Europe Daily News, 30 January 2023

COMPETITION

• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Cour d’appel de Mons (Belgium) lodged on 17 October 2022 - Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Vs. BZ - (Case C-650/22)
  Re: Articles 45 and 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10680 - Permira / Sestant / Kedrion / BPL)
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control over Quats Business by Clariant and Wilmar (M.10964) - Midday Express
• Commission decision published - Case M.10522 – Hapag-Llyod / Eurogate / Eurogate Container Terminal Twilhelmshaven
• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - Motor Vehicle Bloc Exemption Regulation (MVBER)
• The Netherlands: ACM: Takeover media company Talpa by RTL leads to dominant position
• UK - CMA: Open consultation - Potential review of British Sky Broadcasting Group merger remedy
• UK - CMA: Open consultation - Potential remedy reviews for 2023
• Has Illumina taken the wrong path in its Grail quest? - DNA sequencing expert’s investors question acquisition of cancer testing group that has also angered EU regulators - Financial Times

STATE AID

• Action brought on 11 November 2022 - FOF Vs. Commission (Case T-688/22)
• Action brought on 12 November 2022 - Fontwell Vs. Commission (Case T-691/22)
• Action brought on 12 November 2022 - Mission Vs. Commission (Case T-700/22)
  Re: annulment of Commission Decision C(2020) 8550 final of 4 December 2020, on aid scheme SA.21259 (2018/C) (ex 2018/NN) implemented by Portugal for Zona Franca da Madeira (ZFM) - Regime III;

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Trade Questions - 1 February 2023
• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Deputy Members) - 2 February 2023
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/185 of 27 January 2023 initiating a ‘new exporter’ review of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/607 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of citric acid originating in the People’s Republic of China for one Chinese exporting producer, repealing the duty with regard to imports from that exporting producer and making these imports subject to registration
• Council Deision (EU) 2023/187 of 23 January 2023 on the position to be adopted on behalf of the European Union within the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Sub-Committee established by the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part, as regards the modification of Annex XI-B to that Agreement
• The EU should welcome a green subsidy race - Europe must not let itself be spooked by the US commitment to bankroll the climate transition - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Internal Market - Attachés) - 3 February 2023
• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (High Level) - 16 February 2023
• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Industry) - 31 January 2023

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• ESMA preliminary data report on the introduction of the market correction mechanism 
• ESMA publishes data for the quarterly liquidity assessment of bonds

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• Council adopts recommendation on adequate minimum income

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 31 January 2023
• Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - Production of low-carbon hydrogen under the Renewable Energy Directive
• Brussels loses bid to join legal fight over Spanish green subsidies - UK court rejects commission’s attempt to get involved as Madrid seeks to avoid $101mn payout to investors - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on the Environment - 30 January, 1 and 3 February 2023
• EVP Timmermans concludes Latin American COP28 mission in Mexico - Midday Express
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union at the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants as regards the proposals for amendment of Annex A to that Convention

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the PAFF Committee
  - Section: "General food law" on 9 February 2023
  - Section: "Animal nutrition" on 7- 8 February 2023
  - Section: "Biological safety of the food chain" on 10 February 2023
• EFSA - Assessment of genetically modified maize GA21 × T25 for food and feed uses, under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (application EFSA‐GMO‐DE‐2016‐137)
• EFSA - Manual for reporting on zoonoses and zoonotic agents, within the framework of Directive 2003/99/EC, and on some other pathogenic microbiological agents for information derived from the year 2022
• EFSA - Manual for reporting 2022 antimicrobial resistance data within the framework of Directive 2003/99/EC and Decision 2020/1729/EU
• EFSA - Zoonoses, foodborne outbreaks and antimicrobial resistance guidance for reporting 2022 data
• ECDC - Protocol for a COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness study using health data registries

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Telecommunication & Information Society - 31 January 2023
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Staff necessitated by Digital Services Act
• Consumer protection: manipulative online practices found on 148 out of 399 online shops screened - IP/23/418
• Belgium: Telenet and Orange Belgium sign two commercial wholesale agreements, providing access to each other’s HFC and FTTH networks for a 15-year period

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: 18th meeting of the Committee established under Article 93 of the GDPR - 3 February 2023
• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber issues - 01February 2023

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Vice-President Jourová speech on Defending EU values in the time of the war
• Answer given by Ms Dalli to a MEP written question - Apple AirTags and other location tracking devices being used for stalking women and gender-based violence
• Inside the ‘Qatargate’ graft scandal rocking the EU - Financial Times

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• NextGenerationEU: European Commission endorses a positive preliminary assessment of Malta's request for a €52.3 million disbursement under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - IP/23/369 & QaA
• Commissioner Gentiloni in Berlin to discuss common economic priorities - Midday Express

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 31 January, 1 and 2 February 2023

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Global Gateway: EU partners with South Africa to invest €280 million in its Just and Green Recovery - IP/23/353
• Call for Evidence - EU space strategy for security and defence - Joint communication - Feedback period: 27 January 2023 - 10 February 2023
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell to a MEP written question - Blocking of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan
• EU to consider listing Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as terrorists - Financial Times
• How the EU fought back against Moscow in the food crisis blame game - Also in this newsletter: yet another election in seemingly ungovernable Bulgaria - Financial Times

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Action brought on 7 December 2022 - Kesaev Vs. Council (Case T-763/22)
  Re : annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1530
• Action brought on 25 November 2022 - Mazepin Vs. Council (Case T-743/22)
  Re : annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1530 & Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1529
• Action brought on 13 December 2022 - Cogebi and Cogebi Vs. Council (Case T-782/22)
  Re: annulment of Article 3 (i) of the Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014
• Russia: EU prolongs economic sanctions over Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine
  - Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/180 of 27 January 2023 implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2474 amending Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine
  - Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/190 of 27 January 2023 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine
  - Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/191 of 27 January 2023 amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine
• Notice for the attention of NTV/NTV Mir, Rossiya 1, REN TV, Pervyi Kanal, regarding the application of Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP and Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine