Europe Daily News, 20 March 2024

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11298 - Bilfinger / Stork Europe)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11490 - Blackrock / Canadian Solar / Recurrent Energy)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11487 - Digitalbridge / Equitix / Freedom Fibre / VX Fiber / Lilaconnect)
• ESA investigates possible breach by Norway of EEA competition rules over exclusive rights granted to power exchange Nord Pool
• France - Related rights: the Autorité fines Google €250 million for non-compliance with some of its commitments made in June 2022
• France - Takeover of Casino stores by Intermarché, Auchan and Carrefour: the Autorité de la concurrence grants derogations from the suspensive effect of merger control
• Germany - Olympics 2024: Bundeskartellamt secures self-marketing options for Team Germany athletes
• The Netherlands - ACM has received a commitment from Vion that it will no longer unilaterally alter contracts with pig farmers
• Slovakia - The PMU approved the concentration of entrepreneurs on the real estate market
• Slovakia - The PMU imposed a fine of EUR 180 thousand for abuse of dominant position in the waste management sector
• Slovakia - The PMU initiated administrative proceedings against a waste management entrepreneur for failure to submit documents and information
• UK - CMA: Consultation on provisional decisions on reviews of three merger undertakings and one market investigation Order
• EU agrees US deal to launch satellites with Elon Musk’s SpaceX - The EU will get the right to post security guards at a U.S. spaceport to protect its Galileo satellites - Politico.eu

STATE AID

• ESA opens investigation into possible breach of State aid rules benefitting the Norwegian wood industry

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union (Directors General of Customs) - 09 April 2024
• Agenda for Joint committee procedure (Rule 58) of INTA, IMCO - 20 March 2024
  - Point 4: Prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market - Letter & Interinstitutional Agreement
  
• EU strikes "preliminary deal" to avoid harsher import restrictions on Ukrainian grain - The agreement narrowly avoids tougher limits, despite a last-minute push from Poland and France - see the EP Statement - Politico.eu
• EU agrees fresh curbs on Ukrainian food after farmer protests - France and Poland lead push to restrict trade in poultry, eggs and honey with Kyiv - Financial Times
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - The potential incompatibility of the Brazilian Time Frame Bill with the EU-Mercosur Agreement
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Accession of Serbia, Montenegro, Armenia and the UK to EFTA
• WTO - Committee on Regional Trade Agreements - EPA between the EU and the Pacific states (Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa and the Solomon Islands) - Goods - Questions & replies
• WTO - Chair briefs members on consultations regarding post-MC13 dispute settlement reform work
• WTO - Russia formally accepts Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Horizon Europe strategic plan 2025-2027 for research and innovation to underpin journey to a green, digital and resilient future - IP/24/1572
  
• Commission and the research community develop "guidelines" on responsible use of generative Artificial Intelligence in research - Midday Express
• Rival nations seek to poach top UK and European AI start-ups - Canada and UAE lobby companies amid global competition over developing cutting-edge technology - Financial Times
• Defence CEO calls for European version of Israel’s Iron Dome - Rheinmetall’s Armin Papperger makes case for air defence systems as EU contends with increased Russian threat - Financial Times

EMPLOYMENT SOCIAL POLICY

• President von der Leyen co-chairs the Tripartite Social Summit on an economically and socially strong Europe playing its part in the world - IP/24/1606
• 10 EU regions selected as part of Pillar 2 of the Talent Booster Mechanism to help alleviate the effects of demographic change - Midday Express

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Agenda & Working Documents: Meeting of the Expert Group for Agricultural Markets, in particular concerning aspects falling under the CMO Regulation – Animal Products - 21 March 2024
• Minutes & Working Documents: Meeting of the Expert Group for Agricultural Markets, in particular concerning aspects falling under the CMO Regulation – Animal Products - 22 February 2024
  

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 26 March 2024
• Agenda for: Joint committee procedure (Rule 58) of INTA, ITRE - 21 March 2024
  - Council Decision on the withdrawal of the Union from the Energy Charter Treaty
  

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (Basel) - 26 March 2024
• Council (Environment) meeting on 25 March 2024
  - ‘Karlovy Vary Annual Policy Dialogue Statement’ and the need for strengthening just transition in regions affected by decarbonisation - Information from the Czech and Slovak delegations
  - State of play of Member States Progress towards 2030 Climate Objectives - Information from the Commission
  - The importance of small farmers and farmers’ networks for a sustainable EU Seed Regulation - Information from the Austrian delegation
  - Sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) (Nairobi, Kenya, 26 February – 1 March 2024) - Information from the Presidency and the Commission
• Provisional political agreement on ‘Packaging and Packaging Waste’ Regulation validated by MEPs in EP ENVI Committee
• Draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on nature restoration and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/869 (first reading) - Adoption of the legislative act & Statements
• Commission conference to boost effort to plant 3 billion trees by 2030 for more resilience against climate and environmental threats - Midday Express
• Commissioner Hoekstra participates in the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial to start COP29 preparations - Midday Express
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius to a MEP written question - Plastic pellet pollution in the western Mediterranean Sea

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Team Europe and its African partners launch initiatives to strengthen health systems and social protection in Africa - IP/24/1563
• Commissioner Kyriakides travels to Italy in the context of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan - Midday Express
• SCHEER - Minutes of the WG on the update of the guidelines on the benefit-risk assessment of the presence of phthalates in certain medical devices of 8 March 2024
• EU pharmaceutical policy: MEPs support comprehensive reform
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Including pesticides in the future proposal for the universal restriction of PFAS
• EFSA - Pest categorisation of Pyrrhoderma noxium
• EFSA - Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance quinolin‐8‐ol
• EFSA - Updated peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance dichlorprop‐P and variant dichlorprop‐P‐2‐ethylhexyl
• EMA - Meeting highlights from the Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP) -12 & 13 March 2024
• ECDC issues recommendations for strengthening emergency and pandemic preparedness planning
  

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Agenda for: Meeting of EP ECON Committee - 20 & 21 March 2024
• European Commission issues €7 billion in its 3rd syndicated transaction of 2024 - IP/24/1550
• ECB - Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 15 March 2024
• Interview with Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, conducted by Michalis Psilos
• Speech by Christine Lagarde: "Christine Lagarde: Building confidence in the path ahead"
• Presentation by Philip R. Lane: Is the inflation surge over and what are the lessons for monetary policy?
• What were the drivers of euro area food price inflation over the last two years? Economic Bulletin Issue 2, 2024
• The impact of recent shocks and ongoing structural changes on euro area productivity growth - Economic Bulletin Issue 2, 2024
• How have households adjusted their spending and saving behaviour to cope with high inflation? - Economic Bulletin Issue 2, 2024
• ECB - Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a common Data Point Model governance framework – “DPM Alliance”

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Main results of General Affairs Council - 19 March 2024
• Agenda for: Meeting of the European Council - 21 & 22 March 2024
• Press statement by President von der Leyen with former Finnish President Niinistö

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• European Humanitarian Forum announces pledges of over €7.7 billion for global crises - IP/24/1514
• Team Europe and Laos launch Global Gateway programme to develop coffee, tea, and forest value chains
• EU and UNDP sign Partnership Agreement towards enhancing Access to Justice, Accountability, and Transparency in the Maldives
• Hong Kong: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the adoption of new national security legislation

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Commission disburses first €4.5 billion of bridge financing to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility - IP/24/1579
• Ukraine prepares to join the EU club — but Brussels doesn’t want to talk about it - Politico.eu