Europe Daily News, 22 November 2024

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11697 - Forfarmers / DLG / Forfarmers Team Agrar JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11770 - TPG / GeneralL Atlantic / MR Mallouk / Creative Planning)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11721 - STX / Marine Olie)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11738 - ICG / Imanes / Piacrd)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11685 - PIAG / MMBET / RBH / Rosenbauer)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11739 - Investcorp / PSP / PKF Oconnor Davies Advisory)
• Commission clears acquisition of Fressnapf by AISE and Cinven (M.11706) - Midday Express
• Commission authorises the creation of a joint venture by AGL, TTC and Samudera (M.11754) - Midday Express
• Commission closes antitrust investigation into Apple's rules for developers of e-book/audiobook apps (AT.40652) - Midday Express
• Commission publishes findings of evaluation of the EU competition rules on technology transfer agreements - see the Working Paper & Its Summary
• CISPE launches European Cloud Competition Observatory
• UK - Viatris fined £1.5m for failure to comply with CMA order
• UK - CMA required Spreadex to sell Sporting Index - See the Final report, Annex and Summary

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.112112 & SA.107987
• Commission finds German public capital injection in favour of WestSpiel to be incompatible State aid (SA.48580)

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union - 26 November 2024
• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union - 27 November 2024
• Attendance of a third party at the meeting of the Trade Policy Committee (Services & Investment) on 11 December 2024 - Approval
• Attendance of a third party at the meeting of the Trade Policy Committee (Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)) on 4 December 2024 - Approval
• Main results - Foreign Affairs Council (Trade), 21 November 2024
• Remarks by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis at the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade)
• WTO - Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - European Union - Biocidal products
• WTO - Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - European Union - Carcinogens, germ cell mutagens or reproductive toxicants
• WTO - New report examines how artificial intelligence may shape future of international trade
• António Costa: ‘Why would Trump want a trade war with Europe?’ - Financial Times
• Trump’s tariff plan would put US on path to ‘crony capitalism’, Griffin says - Financial Times
• Tesla, Trump and the China tariff clash - Elon Musk needs good relations with China to keep pumping cash into Tesla, while Donald Trump wants to hit Beijing with tariffs - Politico.eu

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Preparation of the Council (Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry, Research & Space)) on 28-29 November 2024
  - Draft Council conclusions on a potential Europe-wide R&I initiative on advancing sustainable natural resource management, food systems security and the deployment of the bio-economy, harnessing the potential of Central and Eastern Europe - Approval
  - The future of the Union space policy - Exchange of views & - Approval
• EU shift to electric cars still riddled with obstacles - French scheme shows demand at right price but image problems and infrastructure are hampering adoption - Financial Times
• Britain should not gamble with its car industry again - Labour is courting hubris by trying to beat the EU’s 2035 deadline for EV transition French scheme shows demand at right price but image problems and infrastructure are hampering adoption - Financial Times

FINANCE

• Joint Guidelines on ESAs system for exchange of information on fit and proper assessment
• ESMA - Consultation on draft technical advice concerning the Prospectus Regulation and on updating the CDR on metadata

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 26 November 2024
• Design, development and implementation of joint purchasing options under EU energy platform - See the Study

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• First Biennial Transparency Report from the European Union to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (required under the Enhanced Transparency Framework)
• Answer given by EVP Šefčovič to a MEP  written question - Economic impact of the provisions of the EUDR
• EUDR Information System User Guide as of 05 November 20224 (Released on 20.11.2024)
• Will the EU Deforestation Regulation be delayed? - WWF Blog

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• ECDC launches ECDC Lighthouse, a Community of Practice for social and behavioural sciences in infectious disease prevention
• ECDC Surveillance of West Nile virus infections in humans, weekly report - Week 47, 2024
• ECDC Monthly measles and rubella monitoring report - September 2024

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Judgment of the Court of 21 November 2024 in Case C-61/23, ‘Еkоstroy’ EOOD Vs. Agentsia ‘Patna infrastruktura', interested party: Okrazhna prokuratura – Haskovo,
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Approximation of laws - Road transport - Tax provisions - Directive 1999/62/EC - Charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures - Penalties applicable to infringements of the national provisions adopted under that directive - Article 9a - Requirement of proportionality – National legislation penalising all offences by means of a flat-rate fine
• Opinion of Advocate General Rantos of 21 November 2024 in Joined Cases C-251/23 and C-308/23 OB (C 251/23), YV (C 308/23) Vs. Mercedes-Benz Group A
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Approximation of laws - Type approval of motor vehicles - Directive 2007/46/EC - Article 18(1) - Article 26(1) - Article 46 - Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 - Article 3(10) - Article 4(1) and (2) - Article 5(1) and (2) - Diesel motor vehicles - Type approval test for pollutant emissions - Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in excess of the limit values laid down in that regulation - Increase in NOx emissions and simultaneous reduction in emissions of other harmful substances - Defeat device - Prohibition on the use of defeat devices that reduce the effectiveness of emission control systems - Exception to that prohibition - Protection of the interests of an individual purchaser of a vehicle fitted with an illegal defeat device - Right to compensation from the car manufacturer in tort - Burden of proof - Principle of effectiveness - Method of calculating compensation
• Minutes of the Committee on the implementation of legislation on improving ship and port installation security - 06 November 2024
• Coordinated Romania-Moldova border controls to facilitate EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes transit
• Solidarity Lanes: Latest figures – October 2024

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 25 November 2024
• Navigating cybersecurity investments in the time of NIS 2 - See the ENISA Report

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Speech by Christine Lagarde: Follow the money: channelling savings into investment and innovation in Europe
• ECB - Eurosystem response to EU Commission’s consultation on macroprudential policies for non-bank financial intermediation (NBFI)
• Sweden: Industrial equipment maker SKF to accelerate Europe’s green transition with €430 million loan from EIB
• EIB Group President Nadia Calviño reinforces partnership with Greek government to support strategic investments in the country

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Jordan: Press remarks by the High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell after meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
• Poland urges EU to spend more on eastern defences ahead of Trump’s return - Warsaw has largest military budget among Nato allies - Financial Times
• The UK’s high-wire act between the US and Europe - Post-Brexit Britain faces stark strategic choices with Trump taking office. Walking a line between both powers will be tricky - Financial Times

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Consolidated version of the FAQs on sanctions against Russia and Belarus - As of 22 November 2024
• FAQs on sanctions against Russia and Belarus, with focus on the following provision: Article 8a of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 ("Best Efforts" Obligation)