Europe Daily News, 16 February 2024

STATE AID

• Commission approves €4 billion German State aid scheme partially funded under Recovery and Resilience Facility to help industries decarbonise production processes - IP/24/845
• Commission approves €720 million French State aid scheme to support forestry sector (SA.109083) - IP/24/847
• Commission orders recovery of €33.84 million in incompatible State aid from Blue Air (SA.62829) - IP/24/848
• Commission approves €50 million Dutch State aid scheme to support agricultural producers in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine (SA.112447) - Midday Express
• Commission authorises a French State aid scheme worth €40 million to support medium-sized businesses faced with high electricity prices as a result of Russia's war against Ukraine (SA.111347) - Midday Express
• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - Possibility for the Federation of Aalborg Sports Associations (SIFA) to continue to run televised bingo (‘TV Bingo’) – much to the delight of DK4’s older viewers

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Deputy Members) - 22 February 2024
• Agenda for: Law Enforcement Working Party (Customs) - 19 February 2024
• Notice of initiation of an anti-subsidy proceeding concerning imports of certain aluminium road wheels, originating in Morocco (CN codes ex 8708 70 10 and ex 8708 70 50)
• Notice of initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of glass fibre yarns (GFY) originating in the People’s Republic of China (CN codes ex 7019 13 00 and ex 7019 19 00)
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell i Fontelles to a MEP written question - Enforced disappearances in Balochistan (GSP)

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness & Growth (Internal Market) - 20 February 2024
• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness & Growth (Internal Market) - 19 February 2024
• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness & Growth (Industry) - 19 February 2024
• Public consultation: Vehicle safety – type approval templates for vehicle safety systems - Implementing regulation - Feedback period/ 15 February 2024 - 14 March 2024
• Von der Leyen calls on EU to subsidise defence production - Financial Times

CHEMICAL

• ECHA’s new guidance paves way for better protection of bees from biocides - ECHA/NR/24/05

FINANCE

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/595 of 9 November 2023 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to regulatory technical standards specifying the materiality of weaknesses, the type of information collected, the practical implementation of the information collection and the analysis and dissemination of the information contained in the Anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing (AML/CFT) central database referred to in Article 9a(2) of that Regulation
• Combating late payment - see the EP Briefing
• Euroclear warns against G7 plan to backstop Ukraine debt with Russian assets - Chief executive Lieve Mostrey says move would trigger similar risks to European financial system as outright seizure - Financial Times
• EU clearing rules are a quiet win for London - Financial Times

TAXATION

• An Agreement on EU fiscal rules will make it impossible for Member States to invest in the Just Transition - see the EEB Statement

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on the Environment - 19,20 & 23 February 2024
• Agenda for: 5th Meeting of the LIFE Programme Committee - 21 March 2024
• Agenda for: Working Party on the Environment (Soil Monitoring Law) - 20 February 2024
• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues - Biosafety - 27 February 2024 and Whaling - 26 February 2024
• Agenda for: 25th Meeting of the “MSP on Protecting and Restoring the World’s Forests” with a focus on Deforestation & Forest Degradation (MS) - 22 February 2024
• Agenda for: 25th Meeting of the “MSP on Protecting and Restoring the World’s Forests” with a focus on Deforestation & Forest Degradation (All Members) - 22 February 2024
• Public consultation: National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive – evaluation - Evaluation - Feedback period: 15 February 2024 - 14 March 2024
• Von der Leyen Commission halts ‘water resilience initiative’, risking deeper harm to drought and flood hit Europe - see the EEB Statement

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Public Hearing: SCHEER guidelines on the benefit-risk assessment of the presence of phthalates in certain medical devices
• Minutes of the Working Group meeting on Cosmetic Ingredients of 25-26 January 2024
• EFSA - Modification of the terms of authorisation regarding the maximum inclusion level of a feed additive consisting of nonanoic acid for all pigs and poultry species (Anitox Corporation)
• EFSA -Safety of a feed additive consisting of endo 1,4 β‐d‐mannanase produced by Thermothelomyces thermophilus DSM 33149 (Natupulse® TS/TS L) for chickens and turkeys for fattening, minor poultry species for fattening and ornamental birds (BASF SE)
• EFSA - Safety evaluation of the food enzyme rennet containing chymosin and pepsin A from the abomasum of suckling calves, goats, lambs and buffaloes
• ECDC - High vaccination coverage key against expected increase of measles cases in the EU/EEA - See the Report

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Digital Services Act starts applying to all online platforms in the EU - IP/24/881 & QaA 
• DSA - AGORA: data-sharing platform between Digital Services Coordinators and the Commission ready for operation - see Regulation (EU) 2024/607

MOBILITY & TRANSPORT

• Commission welcomes provisional agreement on tackling ship-source pollution to help make European seas cleaner - IP/24/823 & EP Statement
• Focus on urban public transport – first set of recommendations adopted by the Expert Group on Urban Mobility (EGUM)
• European ethanol producers raise new legal challenge to EU aviation-fuel legislation

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Agenda for: Law Enforcement Working Party (Police) - 16 February 2024
• Decision (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 February 2024 empowering France to negotiate a bilateral agreement with Algeria concerning judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters (2024/593) and  in civil matters related to family law (2024/592) 
• EU support to Border and Migration Management in Bosnia and Herzegovina continues through new 6.4 million Euro Project

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Speech by Isabel Schnabel: From laggard to leader? Closing the euro area’s technology gap
• Statement by Commissioner Gentiloni at the presentation of the Winter 2024 Economic Forecast
• EU cuts growth and inflation forecasts for 2024 - Eurozone GDP and output figures revised down while inflation expected to halve from last year’s highs - Financial Times

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• EU partners lose trust in Berlin after policy U-turns - Lawmakers and diplomats in Brussels express frustration at Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s unpredictable coalition - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Conventional Arms Exports subgroup (COARM) of the Working Party on Non-Proliferation and Arms Exports - 27 February 2024
• International criminal investigation against EU Member State nationals launched by the Russian Federation - Request by the Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish Delegations for an AOB item
• NATO: Press remarks by HR/VP Josep Borrell upon arrival at the NATO Defence Ministers Meeting
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell i Fontelles to a MEP written question - Observance of the Treaty of Lausanne for Imbros and Tenedos