Europe Daily News, 03 May 2024

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11326 - MSC / GIP III / Italo)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11537 - Enbridge / MPLX / ISQ / WPC)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11213 - BP / Equinor / Net Zero North SEA Storage JV)
• Austria - Acerinox/Haynes merger: BWB filed an application for review with the Cartel Court
• Belgium - The Competition Authority concludes its preliminary analysis of the Batopin project
• The Netherlands - ACM: Further investigation needed into yet another acquisition by pallet seller Foresco
• Portugal - AdC recommends to the Government and ANA equity in access between taxis and ride-hailing services at Portuguese airports
• Portugal - The AdC issued a non-opposition decision to the merger 18/2024 - Veolia / Micronipol.
• Slovak Republic - Signature of an Amendment to the Act on the Protection of Competition granting the Antimonopoly Office (AMO) new rights and competences related to the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA)
• UK - CMA - Reference to a Phase 2 investigation: Completed acquisition by Lindab International AB of HAS-Vent Holdings Limited
• UK - The CMA has found Pennon’s purchase of Sumisho Osaka Gas Water UK (including its subsidiary Sutton and East Surrey Water), could harm Ofwat’s ability to make comparisons between water companies and carry out its statutory functions.

STATE AID

• Commission adopts "limited prolongation" of State aid crisis tools to further support agriculture and fisheries sectors - IP/24/2332
• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.109663 & SA.113441
• Commission authorises a French aid scheme worth €80 million to support winegrowers in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine (SA.112984) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Trade Questions - 14 May 2024
• Commission notice concerning the application of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin or the protocols on rules of origin providing for diagonal cumulation between the Contracting Parties to this Convention
• Joint Press Statement on the 5th EU-Japan High Level Economic Dialogue
• Joint Report of the 6th CETA Bilateral Dialogue on Raw Materials - 03 March 2024
• Report: Civil Society Dialogue - "The EU's Strategy on Export Credits" - 10 April 2024
• Ukraine monthly monitoring report for: Agricultural products subject to Tariff Rate Quotas - March 2024
• Moldova monthly monitoring report for: Agricultural products subject to Tariff Rate Quotas - March 2024
• Answer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Unfair competition due to dumping in the Catalan and Valencian citrus fruit sector
• De-risking must be Team Europe’s strategy on China - Euractiv.com
• How to tell good industrial policy from bad - Experience shows that encouraging exports rather than slapping tariffs on imports works best - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020
• Public consultation - Health & safety at work – template to collect data on machinery or related products - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 03 May 2024 - 31 May 2024
• Preparation of the Council (Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry, Research and Space)) on 22, 23 & 24 May 2024
  - Draft Council conclusions on the ex-post evaluation of Horizon 2020 and future outlook - Approval
  - Council Recommendation on enhancing research security - Adoption
  - Draft Council conclusions on “Strengthening Europe’s competitiveness through space" - Approval
  - EU Space Law: Safety, resilience and sustainability of the space activities in the EU - Exchange of views, Preparation of the Space Council & Annex
  - Draft Council conclusions on Strengthening knowledge valorisation as a tool for a resilient and competitive industry and open strategic autonomy in Europe - Approval

CHEMICAL

• Agenda for: Working Party on Technical Harmonisation (Dangerous Substances - Chemicals) - 15 May 2024
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Committee for Risk Assessment Applications for Authorisation Working Group - (RAC AFA WG) reporting to RAC-69 - 07 May 2024
• Provisional Draft Agenda - 69th meeting of the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC-69) - 03 to 06 June 2024
• Provisional Draft Agenda - 63rd meeting of the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis - 04 to 07 June 2024
• Report of the 13th Meeting of the Committee for Risk Assessment Working Group on Harmonised Classification and Labelling (RAC-69 CLH WG) - 23 to 25 April 2024
• CSR - REACH Authorisation decisions - CT - FIR Italia - Created by GROW.F.1 - Last update: 29 April 2024

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Minutes - Commission Expert Group on Organic Production - 16 & 17 April 2024
• Short-term outlook of agricultural markets: uncertainty remains a constant feature of EU farming
• Public consultation - Incorporating into EU law the 2021-2022 recommendations of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean area - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 02 May 2024 - 27 June 2024
• EIB Global strengthens its partnership with COFINA Group to support the private sector and sustainable agriculture in Côte d'Ivoire

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL AFFAIRS

• Agenda for: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council - (EPSCO) Council on 7 May 2024
  - Implementation of EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention - state of play - Information from the Presidency and the Commission
  - Communication on the progress in implementation of the Action Plan against racism - state of play - Information from the Commission
  - EU candidate for the elections to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - Information from the Commission
  - Preparation of the Communication on the implementation of the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 - state of play - Information from the Commission

ENERGY

• Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - Origin labelling for fossil energy imported into the EU
• ACER to consult on the implementation of co-optimisation in the electricity price coupling algorithm methodology
• ACER grants Dutch regulator six additional months to decide on electricity cross-zonal risk hedging opportunities
• EIB Group confirms record €1.6 billion in Ireland for 2023: backing renewable energy, education, housing and innovation
• Gazprom plunges to worst loss in decades as sales to Europe collapse - Energy giant suffers fallout from Ukraine war as Europe weans itself off Russian supplies - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on the Environment - 07 May 2024
• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (WPIEI Desertification) - 13 May 2024
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - Ecodesign requirements for electrical switchgear
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius to a MEP written question - Computer printer e-waste and EU measures to tackle it

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Public consultation - Import of used cooking oils - Regulation - Feedback period: 03 May 2024 - 31 May 2024
• Agenda for: 174th Plenary meeting of the FEEDAP Panel - 04 to 06 June 2024
• EFSA - Risk assessment of Retithrips syriacus for the EU
• EFSA - Pest risk assessment of African Leucinodes species for the EU
• EFSA - Update of the target list of wild bird species for passive surveillance of H5 HPAI viruses in the EU
• EFSA - Assessment of GM maize MON 89034 × 1507 × MON 88017 × 59122 and 8 out of 10 of its subcombinations for renewal authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (dossier GMFF‐2022‐9170)

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Telecommunications & Information Society - 08 May 2024
• Agenda for: 6th meeting of the Digital Decade Board - 22 & 23 May 2024
• Minutes of the High Level Group on Internet Governance - 23 April 2024
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Combating digital piracy in the European Union
• Workshop of Meta Operating Systems projects unveils vast possibilities in edge computing
• Impact of the green-digital transition on workforce: ETNO and UNI Europa ICTS release new report

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Hellenic SA: fine on a company for failure to implement technical and organisational measures resulting in unauthorised access by third parties
• Czech SA imposed fine of 13.9 million EUR for infringement of Art. 6 and Art. 13 of GDPR

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Euro area bank interest rate statistics: March 2024

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) …/... 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
• World Press Freedom Day: Statement by the HR/VP Borrell on behalf of the European Union
• Cyber: Statement by the HR/VP Borrell on behalf of the EU on continued malicious behaviour in cyberspace by the Russian Federation
• Statement by the HR/VP Borrell on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell to a MEP Written Question - Azerbaijan plans new aggression with Türkiye’s blessing
• EU increases financial aid to Lebanon - Bloc set to pay €1bn to help Beirut accommodate Syrian refugees - Financial Times
• The clash over whether to commandeer Russia’s frozen assets - Confiscating hundreds of billions of foreign reserves could transform Ukraine’s war. But the US and Europe disagree on how far to go - Financial Times