Europe Daily News, 27 March 2024

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11517 - CKI / CKA / Phoenix Energy)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11084 - SMRP / SAS Autosytemtechnik)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11439 - DWS / Galaxy / Flow Traders / JV)
• Poland - Bilateral meeting with representatives of the Austrian Federal Competition Authority
• Belgium - Notification CC-23-0020 - D’Ieteren Mobility Company NV/Porsche Centre East-Flanders NV
• UK - Green claims: CMA secures landmark changes from ASOS, Boohoo and Asda
• UK mobile merger must ring in changes for troubled sector - Fierce competition has hammered the market’s economics - Financial Times

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.110872 & SA.108998
• Commission approves amendment to Italian State aid scheme to support companies in Friuli Venezia Giulia in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine (SA.113201) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union - 05 April 2024
• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union (DG of Customs) - 09 April 2024
• Agenda for: 50th meeting of the Customs Expert Group - Origin - 17 April 2024
• Agenda for: 255th meeting of the Customs Code Committee - Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature Section (Sub-section Mechanical/Miscellaneous/Textiles) - 24th to 26th April 2024
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the partial suspension of the application of the Energy Charter Treaty between the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and any legal entity that is owned or controlled by citizens or nationals of the Russian Federation or of the Republic of Belarus, and any Investment within the meaning of the Energy Charter Treaty which is an Investment of an Investor of the Russian Federation or of the Republic of Belarus
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the partial suspension of the application of the Energy Charter Treaty between the Union and any legal entity that is owned or controlled by citizens or nationals of the Russian Federation or of the Republic of Belarus, and any Investment within the meaning of the Energy Charter Treaty which is an Investment of an Investor of the Russian Federation or of the Republic of Belarus
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) …/... imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of certain polyethylene terephthalate originating in People’s Republic of China
  
• Explanatory Notes to the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union (Heading: 8703) 
• Explanatory Notes to the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union (CN: 3924 90 00 & 4818 90 10 and 4818 90 90)
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/964 of 21 March 2024 concerning the classification of certain goods in the Combined Nomenclature (CN: 9102 12 00)
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/965 of 21 March 2024 concerning the classification of certain goods in the Combined Nomenclature (CN: 6404 19 90)
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/966 of 21 March 2024 concerning the classification of certain goods in the Combined Nomenclature, amending Regulation (EC) No 1966/94 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 3176/94 (CN: 6307 90 98)
• Council Decision (EU) 2024/998 of 1 March 2024 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the World Trade Organization’s 13th Ministerial Conference
• Notice of initiation of an anti-subsidy proceeding concerning imports of mobile access equipment (MAE), originating in the People’s Republic of China
• AES Business Guidance Export and Exit formalities in Automated Export System
  
• WTO - China-Enforcement of IP Rights - Replies of the EU to the Questions from the Panel after the second substantive meeting - WT/DS611
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Investigation into illegal Chinese state aid for the automotive sector
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Defence of European and ACP banana cultivation in the face of competition from ‘dollar’ bananas
• EFTA parliamentarians visit Argentina and Brazil to give momentum to negotiations on trade agreement with Mercosur
• WTO panel issues report regarding Australian duties on certain Chinese goods - See the "findings and conclusions"
• Ecommerce tariffs will kick in from 2026, says WTO chief - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala claims move to end exemption ‘sends signal’ for governments and businesses to prepare for new regime - Financial Times
• Franco-Polish curbs on Ukrainian imports risk extending war, Kyiv says - Ukraine’s agriculture minister Mykola Solskyi warns Warsaw and Paris against hardening restrictions on food - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Statement by Commissioner Breton on withdrawal by CRRC Qingdao Sifang Locomotive Co., Ltd. from public procurement following the Commission's opening of an investigation under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation
• FAQs related to Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 on fertilising products (the ‘Fertilising Products Regulation’) - Created by GROW.F.2 - Last update: 21 March 2024
• Acea - Harald Seidel: Trucks and buses keep Europe on the move!
• IAM4EU in the Spotlight: Pioneering Advanced Materials for Europe’s Future
• The Transformative Power Of Innovation: Cefic launches new “Safe And Sustainable-By-Design Guidance” for Research & Innovation Within Chemical Companies
• Chinese-made EVs set to take 25% of European market this year - EU car manufacturers warn that a wave of cheaper models from China will undercut those produced by local companies - Financial Times

FINANCE

• Daisy Chains: Council adopts directive on indirect subscription chains 

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Joint Meeting of the CEG for sustainability and quality of agriculture and rural development and the CEG for Agricultural Markets - subgroups Wine and Spirit Drinks - 10 April 2024
• Working Documents: CEG for Agricultural Markets, in particular concerning aspects falling under the CMO Regulation - Subgroup olive oil chemist - 22 March 2024
• Minutes of: CEG for Agricultural Markets, in particular concerning aspects falling under the CMO Regulation - Animal Products - 21 March 2024
• Presentation: 3rd Meeting - Sub-group on mitigating risks and vulnerabilities in the EU food supply chains - 20 March 2024
• Report highlights good progress made on long-term vision for EU rural areas - IP/24/1727

EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION & SOCIAL AFFAIRS

• Commission rolls out plans for a European degree - IP/24/1741

ENERGY

• Council Recommendation of 25 March 2024 on continuing coordinated demand-reduction measures for gas
• NIB backed by InvestEU finances renewable energy supply for green ammonia production in Lithuania - IP/24/1705
• European gas traders meet Ukraine’s transmission and storage operators - Energy Community
• ACER-CEER Paper on Anticipatory Investments

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: 26th Meeting of the CEG/MSP on Protecting and Restoring the World’s Forests, including the EU Timber Regulation and the FLEGT Regulation - 11 April 2024
• New EU rules aimed at empowering consumers to act in favour of the ecological transition come into force - Midday Express
• Critical Crossroads for Europe’s Climate and Resource Strategy, Coalition Calls for Sufficiency and Resilience - see EEB Statement & Manifesto
• Hybrid cars increasingly popular with EU motorists, confirming need for sustainable liquid fuels - see ePURE Statement

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• EFSA - Avian influenza overview December 2023 – March 2024
• EMA - EU recommendations for 2024/2025 seasonal flu vaccine composition

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• EU and Moldova extend Road Transport Agreement until 31 December 2025 - IP/24/1721
• EBB publishes 2024 Manifesto for a “Made in Europe” transition towards carbon-neutral transport

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Online advertising: Amazon’s request to suspend its obligation to make an advertisement repository publicly available is rejected (See CPR Nº 60/2024 - Order of the Court of Justice in Case C-639/23 P(R); Commission Vs. Amazon Services Europe)
• EU and Republic of Korea reaffirm their partnership for an inclusive and resilient digital transformation - IP/24/1708 & Joint Statement

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• The ENISA publishes the executive summary of this year’s ‘Foresight Cybersecurity Threats for 2030’ presenting an overview of key findings in the top 10 ranking.

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• 9th Cohesion Report shows that Cohesion Policy continues to narrow the gaps in EU regions and Member States - IP/24/1616
• Commission disburses the second payment of €360 million to Lithuania under the Recovery and Resilience Facility
• ECB - Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 22 March 2024
• Speech by Piero Cipollone: The confidence to act: monetary policy and the role of wages during the disinflation process

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Possible items for College agenda from10 April to 23 April 2024
• Europe’s leaders have woken up to hard power - It isn’t clear that their electorates have done the same - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• New Heads of Mission appointed for EUMM Georgia, EUPOL COPPS, and EUCAP Somalia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: Statement by the Spokesperson on High Representative's amendment of the election law
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell to a MEP written question - Protection of international trade in view of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea