Europe Daily News, 10 December 2024

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11673 - DK / YSCO)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11692 - SICK / EH / EHS)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11159 - JD Sports / Groupe Courir)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11784 - Aurelius / What’s Cooking Savoury)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11701 - Santander / Pemberton / Emerald JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11733 - BMWK / MOF NDS / Meyer Germany)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11762 - OMV / Adamant / Adamant Ecodev)
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by ForFarmers and team agrar (M.11697) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Navig8 by ADNOC and the acquisition of Integr8 by Navig8 Limited and ADNOC (M.11653) - Midday Express
• Belgium - The Competition Authority approves the acquisition of Bank Nagelmackers by the BPCE group
• France - Online advertising: the Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of sole control of Teads by Outbrain
• Italy - Antitrust: fines totalling over 2 million to Hera and ComoCalor for excessive and unjustified district heating prices
• Norway - Better competition in the food ordering platforms market
• UK - Anticipated acquisition by Arla Foods Ingredients Group P/S of Volac Whey Nutrition Holdings Limited - Decision on relevant merger situation and substantial lessening of competition
• Brussels probes Google and Meta secret ads deal to target teens - Regulators request information after FT investigation into partnership that skirted search giant’s rules on minors - Financial Times
  

STATE AID

• Commission amends rules on small amounts of State aid to the agricultural sector - "De Minimis Regulation"
• Commission approves €200 million German State aid scheme for climate-adapted forest management (SA.116653) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €2.6 billion Estonian State aid scheme to support renewable offshore wind energy to foster the transition to a net-zero economy (SA.114440) 
• Commission approves €155 million Danish State aid scheme to foster green investments in the fisheries and aquaculture processing sector (SA.112297) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Law Enforcement Working Party (Customs) - 12 December 2024
• Council Decision (EU) 2024/3026 of 21 November 2024 on the position to be adopted on behalf of the European Union within the Joint Committee established by the Agreement between European Economic Community and the Swiss Confederation, with regard to a decision establishing the general requirements for proofs of origin issued electronically under Article 17(4) of Appendix A to Protocol 3 to that Agreement
• Council Decision (EU) 2024/3029 of 21 October 2024 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the EU-CTC Joint Committee established by the Convention on the simplification of formalities in trade in goods and within the EU-CTC Joint Committee established by the Convention on a common transit procedure as regards invitations to Georgia to accede to those Conventions
• Report of the Ninth Round of Negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and India - 23 to 27 September 2024
• Report of the Eighth Round of Negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and India - 24 to 28 June 2024
• Report of the Seventh Round of Negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and India - 19 to 23 February 2024
• Report of the Sixth Round of the European Union - India negotiations on protection of Geographical Indications - 12 to 13 March 2024
• Uzbekistan advances WTO accession negotiations, reaffirms commitment to conclude by 2026
• WTO - Goods barometer shows moderate trade growth as policy uncertainty looms
• DDG Paugam: "Trade is key to food and nutrition security"
• EU will demand early fish deal in UK reset talks - Requirement among red lines drawn up by Brussels ahead of 2025 negotiations - Financial Times
• Reeves calls on EU to drop ‘unnecessary’ trade barriers with UK - Chancellor makes plea in first appearance at Euro finance meeting since Brexit - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Commission co-funded OECD survey finds adult skills have declined or stagnated in the last decade - OECD Statement - Midday Express

FINANCE

• Join us for ESMA’s conference “Shaping the future of EU capital markets” on 5 February 2025

TAXATION

• Ecofin report to the European Council on tax issues
• Taxation: Council introduces electronic VAT exemption certificate
• Taxation: Council adopts new rules for withholding tax procedures (FASTER)
• Netherlands and fifteen other EU Member States want to modernise tobacco taxation directive
• Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation) - Overview of EU Member States' preferential tax regimes examined since the creation of the COCG in March 1998 - Revision 8

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Council approves EU-UK fishing deal for 2025
• Commission proposes new measures to strengthen farmers' position in the agri-food supply chain and enhance cross-border enforcement against unfair trading practices
  - Proposal on amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2021/2115 and (EU) 2021/2116 as regards the strengthening of the position of farmers in the food supply chain
  - Proposal on cooperation among enforcement authorities responsible for the enforcement of Directive (EU) 2019/633 on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain
• Speech by President von der Leyen at the "European Agri-Food Days"
• Joint press release between the European Commission and the EIB Group on €3 billion of EIB Group financing for farmers and bioeconomy
• EU’s new agriculture chief seeks more funds for small farmers - Christophe Hansen seeks changes to bloc’s multibillion-euro farm subsidy scheme - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (Basel Convention) - 17 December 2024
• Fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5) (Busan, Republic of Korea, 25 November - 1 December 2024) - Opening and closing statement
• Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Joint Monitoring and Review Committee established by the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union, regarding the establishment of the rules of procedure of the Joint Monitoring and Review Committee and the working procedures for arbitration
• Draft Decision of the Joint Monitoring and Review Committee on the adoption of the working procedures for arbitration referred to in Article 26 of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union
• New rules come into force to ensure cleaner air across the EU - Midday Express
• New rules (CLP) enter into force to ensure safer use of chemicals on EU market - Midday Express

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Appeal Committee on GMFF - 17 December 2024
• Agenda for: Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed
  - Section: "Plant Health" - 12 & 13 December 2024
  - Section: "Controls and Import Conditions" - 16 & 17 December 2024
  - Section: "Animal health and animal welfare" - 16 & 17 December 2024
  - Section: "Propagating Material and Plants of Fruit Genera and Species" - 17 December 2024

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY 

• Seven consortia selected to establish AI factories which will boost AI innovation in the EU
• EU tech chief strikes conciliatory tone with Elon Musk - Henna Virkkunen seeks to repair relations after her predecessor sparked US billionaire’s ire - Financial Times

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Cyber Resilience Act enters into force to make Europe's cyberspace safer and more secure - Midday Express
• The EDPS follows up on the compliance of European Commission’s use of Microsoft 365

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• 2024 Gender Equality Index reveals disparities across the EU in the fight for gender equality - Midday Express
• Several EU nations and the UK pause asylum claims from Syrians - Fall of Assad regime prompts immigration rethink in Europe - Financial Times

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Main results - Meeting of the Eurogroup - 09 December 2024
  - Eurogroup issued a statement on the draft budgetary plans for 2025
  - Remarks by Commissioner Dombrovskis and by Paschal Donohoe
  - Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the meeting of Eurogroup in inclusive format with the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves
• Council approves second payment of close to €4.1 billion under the Ukraine Facility
• The Commission provides financial support of €50 million to Moldova  - Midday Express
• Commission receives Estonia's third payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express
• Europeans need to learn some lessons about power — and fast - The world has changed, but the EU’s worldview hasn’t changed with it - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Human Rights Day: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union
• Democratic Republic of the Congo: Council renews EU restrictive measures for a further year - see Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3107 & Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3088
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3113 of 9 December 2024 implementing Decision 2014/450/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Sudan
• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3114 of 9 December 2024 implementing Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 747/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Sudan