Europe Daily News, 22 February 2024

STATE AID

• Judgment of the Court of 22 February 2024 in Joined Cases C-701/21 P and C-739/21 P; Mytilinaios AE - Omilos Epicheiriseon Vs. Dimosia Epicheirisi Ilektrismou AE (DEI) and European Commission
  Re: Appeal - State aid - Article 107 TFEU - Concept of 'aid' - Advantage - Private investor test - Arbitration award fixing reduced electricity tariffs - Imputability of an arbitration award to the State - Regulation (EU) 2015/1589 - Article 4(2) - Decision declaring that the measure does not constitute aid
• Commission approves €37.6 million Romanian State aid scheme to support the tomatoes and garlics' producers in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine (SA.112600) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €240 million Danish State aid scheme to support the production of strategic goods to foster the transition to a net-zero economy (SA.110777) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union - 26 February 2024
• Agenda for: Working Party on the United Kingdom - 23 February 2024
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Trade Policy Committee (Deputy Members) - 22 February 2024
• Agenda for: Fifth Meeting of the EU-Japan EPA Committee on Regulatory Cooperation - 27 February 2024
• Commission notice concerning the application of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin or the protocols on rules of origin providing for diagonal cumulation between the Contracting Parties to this Convention
• Minutes - Third meeting of the Trade Specialised Committee on Public Procurement under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement - 16 November 2023
• EU-Kenya EPA
  - Annex VI - Joint declaration of the parties on the economic and development cooperation in this agreement
  - Annex V - Trade and Sustainable Development
  - Annex IV - Joint declaration regarding countries which have established a customs union with the European Union
  - Annexes III a & b - EPA development matrix 11 September 2015, development benchmarks, targets and indicators
• EU - Kenya Agreement - Protocol 1 on mutual administrative assistance in customs matters
• Joint Statement on Trade & Sustainable Development by the EU and the Republic of Kenya
• Joint Statement on Rules of origin by the EU and the Republic of Kenya
• Study confirms that EU trade opens new commercial opportunities for EU agri-food exporters - IP/24/1001 & JRC Study
• Ukraine and Moldova: Council adopts its negotiating mandate to renew the suspension of import duties and quotas
• UK - Trade Remedies Authority recommends steel safeguard measure be extended to 2026
• UK - Trade Remedies Authority initiates transition review into chamois leather from China
• WTO - Haiti formally accepts accepts Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Fourth Clean Transition Dialogue chaired by EVP Šefčovič to discuss how to enhance the critical raw materials sector in the EU - Midday Express
• Opening speech by President von der Leyen at the Clean Tech Industry Dialogue
• Zalando commits to provide clearer information for consumer following EU action - IP/24/948

CHEMICAL

• Agenda for: Meeting of the REACH Committee - 29 February 2024

FINANCE

• Judgment of the Court of 22 February 2024 in Case C-660/22; Ente Cambiano società cooperativa per azioni v Agenzia delle Entrate
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Article 63 TFEU - Free movement of capital - Directive 2008/7/EC - Cooperative credit banks whose net assets exceed a given threshold - National legislation requiring those banks to pay a sum corresponding to 20% of those net assets in order to transfer their banking business to a company limited by shares in exchange for shares in that company - Article 94(c) of the Rules of Procedure of the Court - Requirement to state the reasons justifying the need for a reply from the Court - Purely internal situation - Inadmissibility
• The limits of splitting UK and EU financial services - London and Brussels should collaborate more on regulation - Financial Times

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Denmark and Sweden press Brussels to act against UK in fishing dispute - Copenhagen claims London’s ban on catching sand eels on Dogger Bank discriminates against its fleet - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2017/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2017 on mercury as regards dental amalgam and other mercury-added products subject to manufacturing, import and export restrictions - Letter to the Chair of the EP ENVI Committee
• Commission invests over €233 million in Strategic Environment and Climate Projects across Europe - IP/24/949, QaA
• InvestEU backs €50 million Nordic Investment Bank loan to boost wind energy capacity in Finland - IP/24/890
• Commissioner Sinkevičius in Czechia to discuss the European Green Deal and key legislative files under negotiation - Midday Express
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - Article 18(2) of the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on fluorinated greenhouse gases
• The problem with Europe’s ageing wind farms - As thousands of turbines near retirement, owners must decide whether to invest in upgrades or walk away from a vital source of clean energy - Financial Times

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Public Health (European Health Data Space) - 28 February 2024
• Medical devices: Council endorses new measures to help prevent shortages
• Food industry warns ‘Not for EU’ labelling will deter investment in UK - Post-Brexit requirement will put up costs for British manufacturers, says Food and Drink Federation - Financial Times

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Safer roads & safer workers: Council and Parliament strike provisional deal on the non-road mobile machinery regulation

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• According to Advocate General Priit Pikamäe, a database containing personal data may, under certain conditions, be sold in enforcement proceedings, even if the data subjects have not consented to the sale (See CPR No 35/2024 - Opinion of the Advocate General in the case C-693/22 - I. - Principles of Community law)

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• The decision to register partially the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) ‘Cohesion policy for the equality of the regions and sustainability of the regional cultures’ is upheld following the dismissal of Romania’s appeal (See CPR No 34/2024 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-54/22 P - Romania Vs. Commission)
• Taking into account of child-raising periods completed in another Member State when calculating a pension for total incapacity for work (See CPR No 33/2024 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-283/21 - Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund)
• Citizenship: the refusal by a Member State to issue to one of its nationals, in addition to a passport, an identity card serving as a travel document, on the sole ground that he or she is domiciled in another Member State, is contrary to EU law (See CPR No 32/2024 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-491/21 - Direcţia pentru Evidenţa Persoanelor şi Administrarea Bazelor de Date)

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Commission endorses positive preliminary assessment of Lithuania's second payment request for €360 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility* - IP/24/947
• Communication from the Commission: "Strengthening the EU through ambitious reforms and investments"
• Recovery and Resilience Facility - REPowerEU - Factsheet
  

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Possible items for College agenda from 27 February to 23 April 2024
• Press statement by President von der Leyen with Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Twenty-Fifth Annual Report according to Article 8(2) of Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP defining common rules governing the control of exports of military technology and equipment
• Statement by the HR/VP Borrell on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/383 concerning restrictive measures in view of activities undermining the stability and political transition of Sudan
• The European Commission appoints "Sandra Bartelt" as new Principal Adviser for G7 and G20 Sustainable Development Agendas for its Directorate-General International Partnerships
• The European Commission appoints "Didier Versé" as new Director for its Directorate-General International Partnerships
• Joint press statement following the 8th Association Council meeting between the EU and Georgia
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell to a MEP written question - EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• EU agrees first sanctions on Chinese and Indian companies for Russia war links - Curbs on almost 200 entities aim to ‘degrade’ Moscow’s capability to attack Ukraine - Financial Times
• Russia foils western sanctions on natural gas project as shipments near - Arctic LNG 2 plant completed with Chinese help as Beijing becomes biggest importer of the Russian gas - Financial Times