Europe Daily News, 10 September 2024

COMPETITION

• The Court of Justice upholds the fine of €2.4 billion imposed on Google for abuse of its dominant position by favouring its own comparison shopping service (See CPR No 135/2024 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-48/22 P, Google and Alphabet Vs. Commission (Google Shopping))
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11719 - Cinven / Vitamin Well Companies)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11720 - Engie / Macquarie / TAG South)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11647 - Gonvarri / Hidria)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11612 - ABN Amro / HAL)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11688 - KKR / TMUS / Metronet)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11659 - BNPP Cardif/ Neuflize Vie)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11556 - Schroders / Phoenix Group / Future Growth Capital)
• Commission clears acquisition of DR Holding by Compass Group (M.11664) - Midday Express
• Switzerland - COMCO closes investigation against Swisscom Directories - See DE, IT & FR version
• UK - The CMA is investigating the anticipated acquisition by Carlsberg UK Holdings Limited of Britvic PLC.
• UK - The CMA investigated the supply of personal current accounts (PCAs) and of banking services to SMEs
• Mario Draghi confronts the EU’s merger police - Former prime minister of Italy advocates biggest overhaul of competition enforcement since creation of single market - Financial Times
• Margrethe Vestager’s legacy faces day of reckoning with Apple and Google rulings - The EU’s top court rules on final appeals of Apple’s state aid payback and Google’s first big antitrust fine - Politico.eu

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections - SA.113739 & SA.104903
• Appeal brought on 18 July 2024 by Condor Flugdienst GmbH against the judgment of the General Court of 8 May 2024 in Case T-28/22, Ryanair Vs. Commission - (Case C-505/24 P)
  Re: Guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring non-financial undertakings in difficulty - Article 108(2) TFEU - Attestor  
• Commission orders recovery of around €14 million in incompatible German State aid from Frankfurt-Hahn airport and Ryanair (SA.43260 and SA.115160)
• Tax rulings: the Court of Justice sets aside the judgment of the General Court concerning tax rulings issued by Ireland in favour of Apple (See CPR No 133/2024 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-465/20, Commission Vs. Ireland and Others) - See the Remarks by EVP Vestager and from the Irish Government - Financial Times

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Action brought on 26 July 2024 - Eurofer Vs. Commission (Case T-390/24)
  Re: annulment of Article 1, paragraphs 1, 3 and 4 of the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/126 - Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2012 - definitive anti-dumping duty - stainless steel cold-rolled flat products - Indonesia - Taiwan and Vietnam
• Action brought on 26 July 2024 - Eurofer Vs. Commission (Case T-391/24)
  Re: annulment ofArticle 1, paragraphs 1, 3 and 4, of the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1268 - Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/433 - definitive countervailing duties - stainless steel cold-rolled flat products - Indonesia - Taiwan and Vietnam
• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Deputy Members) - 12 September 2024
• Report & Staff Working Document from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council pursuant to Article 278(a) of the Union Customs Code, on progress in developing the electronic systems provided for under the Code during 2023
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the EU-CTC Joint Committee established by the Convention of 20 May 1987 on the simplification of formalities in trade in goods and in the EU-CTC Joint Committee established by the Convention of 20 May 1987 on a Common transit procedure as regards invitations to Georgia to accede to those Conventions
  
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2384 of 9 September 2024 initiating a review of an exempted party pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 88/97 and making the imports of the exempted party subject to registration
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2217 of 6 September 2024 terminating the partial interim review of the anti-subsidy measures applicable to imports of certain pneumatic tyres, new or retreaded, of rubber, of a kind used for buses or lorries and with a load index exceeding 121 originating in the People’s Republic of China
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2219 of 6 September 2024 terminating the partial interim review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of certain pneumatic tyres, new or retreaded, of rubber, of a kind used for buses or lorries and with a load index exceeding 121 originating in the People’s Republic of China
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2216 of 6 September 2024 correcting and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2248 specifying the details of the electronic interface between national customs systems and the information and communication system for market surveillance, and the data to be transmitted by means of that interface
• Answer given by Ms McGuinness to a MEP written question -The import of iron ore and related products from Russia into the European Union
• WTO agreement: electronic commerce - See the EP Briefing
• WTO claims protectionism will widen wealth gap - Political backlash against globalisation risks derailing progress in raising incomes in poorer countries - See the World Trade Report 2024 - Financial Times
• Donald Trump escalates tariff threat in vow to protect dollar - Ex-president’s latest broadside warns countries to stick with US currency in trades or face 100% levy - Financial Times
• Forget tariffs — fixing ‘America last’ tax policy would help more with offshoring - Nationalist trade policy is rooted in misdiagnosis. There is a more obvious problem - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2387 of 9 September 2024 on the harmonised standards for EU fertilising products drafted in support of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and the Council
• Commission launches new online portal to support investment in critical technologies across the EU - Midday Express

COMPETITIVENESS

• Report on "The future of European competitiveness": A competitiveness strategy for Europe & In-depth analysis and recommendations by Mario Draghi
• Statement by President von der Leyen at the joint press conference with Mario Draghi on the report on the future of EU competitiveness
• Mario Draghi calls for €800bn EU investment boost - Former Italian premier demands ‘new industrial strategy’ to stop Europe falling behind US and China - Financial Times
• EU competitiveness: Issues and challenges - See the EP Briefing

FINANCE

• EBA launches 2024 EU-wide transparency exercise

AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Expert Group for Technical Advice on Organic Production (EGTOP) - Subgroup Fertilisers - 23 September 2024
• Minutes of the Meeting of the Expert Group Crops Market Observatory - 01 July 2024
  
• Answer given by Mr Wojciechowski to a MEP written question - Unfair competition from poultry giant MHP

FORESTRY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Standing Forestry Committee - 07 October 2024
• Answer given by EVP Šefčovič to a MEP written question - EU overstepping its competences in the field of forestry
• Indonesia warns of ‘chaos’ from EU deforestation law - Pressure builds on Brussels to delay implementation of new rules that industry says will impose administrative burden - Financial Times

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• EU and Canada launch Health Policy Dialogue to advance Health Priorities
• Commission launches project and gathers experts to address Long COVID - Midday Express
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Combating imports of food supplements containing prohibited and dangerous substances
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Legal action against a vaccine manufacturer
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - New increases in medicine prices
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety evaluation of curdlan as a food additive
• EFSA - Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance Bacillus subtilis strain RTI477

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Land Transport - 12 September 2024
• New European coordinators appointed to drive completion of Europe's trans-European transport network - Midday Express
• CO₂ emission performance standards and reporting obligations for new heavy-duty vehicles - See the EP Briefing
• Europe needs a hybrid approach to defossilising road transport - ePURE

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• EU boosts European AI developers with the AI Factories call for proposals
• Artificial Intelligence Board kicks off work on uptake of AI in the EU and implementation of the AI Act

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgerichtshof (Austria) of 13 June 2024 - Datenschutzbehörde and Dr. G S (Case C-414/24, Datenschutzbehörde)
  Re: free movement of data - Article 77 of the GDPR - Article 79 of the GDPR - Regulation (EU) 2016/679
• EDPB to work together with European Commission to develop guidance on interplay GDPR and DMA

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Joint Press Statement on the occasion of the official visit of Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson to Egypt
• EU and Armenia launch Visa Liberalisation Dialogue
• Statement on the International Day to Protect Education from Attack - 2024
• Brussels considers sanctions on Slovakia over backsliding on rule of law - EC could withhold funds as Robert Fico targets judiciary and political opponents - Financial Times

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) -11 September 2024
• Von der Leyen delays unveiling of new European Commission until next week - Politico.eu
• The great EU Commission puzzle: Who we think will get each portfolio - Ursula von der Leyen is about to hand out key jobs in her team - Politico.eu

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Egypt: Press statement by HR/VP Borrell at the Rafah Border Crossing
• Sudan: Statement by the Spokesperson on the report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell to a MEP written question - Suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and recognition of the State of Palestine
• Common foreign and security policy (CFSP): the Court of Justice clarifies the scope of the jurisdiction of the Courts of the European Union (See CPR No 134/2024 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Joined Cases C-29/22 P, C-44/22 P, KS and KD Vs. Conseil e. a.)

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Restrictive measures against Russia: the confiscation of the entire proceeds of a brokering transaction covered by the prohibition on providing brokering services for military equipment is permitted (See CPR No 136/2024 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-351/22, Neves 77 Solutions)
• Russia: Statement by the Spokesperson on regional elections and their non-applicability to Ukrainian territories
• Commission discusses Russia sanctions circumvention with industry executives - Midday Express