Europe Daily News, 08 November 2024

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11781 - CDPQ / Engie / FHH)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11792 - Apheon / LFPI / ECH)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11662 - FNAC Darty / Unieuro)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11703 - Novo Holdings / KKR / Sylvan)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11796 - Australiansuper / Digitalbridge / Swiss Life / Dbuph)
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2776 of 31 October 2024 correcting Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/914 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 802/2004
• Slovak Republic - Sectoral investigation in the construction of fibre networks on power poles and the access to them continues
• Spain - CNMC investigates the General Council of Pharmaceutical Associations and eleven provincial associations

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• EU and Taiwan reach understanding on WTO dispute over Taiwan’s offshore wind auctions
• Discussions between the EU and China on a possible agreement on price undertakings for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) took place in Beijing this week
• Angola hosts a sub-regional training workshop on rules of origin for the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries under the framework of the EU-WCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme
• Joint Statement - European farmers and livestock Producers raise concerns on production standards and demand reassessment of EU-Mercosur trade deal - Copa-Cogeca
• US trade partners brace for tougher tariffs in Trump’s second term - Steps taken in the Republican’s first few weeks in office are expected to be ‘lasting ones’ - Financial Times
• Macron to Europe: We need to become ‘omnivores’ after Trump’s victory - Europe needs to grow some teeth or risk being eaten by the world’s “carnivores,” says French president - Politico.eu

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Regulation (EU) 2024/2747 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2024 establishing a framework of measures related to an internal market emergency and to the resilience of the internal market and amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2679/98 (Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act)
• Regulation (EU) 2024/2748 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2024 amending Regulations (EU) No 305/2011, (EU) 2016/424, (EU) 2016/425, (EU) 2016/426, (EU) 2023/988 and (EU) 2023/1230 as regards emergency procedures for the conformity assessment, presumption of conformity, adoption of common specifications and market surveillance due to an internal market emergency
• Directive (EU) 2024/2749 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2024 amending Directives 2000/14/EC, 2006/42/EC, 2010/35/EU, 2014/29/EU, 2014/30/EU, 2014/33/EU, 2014/34/EU, 2014/35/EU, 2014/53/EU and 2014/68/EU as regards emergency procedures for the conformity assessment, presumption of conformity, adoption of common specifications and market surveillance due to an internal market emergency
• Commission Notice on the interpretation and implementation of certain legal provisions of the Disclosures Delegated Act under Article 8 of the EU Taxonomy Regulation on the reporting of Taxonomy-eligible and Taxonomy-aligned economic activities and assets (third Commission Notice)
• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - Stop blaming farmers for glyphosate discharges from industrial and domestic products

TAXATION

• Judgment of the Court of 07 November 2024 in Case C‑782/22, XX Vs. Inspecteur van de Belastingdienst
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Article 63(1) TFEU - Free movement of capital - Restrictions - Tax legislation - Corporation tax - Taxation of dividends - Equal treatment of resident and non-resident companies - National legislation reserving to resident companies the possibility of deducting from their taxable profits relating to dividends the expenses corresponding to their commitments to their customers under ‘unit-linked’ insurance contracts and of offsetting in full taxation of the dividends against corporation tax
• Judgment of the Court of 07 November 2024 in Case C‑594/23, Skatteministeriet Vs. Lomoco Development ApS, Holm Invest Aalborg A/S, I/S Nordre Strandvej Sæby, Strandkanten Sæby ApS
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Common system of VAT - Directive 2006/112/EC - Supply of land that has only the foundations of residential housing structures in place - Classification - Article 12 - Concepts of ‘building land’ and ‘building or parts of a building’ - Criterion of the ‘first occupation’ of a building

ENERGY

• Speech by President von der Leyen at the Fourth Edition of the Renewable Hydrogen Summit
• September UESF update: critical procurement for winterisation and infrastructure recovery in Ukraine
• How a more pragmatic approach to biofuels would boost EU competitiveness -see ePURE Statement

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on the Environment - 11 & 14 November 2024
• EU to support continued global climate action and push for ambitious finance and investment goals at COP29

DEFORESTATION

• EPP group in European Parliament tables amendments before plenary vote on postponement of ‘imported deforestation’ regulation - See the Amendments
• Mapping of actors in cattle, cocoa, rubber, and timber value chains (EUDR) - Volume 1
• Assessment of the potential impact of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) - Volume 2
• EU support to strengthening private sector adaptation to EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) Draft Report - Volume 3
• Overwhelming majority of Europeans surveyed in new poll say strong law enforcement needed to combat deforestation – FERN Analysis

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• EFSA - Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of Bacillus subtilis DSM 33862 and Lentilactobacillus buchneri DSM 12856 as a silage additive for all animal species (Lactosan GmbH & Co.KG)
• EFSA - Efficacy of the feed additives consisting of Enterococcus faecium ATCC 53519 and E. faecium ATCC 55593 as silage additives for all animal species (FEFANA asbl)
• EFSA - Safety of a feed additive consisting of vitamin B2/riboflavin produced with Eremothecium ashbyi CCTCCM 2019833 for all animal species (Hubei Guangji Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd)
• EFSA - Causation or Canard: Use of Brain Weight to Body Weight Ratios in Developmental Neurotoxicity

DIGITAL, INFORMATION SOCIETY & CYBERSECURITY

• Commission and national authorities urge Temu to respect EU consumer protection laws
• Commission and EU countries simulate large-scale cyber attacks to improve preparedness - Midday Express
• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - Social media censorship: is the EU protecting our rights or those who seek to curtail them?
• Asking for your feedback: ENISA technical guidance for the cybersecurity measures of the NIS2 Implementing Act
• How should Europe build its own Silicon Valley? - There is fresh debate about the EU’s position in the technology race - Financial Times

AREA OF FEREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Minutes of the 13th meeting of the Expert Group on B2B data sharing and cloud computing contracts - 26 and 27 June 2024

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Financial returns, sentiment and market volatility. A dynamic assessment - ECB Working Paper Series - No.2999
• For whom the bill tolls: redistributive consequences of a monetary-fiscal stimulus - ECB Working Paper Series - No.2998

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Doorstep by President von der Leyen at the meeting of the European Political Community in Budapest
• EU leaders strain for unity after Trump win and German crisis - Bloc gathers in Budapest at summit hosted by Brussels’ antagonist Viktor Orbán - Financial Times
• Europe’s unity at risk as sense of crisis grows - The EU needs investment to boost growth and competitiveness, but the debate over who pays has echoes of the financial crisis - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Joint Statement by the Leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission after a meeting with President Maia Sandu of Moldova
• EU Statement – UN General Assembly 4th Committee: Comprehensive review of Peacekeeping Operations
• Joint Communiqué EU-Bahamas Political Dialogue, 06th November 2024 2024
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell to a MEP written question - Changing EU-Iran relations
• Trump’s back – now the EU must step up its game - See CEPS Commentary
• How western sanctions are squeezing Russia - Behind the headline numbers, the resource constraints are evident - Financial Times