Europe Daily News, 19 November 2024

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11675 - Carlsberg / Britvic)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11481 - Synopsys / Ansys)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11710 - OEP / E. Winkemann)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11731 - One / LX Pantos / Boxlinks)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11725 - Valeo Foods / IDC Holding)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11386 - KKR / Netco)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11758 - Vanden Avenne / Alcogroup / IGPC)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11676 - CD&R / Permira / Exclusive Networks)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11707 - Omers / DWS / Grandi Stazioni Retail)
• Commission carries out unannounced antitrust inspections in the data centre construction sector
• Commission clears acquisition of Rosenbauer by PIAG, MMBET and RBH (M.11685) - Midday Express
• Carlyle has filed its plan to buy US drugmaker Baxter’s kidney care unit Vantive to the European Commission for foreign-subsidy approval - FS.100120
• Belgium - The Competition Authority approves the acquisition of Cooltrans, Cardon Logistique, Cooltrans Logistics, Jumax and Koeling by the STEF Group
• Germany - The Bundeskartellamt has approved the planned merger of the healthcare and cosmetics companies Merz Lifecare and WindStar
• Greece - Approval of the concentration concerning the acquisition of sole control by GEK TERNA S.A. over the business activity consisting in the financing, operation, maintenance and exploitation of the ATTIKA ODOS motorway
• Italy - Investigation opened against SAS, Moby and Grandi Navi Veloci by the AGCM
• Slovak Republic - Vertical agreements: the PMU's activity brought about an improvement of conditions in the area of parcel delivery to dispatch points in the territory of the Slovak Republic
• Antitrust enforcers prepare final blitz against Big Tech - Justice Department considers divestiture of some Google products while FTC prepares Microsoft probe - Wall Street Journal

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections - SA.114557, SA.114259 & SA.114400

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Fourth Joint Forum on Trade and Sustainable Development under Chapter 13 of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) - 21st November 2024
• Outcome on the implementation of the 2nd Action Plan to fight the illicit tobacco trade for the years 2018 to 2022 - (Rev.2)
• Report of the Meeting of the Commission Expert Group on Trade and Sustainable Development - 09 July 2024
• Report from the Commission on export authorisations in 2023 pursuant to the Regulation concerning trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
• Report from the Commission on the activities and consultations of the Anti-Torture Coordination Group referred to in Article 31 of Regulation (EU) 2019/125 concerning trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
  
• DG Okonjo-Iweala welcomes President Vahagn Khachaturyan of Armenia to the WTO
• EU to demand technology transfers from Chinese companies - New requirements will apply to batteries but could be expanded to other green sectors - Financial Times
• Governments continue to add to Trade Barriers, WTO Says - But many restrictions on exports of food and fertilizers in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have been dropped - Wall Street Journal
• Locked and loaded? The EU weapons to fight Trump’s trade war - Will it be Harleys again? Or is the EU going to hit back at more products when Donald Trump makes good on his tariff threats? - Politico.eu

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Nearly €5 billion under Erasmus+ to support learning abroad and cooperation in education, training, youth and sport in 2025 - See the Call for Proposals

CHEMICAL

• Agenda for: Meeting of the REACH Committee - 17 December 2024

FINANCE

• ESMA proposes to move to T+1 by October 2027
• ESMA - Report on the assessment of the shortening of the settlement cycle in the European Union
• ESMA - Decision concerning the reporting by competent authorities to the ESAs of information necessary for the designation of critical ICT third-party service providers

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: 6th Meeting of the EU Biodiversity Platform - 27 November 2024
• Agenda for: 27th Meeting of the Environmental Footprint Technical Advisory Board 22 November 2024
• Agenda for: 49th Meeting of the Commission Expert Group on Forest Fires (EGFF) - 03 December 2024
• Minutes of the Commission Group of Experts on Forest-based Industries and Sectorally Related Issues - 17 June 2024
• 2023 among the five worst years for wildfires in Europe, Commission report shows
• 2024 Carbon Market Report: a stable and well-functioning market, driving emissions from power and industry installations to a historic reduction of 16.5% - Working Document
• EP ENVI Committee - Work in Progress - 18 November 2024
• Extra time for deforestation: lessons for future EU environmental legislation - See the Bruegel Policy Brief

COP29

• Opening remarks by Commissioner Hoekstra at the first COP29 EU press conference, together with the Hungarian Presidency
• European Parliament delegation joins COP29 climate talks

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for: Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed
  - Section: "Phytopharmaceuticals - Legislation" - 05 December 2024
  - Section: "Phytopharmaceuticals - Pesticide residues" - 25 & 26 November 2024
  - Section: Genetically modified food and feed and environmental risk - 22 November 2024
• SCCS - Minutes of the Working Group meeting on Nanomaterials in Cosmetic Products - 06 November 2024
• SCCS - Preliminary Opinion open for comments on Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate - Deadline: 17 January 2025
• EFSA - Elucidating the influence of wild boar density on African swine fever spread in wild boar populations, Italy, 2022–2023

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Main results of the Agriculture & Fisheries Council, 18 November 2024
• Minutes of the Expert Group on Organic Production - 24 & 25 September 2024 

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• ECB - Transition risk losses alone unlikely to threaten EU financial stability, “Fit-For-55” climate stress test shows, see the Scenario analysis and the FAQ
• Euro area monthly balance of payments: September 2024
• Speech by Frank Elderson: "Taking account of nature, naturally"
• Green asset pricing - Working Paper Series No.2477

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Main results of the Foreign Affairs Council -18 November 2024
  
  • Council Conclusions on the PESCO Strategic Review (PSR)
  • Council Conclusions on Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs)
  • Declaration on a Common Understanding of International Law in Cyberspace
• Joint Statement by the European Commission and the High Representative on the occasion of World Children's Day
• EU disburses third instalment of the emergency package for the Palestinian Authority following agreement on a comprehensive reform agenda - Midday Express

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Statement by President von der Leyen on 1,000 Days of Ukrainian Resilience
• Iran: EU widens restrictive measures in view of Iran support of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and lists one individual and four entities - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/ 2894; Council Regulation (EU) 2024/2897 & Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2896

G20

• Remarks by President von der Leyen at Session I of the G20: Social Inclusion and the Fight against Hunger and Poverty
• Speech by Charles Michel, President of the European Council, at the G20 Summit
• G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders' Declaration