Europe Daily News, 01 July 2024

COMPETITION

• Action brought on 16 May 2024 - Apple and Apple Distribution International Vs. Commission Case T-260/24 
  Re: annulment of the Commission Decision C(2024) 1307 final of 4 March 2024 in Case AT.40437– Apple – App Store Practices (music streaming)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11582 - Advent / WPF / Nuvei)
• Withdrawal of notification of a concentration (Case M.11241 - EEX / Nasdaq Power)
• Commission clears acquisition of Encavis by KKR (M.11542) - Midday Express 
• Commission sends preliminary findings to Meta over its “Pay or Consent” model for breach of the Digital Markets Act
• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a written question - Towards a fairer and more diverse European music streaming market
• Italy - Antitrust: fine against the FIGC for abuse of a dominant position
• Brussels set to follow up Apple charges with Meta ‘pay or consent’ case - EU is using introduction of Digital Markets Act to check the power of Big Tech - Financial Times

STATE AID

• Commission approves €1.3 billion restructuring State aid for airline SAS (SA.110687 and SA.110688) 
• Commission launches targeted consultation on new procedure for access to justice in environmental matters in relation to State aid decisions - Midday Express 

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Appeal brought on 30 April 2024 by European Commission against the judgment of the General Court of 21 February 2024 in Case T-762/20, Sinopec Chongqing SVW Chemical and Others Vs. Commission - Case C-319/24 P
  Re: interpretation and application of Article 18 of Regulation (EC) 2016/1036; Articles 2(10)
• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Deputy Members) - 04 July 2024
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Commission Expert Group on Outbound Investment - 04 July 2024
• Minutes of the 62nd meeting of the Customs Expert Group  - Tariff & Statistical Nomenclature Section (BTI subsection) - 28th May 2024
  
• Notice of initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of epoxy resins originating in the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Thailand
• Council Decision (EU) 2024/1647 of 30 May 2024 on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Republic of Kenya, Member of the East African Community, of the other part
• Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Republic of Kenya, member of the East African Community, of the other part
• Information concerning the entry into force of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Republic of Kenya, Member of the East African Community, of the other part
• Ambitious EU–Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement enters into force
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1801 of 28 June 2024 fixing the import duties in the cereals sector applicable from 1 July 2024 and repealing Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1221
• Heads of WTO, Afreximbank sign agreement to boost cooperation on food, trade, fisheries

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Minutes of Meeting of the Single Market Programme - Competitiveness and Sustainability of SMEs (SMP/COSME) Committee - 19 June 2024 

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL AFFAIRS

• EPSCO Council on 16 July 2024
  - Social inclusion of persons with disabilities at the EU and national level: supporting labour market (re)integration - Policy debate

ENERGY

• Council Decision (Euratom) 2024/1847 of 25 June 2024 on the denial of advantages under Part III of the Energy Charter Treaty by the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) to any legal entity that is owned or controlled by citizens or nationals of the Russian Federation or of the Republic of Belarus and to any investment within the meaning of the Energy Charter Treaty which is an investment of an investor of the Russian Federation or of the Republic of Belarus
• Commissioner Simson in Chile and Argentina to deepen energy cooperation - Midday Express 

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Working Documents - 33rd Meeting of Group of Experts of the competent CITES Management Authorities - 06 June 2024
• EU carbon market expansion to raise diesel prices - Motorists set to pay an extra 50 cents a litre from 2031, estimates show - Financial Times

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety evaluation of the food enzyme 3‐phytase from the non‐genetically modified Aspergillus niger strain PHY93‐08
• EMA - Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) 24-27 June 2024
• EMA - Positive CHMP opinion on first-in-class medicine to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension
• EMA - First nasal adrenaline spray for emergency treatment against allergic reactions

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Action brought on 17 May 2024 - Commission Vs. EDPS - Case T-262/24
  Re: annulment of the decision of 8 March 2024 of the EDPS concerning his investigation into the use of Microsoft 365 by the European Commission in Case 2021-0518
• Action brought on 21 May 2024 - Microsoft Ireland Operations Vs. EDPS - Case T-265/24
  Re: annulment of the decision of the EDPS of 8 March 2024 adopted following the investigation into use of Microsoft 365 by the European Commission in Case 2021-0518
• Agenda for: First Meeting of the Cybersecurity Committee - 11 July 2024
• EU-Japan deal on data flows enters into force

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Commission receives Slovenia's third payment request (€257.6 million) under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express 
• SAFE to update inflation expectations? New survey evidence on euro area firms - ECB Working Paper Series No.2949
• Governing Council statement on macroprudential policies
• ECB Survey of Monetary Analysts (SMA)
• Capitalism is in worse shape in Europe - The UK and EU are falling behind the US for a reason: overprotective government - Financial Times

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.2) - 03 July 2024
• The Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union
• EU leaders have collectively discussed and agreed the EU’s direction and goals for 2024-2029

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Council adds six individuals and three entities to the sanctions list - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1837 & Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1838
• The EU and Egypt team up to mobilise private sector investments at Investment Conference and sign a Memorandum of Understanding underpinning €1 billion in macro-financial assistance for Egypt - See Speech by President von der Leyen

 RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Action brought on 26 April 2024 - Pumpyanskiy Vs. Council - Case T-221/24
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/847 and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/849
• Action brought on 22 May 2024 - Rotenberg Vs. Council - Case T-268/24 
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/847 and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/849
• Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: EU lists two individuals and four entities for circumventing EU sanctions and materially supporting the Russian government - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1843 & Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1842
• EU further extends the scope of sanctions on Belarus to fight circumvention
• Belarus’ involvement in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine: new EU restrictive measures target trade, services, transport and anti-circumvention - See Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1865 & Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1864
• Answer given by Ms McGuinness to a MEP written question - Violation of sanctions and entry of Russian oil via the port of Ploče