Europe Daily News, 06 May 2024

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11461 - Kuwait Petroleum Italia / Fox Petroli / Eco Fox)
• Commission clears acquisition of US Steel by Nippon Steel (M.11476) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Oona Energy by Stonepeak and Orsted (M.11534) - Midday Express

STATE AID

• Commission approves €25 million State aid Croatian measure under the Recovery and Resilience Facility to support LNG terminal expansion on Krk (SA.106299) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: The 62nd meeting of the Customs Expert Group - "Binding Tariff Information" - 28 May 2024
• Agenda for: The 63rd meeting of the Customs Expert Group - "Tariff Measures" subsection - 05 June 2024
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) …/... extending the definitive anti-dumping duty imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2012 on imports of stainless steel cold-rolled flat products originating in Indonesia to imports of stainless steel cold-rolled flat products consigned from Taiwan and Vietnam, whether declared as originating in Taiwan and Vietnam or not, and terminating the investigation concerning the possible circumvention of anti-dumping measures imposed by that Regulation by imports of stainless steel cold-rolled flat products consigned from Türkiye, whether declared as originating in Türkiye or not
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement establishing an association between the European Union and the Principality of Andorra and the Republic of San Marino respectively - see the Annexes Add1, Add2, Add3, Add4, Add5, Add6, Add7, Add8, Add9, Add10, Add11, Add12, Add13, Add14
• Draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on temporary trade-liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to Ukrainian products under the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part (first reading) - Adoption of the legislative act & Statements by the Commission
• Council Decision (EU) 2024/1276 of 29 April 2024 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the International Tropical Timber Council on the extension of the International Tropical Timber Agreement 2006
• EU fishermen and NGOs concerned about trade negotiations with Thailand - see the Open Letter
• WTO and ADB strengthen collaboration for sustainable economic growth
• Goods Council takes stock of progress to improve its functioning, advance WTO reform
• EU says information from three Chinese EV makers insufficient - Euractiv.com
• Chinese tariffs could leave cognac makers with too much brandy - Euractiv.com
• Bonhomie and hardball: Xi visits Europe to avert trade war - Chinese president’s first trip to region since 2019 comes amid rising tensions - Financial Times
• EU lobbies China to keep agriculture out of trade disputes - Strategic sector should not become a victim of anti-dumping investigations, argues EU commissioner - Financial Times
• Xi and Macron to hold talks with trade tensions on agenda - Chinese president signals greater market access for French cosmetics and agriculture amid EU anti-subsidy probes - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth
  - Internal Market - 16 May 2024
  - Tourism - 22 May 2024
  
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1290 of 29 February 2024 amending Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council to include nitrogen generated from ambient air as an active substance in Annex I thereto

CHEMICAL

• Summary of European Commission Decisions on authorisations for the placing on the market for the use and/or for use of substances listed in Annex XIV to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the REACH

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Minutes of the Council of the European Union (Agriculture & Fisheries) - 29 April 2024

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Commodity risk assessment of Tilia cordata and Tilia platyphyllos plants from the UK

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of ‘Eurodac’ for the comparison of biometric data in order to effectively apply Regulations (EU) …/… and (EU) …/… of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 2001/55/EC and to identify illegally staying third-country nationals and stateless persons and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States’ law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes, amending Regulations (EU) 2018/1240 and (EU) 2019/818 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) No 603/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (first reading) - Adoption of the legislative act & Statements by the Republic of Poland, by Hungary, by the Slovak Republic and by the Czech Republic
• Draft Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (recast) (first reading) - Adoption of the legislative act & Statements by the Republic of Poland, Malta, by Hungary, by the Slovak Republic and by the Czech Republic
  
• Draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection and for the content of the protection granted, amending Council Directive 2003/109/EC and repealing Directive 2011/ 95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (first reading) - Adoption of the legislative act & Statements by the Republic of Poland, by Hungary, by the Slovak Republic and by the Czech Republic
• Draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common procedure for international protection in the Union and repealing Directive 2013/32/EU (first reading) - Adoption of the legislative act & Statements by the Republic of Poland, by Hungary, by the Slovak Republic and by the Czech Republic
• Draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a return border procedure, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 (first reading) - Adoption of the legislative act & Statements by the Republic of Poland, by Hungary, by the Slovak Republic and by the Czech Republic
• Draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Union Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Framework, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1147 (first reading) - Adoption of the legislative act & Statements by the Republic of Poland, by Hungary, by the Slovak Republic and by the Czech Republic
• Draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council addressing situations of crisis and force majeure in the field of migration and asylum and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1147 (first reading) - Adoption of the legislative act & Statements by the Republic of Poland, by Hungary, by Lithuania, by the Slovak Republic and by the Czech Republic
• Draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2019/816 and (EU) 2019/818 for the purpose of introducing the screening of third-country nationals at the external borders (first reading) - Adoption of the legislative act & Statements by the Republic of Poland, by Hungary, by the Slovak Republic and by the Czech Republic
• Commission intends to close Article 7(1) TEU procedure for Poland - IP/24/2461

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Commission endorses positive preliminary assessment of France´s third payment request for €7.5 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - IP/24/2392
• Commission releases €14.9 million to Lithuania under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express
• Commission pays €58.9 million to Malta under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express
• Interview with Philip R. Lane, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, conducted on 30 April 2024 by Miquel Roig, Javier Jorrín and Óscar Giménez

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Action brought on 12 March 2024 - AlfaStrakhovanie Vs. Council - Case T-150/24
  Re: annulment of Council Regulation (EU) 269/2014 and of Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Foreign Relations Counsellors/Sanctions Formation - 15 May 2024
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1301 of 3 May 2024 amending for the 342nd time Council Regulation (EC) No 881/2002 imposing certain specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities associated with the ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida organisations
• Europe should brace itself for Trump - Unlike in 2016, this time the former president has a coherent plan for governing - Financial Times
• Russia plotting sabotage across Europe, intelligence agencies warn - Assessments suggest Kremlin agents preparing covert bombings, arson and attacks on infrastructure - Financial Times