Europe Daily News, 24 January 2024

• Norway - One less obstacle for grocery challengers - It became more difficult to prevent competitors from establishing themselves in vacant store premises
• Norway - Competition Authority is now considering whether the conditions imposed on Vipps AS in 2018 should be continued, and is seeking input from market participants
• Poland - Following UOKIK’s intervention, the standing of pig producers in the contractual fattening system will improve - Agrifirm Polska and Agri Plus have pledged to change their practices
• Portugal - AdC detects barriers to the expansion of the electric mobility network and issues recommendations to the Government
• Portugal - Kiwa notifies the acquisition of exclusive control over the companies EQS Cert and EQS Consulting
• UK - The CMA is investigating the anticipated acquisition by AlphaTheta Corporation of Serato Audio Research Limited

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.103196; SA.110836; SA.110842 & SA.109010
• State aid - Slovakia - State aid SA.47063 (2016/FC) - Slovakia - Alleged illegal State aid to SWAN Mobile - Invitation to submit comments pursuant to Article 108(2) of the TFEU

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: 49th meeting of the Customs Expert Group - Origin - 31 January 2024
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Customs Expert Group on Trans-European Coordination meeting for ICS2 - 7th February 2024
• Report of the 56th meeting of the Customs Expert Group - Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature Section - HS/WCO Coordination Sector - 6th to 7th November 2023
• Report of the 17th Project Group on the EU Single Window Environment for Customs - Examination and concretisation of the Business-to Government (B2G) dimension and functionality - 28 & 29 November 2023
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Association Council established by the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part, as regards the amendment of Protocol 4 to that Agreement concerning the definition of the concept of 'originating products' and methods of administrative cooperation
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) /... imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of certain open mesh fabrics of glass fibres originating in the People's Republic of China as extended to imports consigned from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand following an expiry review pursuant to Article 11(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 of the European Parliament and the Council
• Decision No 1/2024 of the EU-Switzerland Joint Committee of 12 January 2024 amending Tables III and IV of Protocol 2 to the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Swiss Confederation of 22 July 1972, as amended
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell to a MEP written question - EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement
• Trade agreements: what the EU is working on - See the EP Statement

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Technical Harmonisation (Motor Vehicles) 25 January 2024
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/354 of 19 January 2024 on harmonised standards for cableway installations drafted in support of Regulation (EU) 2016/424 of the European Parliament and the Council
• Non-paper of Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden on a new horizontal Single Market Strategy
• EU to announce initiatives to boosts space innovation and entrepreneurship at the European Space Conference - Midday Express
• Report of MEP Marion Walsmann on Proposal for a Regulation on Standard Essential Patents – COM(2023)232 - IP Europe calls on JURI to reject the compromise amendments
• EU’s €800bn recovery fund held back by red tape, industry chief warns - Post-pandemic plan ‘very, very difficult to access’, says head of ERT lobby group Jean-François van Boxmeer - Financial Times

CHEMICAL

• Agenda for: Ad Hoc Working Party on One Substance One Assessment - 23 January 2024
• Fertilisers’ labelling: Council and Parliament strike provisional deal to make fertilisers’ labelling, clearer, simpler and more digital
• List of authorisation decisions adopted on the basis of Article 64(8) of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) - Created by GROW.F.1 as of 22 January 2024
  - Commission Implementing Decision of 15.1.2024 granting an authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) to Lanxess Deutschland GmbH for a use of 1,2-dichloroethane  (‘EDC’)  in the context of a review and amending Implementing Decision C(2018) 2881
  - Commission Implementing Decision of 15.1.2024 granting an authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) to Eurenco for a use of 1,2-dichloroethane (‘EDC’) in the context of a review and repealing Implementing Decision C(2019) 2260
• ECHA adds five hazardous chemicals to the Candidate List - ECHA/NR/24/01

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Council ('Agriculture & Fisheries') on 23 January 2024
  - Report from the Commission - The use of crisis measures adopted pursuant to Articles 219 to 222 of the CMO Regulation & Annexes
  - The CAP’s role on safeguarding high-quality and primary farm-based food production - Information from the Austrian, French and Italian delegations, supported by the Czech, Cypriot, Greek, Hungarian, Luxembourg, Maltese, Polish, Romanian, Slovak and Spanish delegations
• EU report highlights significant level of €2.5 billion emergency measures allocated to farmers since 2014 - Midday Express 

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on fluorinated greenhouse gases, amending Directive (EU) 2019/1937 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 (first reading) - Adoption of the legislative act & Statement by the Czech Republic; Estonia; Hungary
• Drinking water to become safer thanks to new EU-wide hygiene standards for materials and products in contact with water - IP/24/350
  - Commission Implementing Decision laying down rules for the application of Directive (EU) 2020/2184 (C/2024/239/1/EN)
  - Commission Implementing Decision laying down rules for the application of Directive (EU) 2020/2184 (C/2024/237/1/EN) 
  - Commission Delegated Regulation laying down rules for the application of Directive (EU) 2020/2184 (C/2024/240/1/EN) 
  - Commission Implementing Regulation laying down rules for the application of Directive (EU) 2020/2184 (C/2024/238/1/EN)
  - Commission Delegated Regulation  laying down rules for the application of Directive (EU) 2020/2184 (C/2024/241/1/EN) 
  - Commission Delegated Regulation laying down rules for the application of Directive (EU) 2020/2184 (C/2024/242/1/EN) 

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• European Medicines Agency: Council gives final green light to the overhaul of its fee system
• Commission proposes measures to improve the availability of in vitro diagnostics - IP/24/346, QaA, Factsheet & Proposal for a Regulation
• Public consultation - Product safety recall notices (template) -Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 22 January 2024 - 19 February 2024
• Public consultation - Product safety – interoperable interface of the Safety Gate Portal - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 22 January 2024 - 19 February 2024
• EMA - Meeting highlights from the Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP) -16 & 17 January 2024

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Report of the 13th Meeting of the CEG on Web Accessibility Directive Expert Group (WADEX) - 15 & 16 November 2023,
• Commission Implementing Decision of XXX on the harmonisation of the 40,5-43,5 GHz frequency band for terrestrial systems capable of providing wireless broadband electronic communications services in the Union - see the Annex
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Apple’s closed ecosystem and the iOS to Android switch
• EU Commission prepares ‘strategic framework’ to boost AI start-ups, generative AI uptake - Euractiv.com

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• ECB - January 2024 euro area bank lending survey
• ECB staff say Lagarde doing poor job as president, union survey finds - The results contrast with high marks given to predecessors Mario Draghi and Jean-Claude Trichet in past studies -  Financial Times

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• German far-right leader hails Brexit as ‘model for Germany’ - Alternative for Germany chief Alice Weidel says she will hold a referendum on EU membership if elected - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Agenda for: 10th EU-Egypt Association Council - 23 January 2023
• Statement by the European Commission and the High Representative on International Day of Education
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/381 of 22 January 2024 amending Decision (CFSP) 2019/2111 in support of SEESAC disarmament and arms control activities in South-East Europe reducing the threat of illicit small arms and light weapons and their ammunition
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell to a MEP written question - Clarification concerning Iran’s increases to its enriched uranium stockpile

SANCTIONS

• Sudan: Council adds six entities to EU sanctions list - See Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/384 & Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/383
• Syria: Council adds six persons and five entities to EU sanctions list - See Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/362 & Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2024/380