Europe Daily News, 03 March 2021

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Declassification of the content of the agreement signed with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Endocrine disrupting chemicals portal for EU citizens
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - COVID-19 vaccine
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Which scientific studies have served as a basis for developing the COVID vaccine intended for Romania?
• Coronavirus - Redemption shot: von der Leyen begins fightback on EU vaccine rollout - Financial Times

AGRICUTURE

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/374 of 27 January 2021 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/884 derogating in respect of the year 2020 from Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/891 as regards the fruit and vegetables sector and from Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1149 as regards the wine sector in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, and amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1149 

ECONOMY

• Commission presents updated approach to fiscal policy response to coronavirus pandemic - IP/21/884, QaA & Communication
• Answer given by Ms McGuinness to a MEP written question - Coverage of pandemic risks for SMEs in Europe

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10179 - Tengelmann Warenhandelsgesellschaft/KiK Textilien und Non-Food)  
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10061 - Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Company/Heineken/Stockday) 
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10192 - Linde/Hyosung/JVs)
• Commission clears acquisition of Gategroup by Temasek (M.10152) - Midday Express
• France - The French Competition Authority authorises the acquisition of Cosmeurop, a subsidiary of L'Oréal
• Germany - Fair competition in the dispatch of newspapers and magazines – Bundeskartellamt effects changes to Deutsche Post’s conditions
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt - List of Notified Merger Projects
• Romania - The Competition Council accepts the commitments offered by Hidroelectrica SA
• Spain - The CNMC initiates a sanctioning proceeding against Disa Corporación Petrolífera S.A.

STATE AID

• Judgment of the Court of 3 March 2021 in Joined Cases C‑434/19 and C‑435/19, Poste Italiane SpA Vs. Riscossione Sicilia SpA agente riscossione per la provincia di Palermo e delle altre provincie siciliane (C‑434/19), and Agenzia delle entrate - Riscossione Vs. Poste Italiane SpA, intervening party: Poste italiane SpA - Bancoposta (C‑435/19)
  Re: References for a preliminary ruling - State aid - Competition - Article 107(1) TFEU - Conditions under which applicable - Article 106(2) TFEU - Services of general economic interest - Management of the post-office account used for collection of the municipal real estate tax - Undertakings benefiting from special or exclusive rights granted by the Member States - Fees set unilaterally by the recipient undertaking - Abuse of dominant position - Article 102 TFEU - Inadmissibility
• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - Current state of play as regards State aid in the European railway sector

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Services and Investment) of 10 March 2021 
• Minutes of the 102th Customs Code Committee - General Customs Legislation of 18 January 2021
• Draft Recommendation on the proposal for a Council decision agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the Union and Australia relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff-rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union
• Council Decision (EU) 2021/373 of 22 February 2021 on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Thailand pursuant to Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff-rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union
• Vaccine exports - Temporary transparency and authorisation mechanism: Factsheet - March 2021

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Industry) of 04 March 2021
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/377 of 2 March 2021 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/436 on harmonised standards for machinery drafted in support of Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Boosting sustainable investments in Croatia: EIB and EIAH support HBOR in providing advisory services for the public sector - IP/21/993
• European Battery Alliance: high-level meeting with industry to discuss pressing issues for the battery sector

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Agenda for: Working Party on Financial Services of 02 March 2021
• The EBA highlights key money laundering and terrorist financing risks across the EU
• ESMA has published a call for candidates to join the newly established Consultative Working Group (CWG) for ESMA’s Central Counterparties Policy Committee (CCP PC) 
• ESMA supports increasing corporate transparency through ESAP  
• Response to public consultation - ESMA’s response to the EC targeted consultation on the ESAP

TAXATION

• Judgment of the Court of 3 March 2021 in Case C‑7/20, VS Vs. Hauptzollamt Münster,
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Customs union - Union Customs Code - Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 - Article 87(4) - Place where the customs debt is incurred - VAT - Directive 2006/112/EC - Article 2(1) - Articles 70 and 71 - Chargeable event and place where the import VAT becomes chargeable - Place where the tax debt is incurred - Finding of a failure to comply with an obligation imposed by EU customs legislation - Goods which were physically introduced into the customs territory of the Union in a Member State but entered the economic network of the Union in the Member State where that finding was made
• Judgment of the Court of 3 March 2021 in Case C‑220/19, Promociones Oliva Park SL Vs. Tribunal Económico Administrativo Regional (TEAR) de la Comunidad Valenciana,
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Directive 2008/118/EC - General arrangements for excise duty - Article 1(2) - Other indirect taxes on excise goods – Directive 2009/28/EC - Promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources - Article 1 and Article 3(1), (2) and (3)(a), the latter paragraph read in conjunction with Article 2(k) - Directive 2009/72/EC - Common rules for the internal market in electricity - Tax on the value of electricity production - Nature and structure of the tax - Electricity from renewable sources and electricity from non-renewable sources taxed in the same way
• Octrio de mer: Commission proposes to renew special tax arrangements for the EU's French outermost regions - IP/21/1001 

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Joining forces to protect biodiversity worldwide: Commission acts to engage more supporters - IP/21/891
• Europe's clean bathing waters – success in environmental policy and management – see EEA Statement
• Answer given by Mr Timmermans to a MEP written question - Transfer of EU CO2emissions outside EU borders
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevicius to a MEP written question - E-waste and batteries in the oceans

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for meeting of the Standing Committee on Cosmetics Products of 11 March 2021
• Agenda for: Standing Committee on Biocidal Products of 12 March 2021
  - Draft Commission Implementing Decision of XXX concerning the extension of the action taken by the Estonian Health Board, by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management,  by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, by German Federal Office for Chemicals, by the Estonian Health Board, by the United Kingdom HSE permitting the making available on the market and use of biocidal products containing propan-2-ol for use as human hygiene products in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council 
  - Draft Commission Implementing Decision of XXX concerning the extension of the action taken by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine permitting the making available on the market and use of the biocidal product Biobor JF in accordance with Article 55(1) of Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council
  - Draft Commission Implementing Decision (EU) …/… of XXX postponing the expiry date of approval of sulfuryl fluoride for use in biocidal products of product-types 8 and 18 
  - Draft Commission Implementing Decision (EU) …/… of XXX on the non-approval of certain active substances in biocidal products pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council
  - Draft Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) …/... of XXX approving alkyl (C12-16) dimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride as an active substance for use in biocidal products of product-types 3 and 4
  - Draft Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) …/... of XXX approving didecyldimethyl ammonium chloride as an active substance for use in biocidal products of product-types 3 and 4
  - Draft Commission Implementing Decision of XXX allowing Poland to authorise biocidal products consisting of in-situ generated nitrogen for the protection of cultural heritage
  

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Land Transport (Road and Rail) of 9 March 2021

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Opinion on shaping the digital future of Europe: removing barriers to the functioning of the digital single market and improving the use of AI for European consumers
• EU must overhaul flagship data protection laws, says ‘father’ of policy - GDPR already out of date and must be revised for new tech, says Axel Voss – Financial Times

AREA OF FREEEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Remarks by President Charles Michel at the "Ukraine 30. Development of Justice" forum

EURO, ECB & ECONOMY

• Commission supports reform projects in Member States for more jobs and sustainable growth – IP/21/747 & QaA 
• Member states' ambassadors to the EU approved a set of regulations on the structural funds for 2021-2027, representing one third of the EU's seven-year budget
• Brussels prepares to defend Europe’s social model as pandemic rages - Commission lays out end-of-decade goals for EU employment and poverty reduction - Financial Times
• Brussels to keep stability and growth pact on ice for another year – Financial Times

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• 5th Revision of the List of meetings taking place between 1 and 31 March 2021
• Mario Draghi and Emmanuel Macron — the EU’s new power couple? - Paris-Rome axis likely to become engine for integration after Angela Merkel bows out this year – Financial Times 

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime: EU sanctions four people responsible for serious human rights violations in Russia  (See Regulation (EU) 2021/371 & Decision (CFSP) 2021/372)
• US and EU impose sanctions on Russian officials over Navalny - Co-ordinated measures come after jailing of prominent opposition politician - Financial Times  & Wall Street Journal
• Armenia: High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell speaks with Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian
• Press statement by President Charles Michel following his meeting in eastern Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
• Answer given by by Ms McGuinness to a MEP written question - Failure by Airbus to comply with Common Foreign Policy