mexico rush to get goods into the US before levies rise - Financial Times
• EU commissioner pitches ‘Europe first’ in response to Trump - Stéphane Séjourné says ‘biggest fear’ is for bloc to become ‘collateral victim’ of global trade war - Financial Times
• US hits China’s chip industry with new export controls - Parting measures by Biden administration aim to slow Beijing’s development of AI with military applications - Financial Times
• Poland’s split-personality disorder to blight trade talks with Ukraine - Donald Tusk’s balancing act between pro-European ideals and populist pressures risks undermining Poland’s role in EU-Ukraine trade talks - Politico.eu

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Main results - Competitiveness Council (Research and space), 29 November 2024
• Main results - Competitiveness Council (Internal market & industry), 28 November 2024

FINANCE

• EU banks continue to be robust although risks from geopolitical tensions and cyber threats remain significant, the EBA Report shows
• Answer given by MS McGuinness to a MEP written question - EU-wide EUR 10 000 cap on cash payments

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL AFFAIRS

• Meeting of the EPSCO Council of 2 December 2024
  - Porto Social Forum 2025 - Information from Portugal

AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & FISHERIES

• Proposal for a Regulation of the Parliament and of the Council on the production and marketing of forest reproductive material, amending Regulations (EU) 2016/2031 and 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 1999/105/EC (Regulation on forest reproductive material) - Progress report
• Proposal for a Regulation of the Parliament and of the Council on the production and marketing of plant reproductive material in the Union, amending Regulations (EU) 2016/2031, 2017/625 and 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Council Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 68/193/EEC, 2002/53/EC, 2002/54/EC, 2002/55/EC, 2002/56/EC, 2002/57/EC, 2008/72/EC and 2008/90/EC (Regulation on plant reproductive material) - Progress report
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council, on a monitoring framework for resilient European forests - Progress report

ENERGY

• Action brought on 19 September 2024 - Uniper Global Commodities Vs. ACER (Case T-488/24)
  Re: Annulment of decision No 03/2022 of ACER; Regulation (EU) 2017/2195; Article 10 of Regulation (EU) 2019/943; Article 14(7) of Regulation (EU) 2019/942 and Article 296 TFEU
• TTE (Energy) - Council on 16 December 2024
  - Council conclusions on the promotion of geothermal energy - Approval
  - The future of energy policy in view of a genuine Energy Union - Exchange of views

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Action brought on 14 October 2024 - Global Legal Action Network Vs. Commission - (Case T-526/24)
  Re: annulment of the Commission’s decision, set out in a letter of 6 August 2024, by which the Commission rejected a request for internal review brought by the applicant pursuant to Article 10 of the Aarhus Regulation
• Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Securing our future Europe's 2040 climate target and path to climate neutrality by 2050 building a sustainable, just and prosperous society - Exchange of views
• Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention): 44th meeting of the Standing Committee (Strasbourg, 2-6 December 2024)
• An investment strategy to keep the European Green Deal on track - See the Bruegel Policy Brief
• Europe’s centre right pushes to reverse 2035 ban on petrol cars - European People’s party says law aimed at boosting electric vehicle production is misfiring - Financial Times

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Meeting of EPSCO (Health) of 3 December 2024:
  - Presidency events during the Hungarian EU Presidency: - Information from the Presidency
  - Voluntary Cooperation of Member States on Joint Procurement of Medicinal Products - Information from Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Malta and Slovenia
  - Necessary reforms in the Medical Device and In vitro Diagnostic Medical Device Regulations: priorities / main points - Information from Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania and Slovenia
  - Health sector as a key part of the future Preparedness Union Strategy: - Information from Finland on behalf of Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta and Spain
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2958 of 29 November 2024 determining the output indicators relevant for Regulation (EU) 2023/988 of the European Parliament and of the Council on general product safety
• Commission signs joint procurement contract for the purchase of up to 2,250,000 vials for COVID-19 treatment - Midday Express
• MEPs reject smoking ban plan - The vote is symbolic but lawmakers still couldn’t come to an agreement - Politico.eu

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• TTE (Transport) - Council on 5 December 2024
  - Resilience of EU transport infrastructure to extreme climate-related and geophysical events - Information from Spain
  - Preventing and addressing transport poverty: the role of the Social Climate Plans - Information from the Commission
  - Joint non-paper on the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) III - Information from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
• The SES2+ regulation comes into force to make European skies more efficient and sustainable - Midday Express 

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Commissioner McGrath meets the new President of Eurojust - Midday Express
• Commission launches targeted consultation on 2025 Rule of Law Report - Midday Express
• Answer given by Mr Reynders to a MEP written question - Breach of the principles of the rule of law in France by the Minister for the Interior

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: JHA Counsellors on Data protection Matters - 05 December 2024

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Eurobarometer survey shows continued strong public support for the euro and the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express
• ECB publishes second progress report on the digital euro preparation phase - Letter from Piero Cipollone to Aurore Lalucq, ECON Chair
• Four years into NextGenerationEU: what impact on the euro area economy - Occasional Paper Series No.362
• Is the Eurozone in trouble? With Philip Lane - A conversation with the chief economist of the ECB - Financial Times
• ECB to abandon crisis-era strategy as inflation falls - Chief economist Philip Lane says focus on latest economic data will ebb - Financial Times
• How to end Europe’s backwater investment status - Lagarde envisages a new investment structure to guarantee common standards and low costs - Financial Times

INSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 04 December 2024
• The von der Leyen Commission 2024-2029 takes office (see the Political Guidelines) - Midday Express
• Speech by European Council President Charles Michel at the handover ceremony with the incoming President António Costa
• Speech by incoming European Council President António Costa at the handover ceremony with the outgoing President Charles Michel

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Agenda for: Working Party of Foreign Relations Counsellors (RELEX) - Horizontal Questions - 06 December 2024
• Statement by the HR / VP of the Commission Kaja Kallas and Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos on Georgia
• Russia: Statement by the High Representative on the new sentencing of political prisoner Alexei Gorinov
• Kosovo: Statement by the High Representative on the water canal attack in Zubin Potok
• The Council of the EU has endorsed 46 Global Gateway flagship projects for 2025

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Action brought on 15 October 2024 - Chevtsov Vs. Council (Case T-528/24)
  Re: Decision (CFSP) 2024/2116; Regulation (EU) 2024/2113; restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus
• Remarks of President António Costa at the joint press conference with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv
• Ukraine: Remarks by the High Representative/Vice President Kaja Kallas at the start of the meeting with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
• Europe’s Russian energy sanctions have run out of steam. Can Poland fire them up again? - Warsaw wants to use its turn in the EU’s rotating chair to take on Russian imports - Politico.eu