Europe Daily News, 13 March 2024

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11465 - Silver Lake / Australiansuper / Digitalbridge / Vantage Emea)
• Commission clears acquisition of Cotiviti by KKR and Veritas (M.11454) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Recurrent Energy by Canadian Solar and BlackRock (M.11490) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Dual Use Goods - 20 March 2024
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) …/... amending Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council in order to remove Bhutan from the list of beneficiary countries of the special arrangement for the least-developed countries
• Parliament adopts its position on major reform of EU Customs Code
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - ‘War tax’ on trade with Russia
• WCO - Research & Policy Note on Generative Artificial Intelligence for Customs
• EU set to ban plastics recycled outside bloc used in food packs and bottles - France succeeds in late push to amend law in its final stages - Financial Times
• US solar manufacturers in ‘dire situation’ as imports soar - Domestic industry wants stronger tariffs as subsidies have not done enough to ward off Chinese competition - Financial Times
  

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the EP IMCO Committee - 20 January 2024
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Technical Committee - Motor Vehicles - 19 March 2024
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Expert Group on EU Fertilisers Market Observatory -19 March 2024
• Artificial Intelligence Act: MEPs adopt landmark law - see the EP Statement
• European Parliament ratifies compromise reached with Council of EU on better labelling of fertilisers
• March infringements package: key decisions
• UK must play a role in EU’s defence strategy, urges European missile maker’s chief - Head of part BAE-owned MBDA Éric Béranger says ‘geography matters’ - Financial Times

CHEMICAL

• Minutes of the Meeting of the REACH Committee  - 29 February 2024
• ECHA - Next steps for PFAS restriction proposal
• Latest ECHA Weekly published - 13 March 2024

FINANCE

• Agenda for: 45th meeting of the Commission Expert Group on Banking, Payments and Insurance (Payments Formation) - 14 March 2024
• Amending certain financial services and investment support Regulations as regards certain reporting requirements - see the EP Resolution

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Energy Economists Expert Group meeting - 20 March 2024
• In focus: EU nuclear energy policy – why it matters to us all
• Analysis on a strategic public-private partnership approach to foster innovation in fusion energy - see the Final report
• Energy efficiency of buildings: MEPs adopt plans to decarbonise the sector - see the EP Statement & Resolution

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Judgment of the General Court of 13 March 2024 in Joined Cases T‑682/21 and T‑683/21, ClientEarth AISBL, Päivi Leino-Sandberg, Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: Access to documents - Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 - Opinion of the Council’s legal service regarding a proposal by the Commission concerning an amendment of Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 and regarding advice issued by the Aarhus Committee - Partial refusal to grant access - Exception relating to the protection of legal advice - Legal opinions that are particularly sensitive in nature or have a particularly wide scope going beyond the context of the legislative process in question - Exception relating to the protection of the decision-making process - Exception relating to the protection of the public interest regarding international relations - Overriding public interest
  
• Agenda for: Meeting of the EP ENVI Committee - 19 January 2024
• Working Documents of the Meeting of the sub-group on the Environmental Footprint transition phase - 25 January 2024
• European Parliament wants to improve consumer protection against misleading claims - see the EP Statement & Resolution
• Reducing pollution from industry and large livestock farms - see the EP Statement & Resolution on Industrial Emissions Directive and on Industrial Emissions Portal
• Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) - 43rd session of the Executive Body (EB 43) (Geneva, 11–14 December 2023) - Statements by the EU and its Member States
• Council (Environment) on 25 March 2024
  - Communication on Europe’s 2040 climate target - Exchange of views
• Commission sets out key steps for managing climate risks to protect people and prosperity - IP/24/1385, QaA, FactSheet, Communication & Press remarks by EVP Šefčovič and Commissioner Hoekstra
• Commission decides to refer Greece to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failure to finalise the revision of its water plans (INFR(2022)2191) - IP/24/1235
• Commission decides to refer Italy to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failure to fully comply with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (INFR(2017)2181) - IP/24/1234
• Commission decides to refer Cyprus to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failure to take the necessary steps to protect and manage its Natura 2000 sites (INFR(2021)2064) - IP/24/1230
• Commission decides to refer Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failure to protect its peat bogs (INFR(2010)2161) - IP/24/1232
• Commission publishes mid-term review of 8th Environment Action Programme - Midday Express

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Minutes of the Expert group on Tobacco Control Subgroup on Traceability and Security features - 15 January 2024
• Parliament backs tighter EU rules for toy safety - see the EP Statement
• Defective products: revamped rules to better protect consumers from damages - see the EP Resolution
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Origin of processed foods
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Combatting the fraudulent use of chlorothalonil
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Information on – and risks of – nanomaterials in food
• EFSA - Risks for animal and human health related to the presence of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in feed and food
• ECDC country visit to Montenegro to discuss surveillance of communicable diseases

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Cyber Resilience Act: MEPs adopt plans to boost security of digital products - see the EP Resolution
• EDPS statement in view of the 10th and last Plenary Meeting of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI) of the Council of Europe drafting the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• European Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the regulation governing the use of railway infrastructure capacity
• Provisional agreement on better cross-border enforcement of road safety traffic rules - IP/24/1401 & EP Statement
• European Parliament wants to strengthen European Maritime Safety Agency’s role - see the EP Resolution
• Minimum breaks and rest periods in occasional road passenger transport - see the EPRS Briefing
• Improving use of rail infrastructure capacity - see the EPRS Briefing

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Commission takes stock of key achievements on migration and asylum - IP/24/1413 & Communication
• EU sanctions: new rules to crack down on violations - see the EP Resolution
• Commissioner Johansson in Vienna to participate in the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs - Midday Express
• Legal migration: MEPs endorse beefed-up single residence and work permit rules
• Brussels prepares €7.4bn aid package for Egypt - Planned deal aims to shore up country’s economy and curb migration - Financial Times

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Main results of the Economic & Financial Affairs Council - 12 March 2024 - Remarks by EVP Dombrovskis
• Budget 2025: Council agrees on guidelines for next year's EU budget

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Commission publishes the General Report 2023: EU delivers on its priorities while tackling unprecedented challenges
• European Parliament adopts its calendar for 2025

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: EU individual sanctions over territorial integrity prolonged for a further six months - see Regulation (EU) 2024/849 & Decision (CFSP) 2024/847
• Commission welcomes the adoption of EU mandate by the Council for negotiations with Switzerland - IP/24/1405 & QaA
• Commission proposes to open EU accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and updates on progress made by Ukraine and Moldova - IP/24/1423 & Report on progress
• Commission welcomes the political agreement reached last night between the EU provides an initial humanitarian aid of €70 million for Africa's Great Lakes region - IP/24/1422
• EU allocates €20 million in emergency humanitarian aid to Haiti - Midday Express
• President von der Leyen travels to the Faroe Islands and Greenland - Midday Express
• EU and US find stop-gap funding for Ukraine weapons - Brussels deal on €5bn expected on Wednesday while Pentagon announces $300mn in extra funds - Financial Times