Europe Daily News, 07 May 2024

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11453 - Commerzbank Immobilien / ACH / ACI)
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by Volvo and Westport (M.11387) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of BBE by EVE and Gunvor (M.11478) - Midday Express
• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - Follow up to Written Question P-002171/2023 – Slack antitrust complaint against Microsoft Teams

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections - SA.112034, SA.106120 & SA.113636
• Commission authorises Belgian State aid scheme to support renewable electricity in Wallonia (SA.63176) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Working Party on Dual Use Goods - 15 May 2024
• Agenda for: 256th Meeting of the Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature Section of the Customs Code Committee (CN Sector) - 23 May 2024
• Customs Control Equipment Instrument Annual Progress Report 2023
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) …/… terminating the investigation of the possible circumvention, by imports of biodiesel consigned from the People's Republic of China and the United Kingdom, whether declared as originating in the People's Republic of China and the United Kingdom or not, of the countervailing measures concerning imports of biodiesel originating in Indonesia, and terminating the registration of imports
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1267 of 6 May 2024 extending the definitive anti-dumping duty imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2012 on imports of stainless steel cold-rolled flat products originating in Indonesia to imports of stainless steel cold-rolled flat products consigned from Taiwan and Vietnam, whether declared as originating in Taiwan and Vietnam or not, and terminating the investigation concerning the possible circumvention of anti-dumping measures imposed by that Regulation by imports of stainless steel cold-rolled flat products consigned from Türkiye, whether declared as originating in Türkiye or not
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1268 of 6 May 2024 extending the definitive countervailing duties imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/433 on imports of stainless steel cold-rolled flat products originating in Indonesia to imports of stainless steel cold-rolled flat products consigned from Taiwan, Türkiye and Vietnam, whether declared as originating in Taiwan, Türkiye and Vietnam or not
• Press statement by President von der Leyen following the trilateral meeting with French President Macron and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping
• Opening statement by President von der Leyen ahead of the trilateral meeting with French President Macron and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping
• EU and France tell Xi they need protection from Chinese imports - French president Macron hails breakthrough on some areas such as cognac during Xi state visit to Paris - Financial Times
• WTO - Cambodia formally accepts Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
• WTO - Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - European Union - Trucks, buses and coaches
• WTO - United States - Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000 - Communication from the European Union

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Technical Harmonisation (Motor vehicles) - 16 May 2024
• Commission Notice – Guidance for the interpretation of the Common Charger Directive
• Minutes & Submissions - Meeting of the Expert group EU Fertilisers Market Observatory - 19 Mars 2024

CHEMICAL

• Agenda for: Ad Hoc Working Party on One Substance One Assessment - 13 May 2024
• Summary of European Commission Decisions on authorisations for the placing on the market for the use and/or for use of substances listed in Annex XIV to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the REACH
  - C(2024) 2596 chromium trioxide (EC No 215-607-8; CAS No 1333-82-0)
  - C(2024) 2681 chromium trioxide (EC No 215-607-8; CAS No 1333-82-0)

FINANCE

• ESMA asks for input on assets eligible for UCITS

ENERGY

• Commissioner Simson met with Ukraine's Energy Minister Galushchenko in Kyiv to discuss winter preparedness and energy infrastructure repairs - see the Statement

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Council commends 2022 external actions and calls for further steps on climate and biodiversity
• Council conclusions on European Court of Auditors’ Special Report No 04/2023 on the Global Climate Change Alliance (+)
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius to a MEP written question - The import and export ban on sealskin
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - Consequences of the EU’s ETS rules for shipping
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius to a MEP written question - Wind farm projects and environmental protection in Sardinia’s Gallura region

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Minutes - 32nd meeting - Expert Group on Health Systems Performance Assessment (HSPA) - 21 March 2024
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Flavouring group evaluation 419 (FGE.419): 2‐methyl‐1‐(2‐(5‐(p‐tolyl)‐1H‐imidazol‐2‐yl)piperidin‐1‐yl)butan‐1‐one
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety evaluation of a food enzyme with phospholipase A1 and lysophospholipase activities from the genetically modified Aspergillus niger strain
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Assessment of the feed additive consisting of l‐cystine for all animal species for the renewal of its authorisation (Bretagne Chimie Fine [BCF Life Sciences])
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Re‐evaluation of guar gum (E 412) as a food additive in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age and follow‐up of its re‐evaluation as food additive for uses in foods for all population groups

TELECOMS & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 08 May 2024
• First EU rulebook to protect media independence and pluralism enters into force - see the FactSheet

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Council adopts first-ever EU law combating violence against women
• Strengthening the role of equality bodies across the EU: Council adopts two directives
• According to Advocate General Richard de la Tour, a Member State’s refusal to recognise changes of forename and gender acquired in another Member State is contrary to the rights of EU citizens (See CPR Nº 81/2024 - Opinion of the Advocate General in the Case C-4/23; Mirin)
• The Austrian arbitration committee competent to combat doping in sport is not entitled to submit questions to the Court of Justice (See CPR Nº 80/2024 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-115/22; NADA and Others)
• EU and Israel hold their 15th meeting on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Antisemitism - Midday Express
• Commissioner Johansson takes part in the ministerial meeting on the fight against serious organised crime - Midday Express

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Low for long? Reasons for the recent decline in productivity - see ECB Blog
• Updating the retirement-consumption puzzle in Italy: who are the most affected? - Working Paper Series No.2936
• Opinion of the European Central Bank of 30 April 2024 on a proposed regulation and directive on payment and electronic money services (CON/2024/13)

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 08 May 2024

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans adopted
• Council Conclusions on Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
• Council calls for better protection in humanitarian aid - see the Council conclusions
  
• EU allocates €125 million in humanitarian aid for most vulnerable in Yemen - IP/24/2465

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Joint press release: EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum bolsters cooperation between Ukrainian and European defence industries - IP/24/2374
  
• The EU’s new plan to break Russian assets stalemate - While billions would be used to buy weapons for Ukraine, neutral countries can limit themselves to providing non-military aid to Kyiv - Politico.eu
• Brussels seeks to ban Russian funding of European politicians - Latest draft sanctions aim to weaken Putin’s war effort in Ukraine and Moscow’s disinformation campaigns - Financial Times