Europe Daily News, 30 April 2024

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11432 - HAIER / CCR)
• Belgium - Notification CC-23-0038 - A&M Invest NV / Holding Davo BV
• Belgium - Professor Damien Neven appointed as Vice-President of the Belgian Competition Authority
• Portugal - BSA, SAS notifies the acquisition of exclusive control of the holding company Sequeira & Sequeira - Comércio de Produtos Alimentares S.A. and its subsidiaries Lacticínios do Paiva, S.A., LactoPaiva Cabo Verde and LactoPaiva Moçambique
• Portugal - Notícias Ilimitadas, S.A. notifies the acquisition of ownership of a group of national brands held by Global Notícias – MEDIA GROUP, S.A. as well as the share capital held by it in Sociedade Rádio Notícias
• Sweden - The Competition Authority prohibits Apotekstjänst's acquisition of Svensk dos
• Switzerland - Comco published its 2023 Annual Report
• UK - CMA penalty decision upheld in major drug market sharing case

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections - SA.108418 & SA.113421
• Commission approves State aid to support construction of nuclear power plant in Czechia (SA.58277) - IP/24/2366
• Commission approves €95.3 million Romanian restructuring State aid for airline TAROM (SA.59344) - IP/24/2321

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) …/... amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/265 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of ceramic tiles originating in India and Türkiye
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) …/... accepting a request for new exporting producer treatment with regard to the definitive anti-dumping measures imposed on imports of ceramic tiles originating in India and Türkiye and amending Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/265
• Notice of initiation of an expiry review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of certain organic coated steel products (CN codes ex 7210 70 80, ex 7212 40 80, ex 7225 99 00, and ex 7226 99 70) originating in the People’s Republic of China
• Notice of initiation of an expiry review of the anti-subsidy measures applicable to imports of certain organic coated steel products (CN codes ex 7210 70 80, ex 7212 40 80, ex 7225 99 00, and ex 7226 99 70) originating in the People’s Republic of China
• Council Decision (EU) 2024/1259 of 22 April 2024 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the International Grains Council concerning the accession of the Republic of Senegal to the Grains Trade Convention, 1995
• Answer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - EU-Nigeria relations
• Answer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Transit of grain from Russia through the EU
• Answer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Commission action in connection with circumvention of restrictions on stainless-steel imports
• WTO - Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - European Union - Aulfuryl fluoride
• WTO - Committee on Government Procurement - Notification of statistics under article XVI:4 of the Agreement on Government Procurement 2012 - Reports by the EU for 2021 and 2022
• 'Russian fertiliser is the new gas’ for Europe, top producer warns - Imports of urea into the EU doubled in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Council adopts directive to delay reporting obligations for certain sectors and third country companies
• Preparation of the Council (Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry, Research & Space)) - 23 & 24 May 2024
  - Research and Innovation for Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership - Policy debate

FINANCE

• ESMA agrees with investment restrictions on GBP LDI funds in Ireland and Luxembourg
• French capital markets union plan gets backing from European funds body - Efama president says small group of states could forge ahead and warns delay hands ‘ever-increasing advantages’ to US - Financial Times

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Main results - Agriculture & Fisheries Council - 29 April 2024
• Northern Irish farmers face supply chain risks over Brexit deal, warn Lords - Veterinary medicines among issues highlighting problems of having different regulatory regimes in EU and UK - Financial Times

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL AFFAIRS

• Commission launches first-stage consultation of social partners on fair telework and the right to disconnect - IP/24/1363
• Statement by Commissioner Nicolas Schmit ahead of International Workers' Day
• Report from the Commission on the application and implementation of Directive (EU) 2018/957 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 June 2018 amending Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services

ENERGY

• European Hydrogen Bank auction provides €720 million for renewable hydrogen production in Europe - IP/24/2333
• Commission invites funding applications for clean cross-border energy projects under the Connecting Europe Facility
• Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - Local energy communities in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium
• Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - Bulgaria’s insufficient implementation of the EU Gas Storage Regulation
• Ukraine energy chief calls on EU to help protect gas storage from Russia - Naftogaz chief executives highlights air strikes targeting natural gas tanks used by European countries - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (WPIEI Desertification) - 13 May 2024
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for setting ecodesign requirements for sustainable products and repealing Directive 2009/125/EC - Outcome of the European Parliament's first reading (Strasbourg, 22 to 25 April 2024)
• Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on shipments of waste, amending Regulations (EU) No 1257/2013 and (EU) 2020/1056 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006
• Directive (EU) 2024/1203 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on the protection of the environment through criminal law and replacing Directives 2008/99/EC and 2009/123/EC
• Joint press release on the Commission selling 23 buildings to Belgium for a greener and more diversified European quarter - IP/24/2329 

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Land Transport - 30 April 2024
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1153 and Regulation (EU) No 913/2010 and repealing Regulation (EU) 1315/2013 - Outcome of the European Parliament's first reading (Strasbourg, 22 to 25 April 2024)

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Commission designates Apple's iPadOS under the Digital Markets Act - IP/24/2363
• Commission opens formal proceedings against Facebook and Instagram under the Digital Services Act - IP/24/2373
• Commission launches alert tools under the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act - Midday Express 

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Privacy and prosecution of serious offences: the court responsible for authorising access to telephone records in order to identify the perpetrators of an offence, and for the prosecution of which offence national law envisages such access, must be entitled to refuse or restrict that access (See CPR No 76/2024 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-178/22; Procura della Repubblica presso il Tribunale di Bolzano)
• Combating criminal offences and interference with fundamental rights: a national public authority responsible for combating online counterfeiting may access identification data on the basis of an IP address (See CPR No 75/2024 -Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-470/21; La Quadrature du Net and Others)
• Answer given by  VP Jourovà to a MEP written question - Risk to the EU-UK’s adequacy decision following the UK’s attempt to replace the GDPR

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• AG Szpunar: Some FIFA rules on transfer of players may prove to be contrary to EU law (See CPR No 78/2024 - Opinion of the Advocate General in the case C-650/22; FIFA)
• EncroChat: the Court of Justice clarifies the conditions for the transmission and use of evidence in criminal cases with a cross-border dimension (See CPR No 77/2024 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-670/22; M.N. (EncroChat))
• Regulation (EU) 2024/1183 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 amending Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 as regards establishing the European Digital Identity Framework
• Commission and national consumer protection authorities starts action against 20 airlines for misleading greenwashing practices - IP/24/2322

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1264 of 29 April 2024 amending Regulation (EC) No 1467/97 on speeding up and clarifying the implementation of the excessive deficit procedure
• Council Directive (EU) 2024/1265 of 29 April 2024 amending Directive 2011/85/EU on requirements for budgetary frameworks of the Member States
• Introductory remarks by Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, at a Euro 50 Group meeting

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1271 of 29 April 2024 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1183/2005 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2024/1240 of 29 April 2024 implementing Decision 2010/788/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1237 of 29 April 2024 amending Decision 2014/486/CFSP on the European Union Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine)
• EUAM Iraq: Council extends the mandate of the EU advisory mission on security sector reform until 2026 - Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1247
• European Peace Facility: Council adopts an assistance measure to support the Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire - Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1248
• Enlargement then and now: A geopolitical investment in peace and security - Speech by President Charles Michel for the 20th anniversary of the 2004 EU enlargement