Europe Daily News, 09 December 2024

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11153 - CMI / Editis)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11710 - OEP / E Winkemann)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11731 - ONE / LX Pantos / Boxlinks)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11798 - Patient Square / Carlyle / Corrohealth)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11773 - Strategic Value Partners / Nordic Paper)
• Commission approves Novo Holdings' acquisition of Catalent (M.11486)
• Commission clears acquisition of Redwood by Vista and Warburg Pincus (M.11757) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Kotikuitu Target Assets by Telia Company and CapMan AIFM (M.11768) - Midday Express
• Commission issues its earlier decision clearing the acquisition of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft (HHLA) by MSC's SAS Shipping Agencies Services and Hamburger Gesellschaft für Vermögens- und Beteiligungsmanagement - See Case M.11302
• The Netherlands - ACM: asphalt producers are allowed to collaborate in order to make production more sustainable

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.115160
• Commission Decision (EU) 2024/3021 of 9 September 2024 on the measures SA.43260 (2018/C) implemented by Germany in favour of Flughafen Frankfurt-Hahn GmbH and Ryanair DAC

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Deputies) - 12 December 2024
• Agenda for: Working Party on the United Kingdom - 10 December 2024
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Working Party on Dual Use Goods - 17 December 2024
• Explanatory notes to the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union (9503 00 35 and Other construction sets and constructional toys 9503 00 39)
• EU and Mercosur reach political agreement on groundbreaking partnership - Q&A, Joint Statement by the Signatory State Parties & Statement by President von der Leyen
• Report of the 1st round of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Philippines - 14 to 18 October 2024
• Reports of the 1st to 12th round of negotiations for a Trade Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand from 2018 to 2022
• Reports of the 1st to 15th round of negotiations for a trade agreement between the European Union and Australia from 2018 to 2023
• Report of the 3rd round of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Thailand - 17 to 21 June 2024
• WTO - Jordan launches safeguard investigation on safety and protective footwear (See G/SG/N/6/JOR/20)
• Trump ‘can’t guarantee’ Americans won’t pay more if tariffs enacted - “I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow,” the president-elect said - Politico.eu
• New rules sharpen investment focus on modern slavery - EU human rights directive adds to US laws on forced labour - but uncertainty surrounds Trump administration’s stance - Financial Times
  
• Global green subsidy race draws investor attention - Europe, the US and China are vying to be the most attractive destination for investment in sustainability - Financial Times
• US companies lawyer up in preparation for Donald Trump’s trade wars - Legal and accounting firms expect a fee bonanza from efforts to avoid expected tariffs and export controls - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• First list of STEP Seals to promote high-quality EU projects in strategic technologies
• 9th Raw Materials Week focuses on international partnerships and launches the new European Raw Materials Academy
• A good day for Europe's competitiveness: op-ed by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

FINANCE

• ACER and ESMA cooperate to better protect businesses and consumers from abuse of the energy market
• The EBA consults on draft technical standards that specify material changes and extensions to the Internal Ratings Based approach
• The EBA publishes final standards on the specification of long and short positions under the derogations for market and counterparty risks

ENERGY

• Minutes & Submissions for the Meeting with Stakeholders on Accelerating permitting for renewable energy projects - 25 October 2024
• Council Decision (Euratom) 2024/3030 of 2 December 2024 approving the position to be taken on behalf of Euratom in the Energy Charter Conference
• Data Spaces in the Energy Sector: Enabling the Green Energy Transition - See Entsoe Position Paper
• ACER’s new Country Sheets identify opportunities and threats in retail markets across the EU 

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Risk assessment of complex organoarsenic species in food
• EFSA - Pest survey card on Nemorimyza maculosa
• EFSA - Pest survey card on Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis
• EFSA - Pest survey card on chrysanthemum stem necrosis virus
• EFSA - Pest survey card on potato viruses and phytoplasmas regulated as Union quarantine pests

AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Standing Forestry Committee - 17 December 2024
• A competitive EU farming sector based on a farmer-focused common agricultural policy: Council approves conclusions
• The second edition of the EU Agri-Food Days and the first youth policy dialogue on agriculture will take place this week - Midday Express

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - X political bias in the US presidential election campaign and enforcement of the Digital Services Act
• 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

• Agenda for: Working Party on Data Protection - 18 December 2024
• Agenda for: JHA Counsellors on Data protection Matters - 11 December 2024
• The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) held their second cyber dialogue in London, as set out under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Commission report confirms partner countries' compliance with visa-free travel requirements and recommends further improvements

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• European Semester roadmap, as prepared by the Presidency and incoming Presidency (Poland)

FUTURE OF EUROPE & INSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 11 & 13 December 2024
• Invitation letter by President António Costa to the members of the European Council
• Speech by President António Costa at the event commemorating the Centenary of Mário Soares
• Implementation of the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making - State of play
• Legislative programming: Commission work programme for 2025 and multiannual programming - Exchange of views 

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Agenda for Meeting of the Foreign Relations Counsellors - 09 December 2024
• Belarus Days start in Brussels in support of the people of Belarus - Midday Express 
• Turkmenistan: 23rd Meeting of the Joint Committee with the EU held in Brussel
• Norway: fourth Dialogue on Security and Defence with the EU takes place in Brussels
• Syria: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the fall of the Assad regime
• EEA Joint Committee incorporates 88 acts into EEA Agreement in last meeting of 2024
• Europe’s next top diplomat is ready to be undiplomatic - Will Kaja Kallas be able to make her voice heard? - Politico.eu

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Appeal brought on 20 September 2024 by Vladimir Rashevsky against the judgment of the General Court of 10 July 2024 in Cases T-309/22 and T-739/22, Rashevsky Vs. Council (Case C-612/24 P)
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/429, of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/427, restrictive measures, territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
• Action brought on 20 October 2024 - Pumpyanskiy Vs. Council - (Case T-541/24)
  Re: inapplicability of Article 2(1)(f) of Council Decision No 2014/145/CFSP, of Article 3(1)(f) of Council Regulation (EU) 269/2014, of Article 2(1)(g) of Council Decision No 2014/145/CFSP, of Article 3(1)(g) of Council Regulation (EU) 269/2014, annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2456 and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2455 (Ukraine)
• Action brought on 16 October 2024 - Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and Jūrų Laivybos Registras Vs. Council - (Case T-535/24)
  Re: annulment of Article 1(4)(a) in conjunction with Annex VI, Article 1aa(1)(a) in conjunction with Annex X, Article 1ab, Article 4ha(1a) and (2) of Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP and of Article 3e, Article 3ea(1), (1a) and (2), Article 3eb(1), (2) and (3), Article 5(4)(a) in conjunction with Annex XIII, Article 5a in conjunction with Annex XIX, and Article 5aa(4) of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine