March 20, 2024

Europe Daily News, 20 March 2024

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COMPETITION

  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11298 - Bilfinger / Stork Europe)
  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11490 - Blackrock / Canadian Solar / Recurrent Energy)
  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11487 - Digitalbridge / Equitix / Freedom Fibre / VX Fiber / Lilaconnect)
  • ESA investigates possible breach by Norway of EEA competition rules over exclusive rights granted to power exchange Nord Pool
  • France - Related rights: the Autorité fines Google €250 million for non-compliance with some of its commitments made in June 2022
  • France - Takeover of Casino stores by Intermarché, Auchan and Carrefour: the Autorité de la concurrence grants derogations from the suspensive effect of merger control
  • Germany - Olympics 2024: Bundeskartellamt secures self-marketing options for Team Germany athletes
  • The Netherlands - ACM has received a commitment from Vion that it will no longer unilaterally alter contracts with pig farmers
  • Slovakia - The PMU approved the concentration of entrepreneurs on the real estate market
  • Slovakia - The PMU imposed a fine of EUR 180 thousand for abuse of dominant position in the waste management sector
  • Slovakia - The PMU initiated administrative proceedings against a waste management entrepreneur for failure to submit documents and information
  • UK - CMA: Consultation on provisional decisions on reviews of three merger undertakings and one market investigation Order
  • EU agrees US deal to launch satellites with Elon Musk’s SpaceX - The EU will get the right to post security guards at a U.S. spaceport to protect its Galileo satellites - Politico.eu

STATE AID

  • ESA opens investigation into possible breach of State aid rules benefitting the Norwegian wood industry

TRADE & CUSTOMS

  • Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union (Directors General of Customs) - 09 April 2024
  • Agenda for Joint committee procedure (Rule 58) of INTA, IMCO - 20 March 2024
    - Point 4: Prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market - Letter & Interinstitutional Agreement
  • EU strikes "preliminary deal" to avoid harsher import restrictions on Ukrainian grain - The agreement narrowly avoids tougher limits, despite a last-minute push from Poland and France - see the EP Statement - Politico.eu
  • EU agrees fresh curbs on Ukrainian food after farmer protests - France and Poland lead push to restrict trade in poultry, eggs and honey with Kyiv - Financial Times
  • Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - The potential incompatibility of the Brazilian Time Frame Bill with the EU-Mercosur Agreement
  • Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Accession of Serbia, Montenegro, Armenia and the UK to EFTA
  • WTO - Committee on Regional Trade Agreements - EPA between the EU and the Pacific states (Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa and the Solomon Islands) - Goods - Questions & replies
  • WTO - Chair briefs members on consultations regarding post-MC13 dispute settlement reform work
  • WTO - Russia formally accepts Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

  • Horizon Europe strategic plan 2025-2027 for research and innovation to underpin journey to a green, digital and resilient future - IP/24/1572
  • Commission and the research community develop "guidelines" on responsible use of generative Artificial Intelligence in research - Midday Express
  • Rival nations seek to poach top UK and European AI start-ups - Canada and UAE lobby companies amid global competition over developing cutting-edge technology - Financial Times
  • Defence CEO calls for European version of Israel’s Iron Dome - Rheinmetall’s Armin Papperger makes case for air defence systems as EU contends with increased Russian threat - Financial Times

EMPLOYMENT SOCIAL POLICY

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

  • Agenda & Working Documents: Meeting of the Expert Group for Agricultural Markets, in particular concerning aspects falling under the CMO Regulation – Animal Products - 21 March 2024
  • Minutes & Working Documents: Meeting of the Expert Group for Agricultural Markets, in particular concerning aspects falling under the CMO Regulation – Animal Products - 22 February 2024

ENERGY

  • Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 26 March 2024
  • Agenda for: Joint committee procedure (Rule 58) of INTA, ITRE - 21 March 2024
    - Council Decision on the withdrawal of the Union from the Energy Charter Treaty

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

  • Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (Basel) - 26 March 2024
  • Council (Environment) meeting on 25 March 2024
    - ‘Karlovy Vary Annual Policy Dialogue Statement’ and the need for strengthening just transition in regions affected by decarbonisation - Information from the Czech and Slovak delegations
    - State of play of Member States Progress towards 2030 Climate Objectives - Information from the Commission
    - The importance of small farmers and farmers’ networks for a sustainable EU Seed Regulation - Information from the Austrian delegation
    - Sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) (Nairobi, Kenya, 26 February – 1 March 2024) - Information from the Presidency and the Commission
  • Provisional political agreement on ‘Packaging and Packaging Waste’ Regulation validated by MEPs in EP ENVI Committee
  • Draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on nature restoration and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/869 (first reading) - Adoption of the legislative act & Statements
  • Commission conference to boost effort to plant 3 billion trees by 2030 for more resilience against climate and environmental threats - Midday Express
  • Commissioner Hoekstra participates in the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial to start COP29 preparations - Midday Express
  • Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius to a MEP written question - Plastic pellet pollution in the western Mediterranean Sea

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

  • Team Europe and its African partners launch initiatives to strengthen health systems and social protection in Africa - IP/24/1563
  • Commissioner Kyriakides travels to Italy in the context of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan - Midday Express
  • SCHEER - Minutes of the WG on the update of the guidelines on the benefit-risk assessment of the presence of phthalates in certain medical devices of 8 March 2024
  • EU pharmaceutical policy: MEPs support comprehensive reform
  • Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Including pesticides in the future proposal for the universal restriction of PFAS
  • EFSA - Pest categorisation of Pyrrhoderma noxium
  • EFSA - Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance quinolin‐8‐ol
  • EFSA - Updated peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance dichlorprop‐P and variant dichlorprop‐P‐2‐ethylhexyl
  • EMA - Meeting highlights from the Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP) -12 & 13 March 2024
  • ECDC issues recommendations for strengthening emergency and pandemic preparedness planning

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

  • Agenda for: Meeting of EP ECON Committee - 20 & 21 March 2024
  • European Commission issues €7 billion in its 3rd syndicated transaction of 2024 - IP/24/1550
  • ECB - Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 15 March 2024
  • Interview with Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, conducted by Michalis Psilos
  • Speech by Christine Lagarde: "Christine Lagarde: Building confidence in the path ahead"
  • Presentation by Philip R. Lane: Is the inflation surge over and what are the lessons for monetary policy?
  • What were the drivers of euro area food price inflation over the last two years? Economic Bulletin Issue 2, 2024
  • The impact of recent shocks and ongoing structural changes on euro area productivity growth - Economic Bulletin Issue 2, 2024
  • How have households adjusted their spending and saving behaviour to cope with high inflation? - Economic Bulletin Issue 2, 2024
  • ECB - Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a common Data Point Model governance framework – “DPM Alliance

FUTURE OF EUROPE

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

  • European Humanitarian Forum announces pledges of over €7.7 billion for global crises - IP/24/1514
  • Team Europe and Laos launch Global Gateway programme to develop coffee, tea, and forest value chains
  • EU and UNDP sign Partnership Agreement towards enhancing Access to Justice, Accountability, and Transparency in the Maldives
  • Hong Kong: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the adoption of new national security legislation

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

  • Commission disburses first €4.5 billion of bridge financing to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility - IP/24/1579
  • Ukraine prepares to join the EU club — but Brussels doesn’t want to talk about it - Politico.eu

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