Europe Daily News, 25 March 2024

COMPETITION 

• Action brought on 5 February 2024 - Coöperatieve Rabobank Vs. Commission - Case T-57/24
  Re: annulment of Commission Decision C(2023) 7811 of 22 November 2023 relating to proceedings under Article 101 TFEU and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case AT.40512 - Euro-Denominated Bonds (EDB)) (‘the Decision’) pursuant to Article 263 TFEU
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10507 - Hitachi Rail / Ground Transportation Systems Business of Thales)
• Commission sends Statement of Objections over proposed acquisition of a stake in ITA Airways by Lufthansa (M.11071) - IP/24/1430
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by CIP, PHPL and MIESCOR (M.11497) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Rügenwalder by Pfeifer & Langen (M.11394) - Midday Express

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.110633; SA.102163 & SA.110961
• Commission approves €86.9 million Bulgarian State aid scheme to support farmers in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine (SA.112734) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: 255th Meeting of the Customs Code Committee - Tariff & Statistical Nomenclature Section (Sub section Mechanical/Miscellaneous/Textile) - 24 to 26 April 2024
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) …/... amending Council Regulation (EC) No 32/2000 as regards the extension of the Union’s tariff quotas for jute and coconut-fibre products
• Europe is making trade conditional on production methods - Businesses are upset by the extra regulation resulting from the restrictions - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Republic of Korea to join Horizon Europe programme - IP/24/1701
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Raw materials reserves for more strategic autonomy

TAXATION

• OECD members are making progress in combating tax treaty abuse

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Answer given by Mr Wojciechowski to a MEP written question - Duty-free trade regime with Ukraine and Czech crop production farmers

ENERGY

• Security of gas supply: Council gives final green light to voluntary demand reduction measures
• Report from the Commission on energy prices and costs in Europe
• EBB Statement on the Commission adoption of the revised RED Annex IX
• ACER introduces the new ‘Central Europe’ electricity capacity calculation region
• ACER’s monitoring attests that renewable growth is accelerating the EU’s transition away from fossil fuels
• EU must wean itself off Russian nuclear fuel, Belgian prime minister says - Alexander De Croo urges bloc not to replace one energy dependency for another - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Waste shipments: Council signs off on more efficient, updated rules
• EU provides €600 million to strengthen rescEU firefighting fleet - IP/24/1685
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius to a MEP written question - Potential import bans threatening European instrument makers
• Answer given by Ms Ivanova to a MEP written question - Procedure relating to the Joint Research Centre’s study on the environmental impact of different types of packaging
  

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Outcomes of the EMA Management Board meeting. The Management Board is an integral governance body of the Agency
• Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) - 18 to 21 March 2024
• EMA - First oral monotherapy for patients with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria
• EMA - New antibiotic to fight infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Action brought on 5 February 2024 - Meta Platforms Ireland Vs. Commission - Case T-55/24
  Re: uphold the third, fourth, fifth and sixth pleas, and annul Implementing Decision C(2023) 8176 final of the European Commission of 27 November 2023 determining the supervisory fee applicable to Facebook and Instagram pursuant to Article 43(3) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065
• Action brought on 6 February 2024 - Tiktok Technology Vs. Commission - Case T-58/24
  Re: annulment of the Commission Implementing Decision C(2023) 8173 of 27 November 2023 determining the supervisory fee applicable to TikTok
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale per il Lazio (Italy) of 21 December 2023 - Meta Platforms Ireland Limited Vs. Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni - Case C-797/23
  Re: Article 15 [of Directive 790/2019 (‘the EUCD’)]; Articles 16 and 52 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; Article 109 TFEU
• Commission opens non-compliance investigations against Alphabet, Apple and Meta under the Digital Markets Act - IP/24/1689 & Remarks by EVP Vestager - Financial Times
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Apple’s detrimental App Store terms and compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA)
• Digital Markets Act: BEREC publishes its Opinion on Meta’s draft reference offer for WhatsApp interoperability

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• EU to provide €165mn for Tunisian security forces to curb migration - Funding comes as bloc faces political pressure to cut arrival numbers - Financial Times

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Main results of the Euro Summit - 22 March 2024 & Statement
• President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, travels to Lithuania
• Ireland submits a request to add a €240 million REPowerEU chapter to its recovery and resilience plan - Midday Express
• Commission publishes in-depth reviews for six Member States to assess macroeconomic imbalances in the context of the European Semester - Midday Express

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Main results of the European Council, 21 & 22 March 2024
• Remarks by President Charles Michel following the European Council meeting of 22 March 2024

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Bosnia and Herzegovina: Council extends framework for restrictive measures until March 2026
• Israel/Palestine: Statement by the Spokesperson on the announcement to confiscate occupied land
• Philippines: Statement by the Spokesperson on provocative actions in the South China Sea
• Georgia - Statement by the Spokesperson on the developments around judicial reform

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Death of Alexei Navalny: EU sanctions 33 individuals and two entities under its Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime - See Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/952 & Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/951