Europe Daily News, 29 April 2024

COMPETITION

• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Rechtbank Amsterdam of 18 January 2024 - Stichting Right to Consumer Justice, Stichting App Stores Claims Vs. Apple Distribution International Ltd, Apple Inc. - Case C-34/24
  Re: Alleged abuse of a dominant position; Article 102 TFEU; Article 7(2) of the Brussels Ia Regulation; prohibition on restrictive agreements; online platform
  
• Appeal brought on 1 March 2024 by EVH GmbH against the judgment of the General Court of 20 December 2023 in Case T-53/21, EVH GmbH Vs. European Commission - Case C-171/24 P
  Re: E.ON/innogy’ concentration (Case M.8870); Article 101 TFEU and Article 21(1) of the EUMR; Article 2 of the EUMR. administrative proceedings M.8870, M.8871 and B8-28/19
• Appeal brought on 1 March 2024 by Mainova AG against the judgment of the General Court of 20 December 2023 in Case T-64/21, Mainova AG Vs. European Commission - Case C-178/24 P
  Re: Article 3(1) of the EUMR; Commission Consolidated Jurisdictional Notice; Article 101 TFEU; basic suppliers and providers of special contracts; market survey; Article 21(1) of the EUMR
• German energy utilities' companies appeal EU court judgment over E.On-Innogy deal - see Cases C-171/24, C-172/24, C-173/24, C-174/24, C-175/24, C-176/24, C-177/24, C-179/24
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11386 - KKR / Netco)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10921 - Agravis Raiffeisen / Danish Agro / Nordic Seed Germany)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11462 - CBK / Evog / JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11473 - Van Mossel Automotive / Mercedes-Benz CPH)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11509 - MSI / BAM / Portland Natural Gas Transmission System)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11484 - Blackstone / CDPQ / Invenergy IRH / Invenergy Renewables)
• Commission sends Statement of Objections over proposed acquisition of Air Europa by IAG - IP/24/2306
• Ireland - Lloyds/McCabes Pharmacy deal approved by CCPC with commitments
• UK - CMA Guidance: How we are investigating the Vodafone/Three potential merger
• UK - The CMA has found that Lindab’s acquisition of HAS-Vent could increase prices for installers and contractors

STATE AID

• Appeal brought on 1 March 2024 by European Commission against the judgment of the General Court of 20 December 2023 in Case T-216/21, Ryanair and Malta Air Vs. Commission (Air France; COVID-19) - Case C-166/24 P
  Re: EU State aid rules; complex economic assessments
• Appeal brought on 8 March 2024 by Air France-KLM and Société Air France against the judgment of the General Court of 20 December 2023 in Case T-216/21, Ryanair and Malta Air Vs. Commission - Case C-192/24 P
  Re: Article 61 of the Statute of the Court of Justice; State aid; incorrect standard for the determination of the aid beneficiary
• Appeal brought on 8 March 2024 by Air France-KLM and Société Air France against the judgment of the General Court of 20 December 2023 in Case T-494/21, Ryanair and Malta Air Vs. Commission - Case C-193/24 P
  Re: Article 61 of the Statute of the Court of Justice; State aid; incorrect standard for the determination of the aid beneficiary; manifest error of assessment; interpretation of the notions of indirect advantage
• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections - SA.113058; SA.111449 & SA.109550
• Commission approves amendment to 2022-2027 regional State aid map for Sweden (SA.112034) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the CETA Joint Committee established under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada, of the one part, and the European Union and its Member States, of the other part as regards the adoption of a decision setting out supplemental rules on expedited procedures for the resolution of investment disputes between investors and states, in particular for natural persons and small and medium-sized enterprises - see the Annex
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1239 of 22 February 2024 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/196 of the European Parliament and of the Council on additional customs duties on imports of certain products originating in the United States of America
• Commission proposes Association Agreement with Andorra and San Marino to the Council - IP/24/2286
• 20 years of free movement and Green Line trade in Cyprus bring people and communities together - IP/24/2307
• The parcel war is about to begin - Controversial things come in low-value packages - Financial Times
• EU would need 50% tariffs to curb imports of Chinese electric cars - Report says punitive action being mooted in Brussels would not be enough to deter carmakers - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Two new Galileo satellites for more robust and reliable space services - Midday Express
• The bio-economy must stand out at the core of the next European Commission’s work programme - Information from various Member States

FINANCE

• Agenda for: Financial Counsellors Working Party Meeting - 30 April 2024

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on the Energy - 30 April 2024
• Commission holds exploratory energy transition talks with Saudi Arabia - IP/24/2341
• Commission calls on Bulgaria and Poland to improve their National Energy and Climate Plans to ensure collective achievement of the EU's 2030 targets - Midday Express
• European Commission launches public consultation on ecodesign and energy labelling of computers - 25 April 2024 - 18 July 2024
• How Europe solved its Russian gas problem - The bloc has avoided an energy crisis, but the short-term solutions could harm competitiveness and the green transition down the line - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues
  - UNECE CLRTAP - 30 April 2024
  - Biodiversity - 02 May 2024
• Agenda for: Working Party on the Environment - 29 April 2024
• Agenda for: 22nd Meeting of the sub-group on the Environmental Footprint transition phase - 22 May 2024
• Minutes of the Meeting of the sub-group on the Environmental Footprint transition phase - 12 April 2024
• Airlines lobby against EU plan to monitor non-CO₂ emissions - Global carriers ask Brussels to weaken landmark plans to require monitoring and disclosure of all emissions - Financial Times

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Working Documents, Submission and Minutes of the 6th meeting Sustainable ports sub-group - 15 March 2024
• Public consultation - Aviation – fitness check of EU airport legislation - Feedback period: 25 April 2024 - 06 June 2024
• Public consultation - Inland waterway transport – smart and flexible EU crewing rules - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 22 April 2024 - 15 July 2024

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Commission designates Apple's iPadOS under the Digital Markets Act - IP/24/2363
• Commission designates Shein as Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act - IP/24/2326
• Gigabit infrastructure act: Council gives final green light to faster deployment of high-speed networks in the EU
• EU to probe Meta over handling of Russian disinformation - Regulators set to express concern over insufficient moderation of political ads that risk undermining electoral process - Financial Times

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• EU-Japan: the Council approves a protocol to facilitate free flow of data
• Council adopts revised 'breakfast directives' to strengthen marketing standards and improve consumer information
• Icelandic SA: the municipality of Reykjavík fined ISK 2,000,000 for the use of Google Workspace for Education
• Icelandic SA: the municipality of Kópavogur fined EUR 19.907 for the use of Google Workspace for Education
• Icelandic SA: the municipality of Garðabær fined EUR 16 590 for the use of Google Workspace for Education

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• The Council temporarily suspends certain elements of the visa code for Ethiopian nationals
• The Council gives the final green light to the prolongation of a child sexual abuse protection measure
• Directive (EU) 2024/1226 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 April 2024 on the definition of criminal offences and penalties for the violation of Union restrictive measures and amending Directive (EU) 2018/1673

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Economic governance review: Council adopts reform of fiscal rules
• Commissioner Urpilainen discusses sustainable finance with IMF Managing Director Georgieva and receives expert group recommendations - see the final report of the HLEG - Midday Express
• Monetary policy strategies to navigate post-pandemic inflation: an assessment using the ECB’s New Area-Wide Model - ECB Working paper Series No.2935
• Macro and micro of external finance premium and monetary policy transmission - ECB Working paper Series No.2934
• Letter from the ECB President to Mr Marco Zanni and Mr Antonio Maria Rinaldi, MEPs, on ECB institutional matters
• Eleven countries to breach EU deficit rules - Poland and others push to be exempt from ‘excessive deficit procedure’ owing to their high defence spending - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Appeal brought on 29 February 2024 by Vadim Nikolaevich Moshkovich against the judgment of the General Court of 20 December 2023 in Case T-283/22, Moshkovich Vs. Council - Case C-162/24 P
  Re: Annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/397; Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1530; Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/572 & Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/81
• Republic of Moldova: EU prolongs restrictive measures for those trying to destabilise, undermine or threaten the independency of the country - see Regulation (EU) 2024/1243; Decision (CFSP) 2024/1242; Notice 1 & 2
• The Council prolonged the EU restrictive measures in view of the situation in Myanmar for one year, until 30 April 2025 - see Regulation (EU) 2024/1249; Decision (CFSP) 2024/1250; Notice 1 & 2
• European Peace Facility: Council adopts an assistance measure to support the Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire
• Brussels VIII Conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region starts tomorrow with the Day of Dialogue - Midday Express