COMPETITION

  • Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9479 — PSA/Saft/ACC)
  • Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9673 — Columbia Threadneedle Investments/Brittany Ferries/Condor)
  • Commission clears acquisition of joint control over four project companies in West Africa by APMC (M.9670) - Midday Express
  • Cyprus - Notification of a concentration concerning the acquisition of share capital of SPX Flow Inc. and its energy business by Boardwalk Parent LLC.
  • France - Green light for the takeover of the Nice Matin Group by the company NJJ, controlled by Xavier Niel
  • Hungary - Telemarketing International Ltd. and its parent company, Mediashop GmbH have been fined $ 125 million fine by the competition authority for unfair teleshopping advertising
  • The Netherlands - KLM and Schiphol comply with the commitments for a level playing field for airlines
  • Poland - Vectra-Multimedia Polska deal gets conditional Polish clearance
  • Portugal - Toyota Fleet Mobility notifies the acquisition of sole control over Finlog.
  • Slovenia - Competition Protection Agency imposed fines on the breach of failure to notify the Agency of a concentration (15.01.2020)
  • UK - CMA full text decision on Cartamundi / Naipes Heraclio Fournier / United States Playing Card Company merger
  • UK - CMA is investigating the anticipated acquisition by Future Plc of the entire share capital of Sapphire Topco Limited
  • UK - CMA fines AppNexus for failure to company with section 174 notice regarding online platforms and digital advertising market study

STATE AID

  • Commission authorises the Agence de l'environnement et de la maîtrise de l'énergie to participate in the "Geodeep" guarantee fund for industrial deep geothermal operations (SA.48894) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

  • Notice of initiation of an expiry review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of citric acid (CN codes 2918 14 00 and ex 2918 15 00) originating in the People’s Republic of China
  • Notice of the impending expiry of certain anti-subsidy measures (Biodiesel; The United States of America; 16.9.2020)
  • Notice of the impending expiry of certain anti-dumping measures (Biodiesel; The United States of America; 16.9.2020)
  • EU and five Eastern and Southern African countries kick off negotiations to deepen trade relations
  • WTO and World Bank showcase updated version of Services Trade Policy Database

FINANCIAL SERVICES

  • EFAMA's response to the ESAs' joint consultation paper concerning amendments to the PRIIPS KID

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCTS SAFETY

  • Agenda for: Meeting of the PAFF Committee, section Plant Health of 23-24 January 2020
  • Minutes of the 5th meeting Subgroup on electronic cigarettes established by the Expert Group on Tobacco Policy of 28 November 2019
  • Programme for: Europe's beating cancer plan - Let's strive for more - 04 February 2020
  • Adoption of Draft Commission Regulation (EU) …/… of XXX amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the use of
    - polyglycerol polyricinoleate (E 476) in liquid vegetable oil emulsions
    - soybean hemicellulose (E 426)
    - citric acid (E 330) in cocoa and chocolate products
    - polysorbates (E 432-436) in carbonated beverages
  • Adoption of Draft Commission Regulation (EU) …/… of XXX amending Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the use of sorbic acid (E 200) in liquid colour preparations for the decorative colouring of egg shells
  • Adoption of Draft Commission Regulation  (EU) …/… of XXX amending Regulation (EC) 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of perchlorate in certain foods 
  • Answer given by Ms Kyriades to a MEP written question - Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices and the shortage of notified bodies in 2020

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

  • Democracy and the rule of law: Failing partnership? - see CER Policy brief

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

  • Agenda for: Council of the European Union (Economic and Financial Affairs) of 21 January 2020
  • Investment Plan backs SME financing agreement with BBVA in Spain
  • Commission and OECD list recommendations to improve the management of EU funds in Member States - see the Report & Main takeaways
  • Annual inflation up to 1.3% in the euro area - Stat13/2020
  • Production in construction up by 0.7% in euro area - Stat14/2020
  • ECB fights consumer perception of high inflation - Policymakers aim to boost price growth but consumers complain of increasing living costs - Financial Times

FUTUR OF EUROPE  & BREXIT

  • Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.2) of 22 January 2020
  • Speech by President Charles Michel after his meeting with the Federal Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz
  • Brussels alarmed by UK vow to diverge from EU rules - Financial Times
  • Javid’s EU divergence plans provoke industry backlash - Move away from European regulations will cost UK ‘billions’ and threaten consumer choice - Financial Times 

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

  • Agenda for: Council of the European Union (Foreign Affairs) of 20 January 2020 - List of "A Items"
  • Statement by the President of the European Council Charles Michel at the Berlin Conference
  • Joint Statement on the Libyan situation by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the HR/VP Josep Borrell Fontelles
  • Executive VP Vestager, HR/VP Borrell Fontelles and Commissioners Breton and Urpilainen attend the European Space Conference, 21 and 22 January
  • EU humanitarian budget for 2020 to help people in over 80 countries
  • There is a void where EU foreign policy should be - The continent could become a playground of conflicting US, Chinese and Russian interests - Financial Times