Europe Daily News, 12 June 2024

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11407 - Drosed / Indykpol)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11525 - SGIF / EDF / Perfesco)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11549 - EFMS / Permira / Universidad Europea)
• Commission clears acquisition of Alpha Bank Romania by UniCredit (M.11546) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Monbake by CVC Capital Partners (M.11530) - Midday Express 
• Commission clears acquisition of Fortenova Group by Pavao Vujnovac (M.11419) - Midday Express
• Denmark - Kaufmann pays DKK 6 million for violating competition law

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Commission investigation provisionally concludes that electric vehicle value chains in China benefit from unfair subsidies - IP/24/3231, QaA and Summary
• Answer given by Ms McGuinness to a MEP written question - Comprehensive ban on aluminium in the 14th package of EU sanctions against Russia
• Answer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Limiting the impact of import duties on Russian linseed
• DDG Paugam: WTO system prerequisite to achieving steel decarbonization, climate goals
• EU to impose multibillion-euro tariffs on Chinese electric cars - Brussels moves ahead with additional duties of up to 25% despite opposition from Germany - Financial Times
• Tariffs are bad policy, but good politics - There are excellent reasons why we may want to intervene in the economy but these taxes will rarely be the best way - Financial Times
• Germany launches 11th-hour bid to avert trade war with China - Germany wants the EU to set tariffs on electric vehicles at a low level to avoid severe retaliation from Beijing - Politico.eu

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Commissioner Breton discusses preparing the electricity network for electric vehicles - Midday Express
• The European Commission appoints Ms Anna Athanasopoulou as new Director for its Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs - Midday Express

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

• 2024 EU Prize for Citizen Science goes to three projects addressing marine pollution, agricultural biodiversity, and mental health - Midday Express
• The European Commission appoints Ms Pauline Rouch as new Director for its Directorate-General for Research and Innovation - Midday Express

CHEMICAL

• Summary of European Commission Decisions on authorisations for the placing on the market for the use and/or for use of substances listed in Annex XIV to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the REACH (bis(2-methoxyethyl)ether)
• ECHA - Research needs for regulating hazardous chemicals updated - ECHA/NR/24/16

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

• Trade mark law: the action brought by Société du Tour de France against registration of the trade mark Tour de X is dismissed (See CPR Nº 98/2024 - Judgment of the General Court in case T-604/22, Société du Tour de France Vs. EUIPO - FitX (TOUR DE X))

FINANCE

• European Commission issues €6 billion in its 6th syndicated transaction of 2024 - IP/24/3230

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL AFFAIRS

• Voluntary guiding principles for EU Member States for evaluating economic effects of reforms and investments in the labour market, skills and social policy domains - Endorsement
• Commissioner Schmit to take part in the Inaugural Forum of the ILO Global Coalition for Social Justice in Geneva - Midday Express

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on nature restoration and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/869 (first reading) - Adoption of the legislative act & Statements
• Draft Council conclusions on the 8th Environmental Action Programme - The way forward to a green and just transition for a sustainable Europe - Approval
• Commissioner Hoekstra in Finland to discuss climate action with national representatives, industry and civil society - Midday Express
• Green transition in the spotlight at the 5th Festival of Citizen Participation and Deliberative Democracy - Midday Express

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Working Party on Forestry - 18 June 2024
• Agenda for: First meeting of the Working Group on Organic Products - 12 June 2024
• Commission launches consultations on fisheries and maritime activities funding programmes
• The European Commission appoints Mr Fernando Andresen Guimaraes as new Director for its Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries - Midday Express
• Public consultation - Common agricultural policy – geo-tagged photos (simplified rules) - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 11 June 2024 - 09 July 2024
• Public consultation - EU Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027 – midterm evaluation - Evaluation - Feedback period: 12 June 2024 - 10 July 2024
• Public consultation - Rice quotas, certificate templates and quota quantity for cheese exports – changes to rules - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 10 June 2024 - 08 July 2024
• Public consultation - Organic products – lList of recognised control authorities and control bodies for the imports of organic products compliant with EU rules - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 11 June 2024 - 09 July 2024
• ‘European Green Deal’ to be at heart of debates in new European Parliament, confirms Farm Europe
• Ukrainian agricultural group boss warns Kyiv against export feud with EU - Country risks losing bloc’s support for Russian war effort by prolonging dispute, says founder of Kernel - Financial Times

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Member States endorse ban of Bisphenol A in food contact materials (see EFSA assessment) - Midday Express
• EFSA - External Scientific Report - Novel strategies for predicting allergenicity: development of a ranking method and screening tools to assess the allergy risk of innovative proteins

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Report of the Multistakeholder expert group to support the application of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (Working Document) - 27 October 2023

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Commission presents the Common Implementation Plan for the Pact on Migration and Asylum - IP/24/3161
• VP Jourová, Commissioners Johansson and Lenarčič to attend the Justice & Home Affairs Council - Midday Express
• Factsheet: Tackling Disinformation and Misinformation

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Commission Implementing Decision of 22.12.2023 on the partial suspension of the disbursement of the third and fourth instalments of the non-repayable support for Portugal
• Summary record of the 33th and 34th meeting of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) Committee - 03 & 15 May 2024
• ECB - Burn now or never? Climate change exposure and investment of fossil fuel firms - Working Paper Series No.2945
• ECB - Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 7 June 2024
• ECB - International use of the euro remained broadly stable in 2023
• Speech by Philip R. Lane: Monetary policy and the disinflation process
• Speech by Isabel Schnabel: The ECB's monetary policy: towards price stability
• Speech by Frank Elderson: Family ties: ten years of monetary policy and banking supervision under one European roof

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Possible items for College agenda from 19 June to 16 July 2024
• Talks on EU top jobs kick off at G7 summit - Ursula von der Leyen is meeting leaders France, Germany and Italy on sidelines of global gathering - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Council Decision on the accession of Niue to the Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part
• Council Decision on the accession of the Kingdom of Tonga to the Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part
• Answer given by Ms Urpilainen to a MEP written question - Memorandum of understanding with Rwanda in a context of escalating violence in the east of the D.R. of the Congo

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Judgment of the General Court in Case T-288/22, State Development Corporation ‘VEB.RF’ Vs. Council of the European Union, supported by European Commission
  Re: CFSP - Restrictive measures taken in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine - Freezing of funds - List of persons, entities and bodies to whom the freezing of funds and economic resources applies - Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant's name on the list - Exclusion of SWIFT services - Obligation to state reasons - Article 2, (1)(b) and (d) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP - Article 1e of Decision 2014/512/CFSP - Error of assessment - Equal treatment - Proportionality - Right to property - Right to effective judicial protection - Misuse of powers
• Judgment of the General Court of 12 June 2024 in Case T‑649/22, Issam Shammout, Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: CFSP - Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Syria - Freezing of funds - Restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - Inclusion and maintenance of the applicant’s name on the lists of persons, entities and bodies concerned - Criterion of ‘leading businessperson operating in Syria’ - Presumption of a link with the Syrian regime - Error of assessment - Rights of the defence - Right to effective judicial protection - Obligation to state reasons - Proportionality - Right to property - Freedom to choose an occupation and right to engage in work - Freedom to conduct a business - Admissibility of evidence
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) …/… on the establishment of the Ukraine Facility Audit Board
• EU signs agreements worth €1.4 billion to facilitate private sector investment