Europe Daily News, 16 March 2020

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE

  STATE AID

• Commission approves €12 million Danish scheme to compensate damages caused by cancellations of large public events due to COVID-19 outbreak (SA.56685)
• Statement by Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager on State aid measures to address the economic impact of COVID-19

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Commission ensures continuation of trade defence procedures despite the limitations imposed by COVID-19 outbreak - See the Notice
• Commission moves to ensure supply of personal protective equipment in the European Union (IP/20/469, See Regulation (EU) 2020/402)

  HEALTH

• COVID-19: Commission presents guidelines for border measures to protect health and keep goods and essential services available - IP/20/468
• Minutes of the 11th Health Security Committee of 13 March 2020 (COVID-19)

  SCHENGEN AREA

• Preventive actions in the context of the Schengen Borders Code aimed at reducing the risk of coronavirus spreading

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

•  EP Transport Committee pledges to stop empty flights due to COVID-19

  ECONOMY

• COVID-19: Commission sets out European coordinated response to counter the economic impact of the Coronavirus* (IP/20/459, Q&A and factsheet, see also Remarks by President von der Leyen and by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis)
• Parliament mobilised to channel EU funds to those affected by Coronavirus pandemic
• Sassoli: Positive measures from Commission. Europe united in face of common challenge of COVID-19

  DATA PRIVACY

• Statement of the EDPB Chair on the processing of personal data in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.9719 — FFHL/OMERS/Riverstone)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.9649 — TSR Recycling/Sims Metal Management (Certain Recycling Assets))
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.9417 — Volvo Cars/AB Volvo/World of Volvo JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9662 — Generali/Klesia/JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9675 — Apollo Capital Management/Lopesan Group/IFA Faro Hotel/IFA Buenaventura Hotel)
• Commission approves acquisition of Raytheon by UTC, subject to conditions (M.9434)
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control over Pentacom by Macquarie and Aberdeen (M.9646) - Midday Express
• Commission clears the acquisition of Penguin by Bertelsmann (M.9710) - Midday Express
• Commission approves the creation of a joint venture by Toyota Financial Services Corporation and Mitsui & Co (M.9758) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control over Macquarie AirFinance Group by Sunsuper, alongside PGGM and Macquarie (M.9745) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Lagardère Sports by H.I.G. Capital (M.9750) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control over a new joint venture by Telia Company and CapMan (M.9659) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Zaragoza by Generali and UIR (M.9724) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Merkur Offshore by APG Asset Management and InfraRed Capital Partners (M.9721) - Midday Express
• Competition: Commission appoints Dorothe Dalheimer as Hearing Officer* - Midday Express
• France - The Competition Authority fines Apple €1.1 billion for cartels within its distribution network and abuse of economic dependence on its independent premium resellers.
• Italy - Coronavirus, the Authority initiates investigations against Amazon and Ebay for misleading claims and excessive price increases
• Romania - The Competition Council authorized the transactions through which Help Net Farma SA intends to take over 8 pharmacies owned by Tri Farm SRL as well as the company Ecofarmacia Network SRL
• UK - CMA - Magazine and tech sites merger to be cleared if concerns overcome
• UK - CMA revokes and reissues initial enforcement order in Circle Health / BMI Healthcare merger

STATE AID

• Appeal brought on 20 December 2019 by Autostrada Wielkopolska S.A. against the judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) delivered on 24 October 2019 in Case T-778/17, Autostrada Wielkopolska S.A. Vs. Commission - Case C-933/19 P

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Restriction of microplastics in cosmetic products
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Fall in the production of diesel engines. Financial support for Italian automotive component manufacturers

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• ESMA requires net short position holders to report positions of 0.1% and above
• EU rejects UK call for rapid agreement on financial services - Commission is wary of British desire to diverge from Brussels’ rules - Financial Times

TAXATION

• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesfinanzhof (Germany) of 11 December 2019 — Q-GmbH Vs. Z Tax Office (Case C-907/19)
• Agenda for: Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation) of 30 April 2020

ENERGY

• Energy Union: New €980 million call for proposals launched for cross-border energy infrastructure

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Call for proposals of EU Health Programme published - Support to reforms in health workforce field - Initiatives on task-shifting, deadline 10 June
• Physical activity indicator (ECHI 52) updated with most recent Eurostat statistics

DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgericht Köln (Germany) of 22 November 2019 - Vodafone GmbH Vs. Federal Republic of Germany (Case C-854/19)
• Google accused by rival of fundamental GDPR breaches - Complaint lodged with Irish regulator alleges search giant is sharing data between its services without consent - Financial Times

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Agenda for: Council of the European Union (Economic & Financial Affairs) of 17 March 2020 - Addendum List of "A Items"
• Coordinated central bank action to enhance the provision of global US dollar liquidity
• Interview of ECB's Fabio Panetta with Corriere della Sera
• Euro area job vacancy rate at 2.2% - Stat/43/2020

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.2) of 18 March 2020

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Ukraine territorial integrity: EU renews sanctions for a further 6 months - see Regulation (EU) 2020/398, Decision (CFSP) 2020/399 and Notice 1 & 2
• Declaration by the High Representative Josep Borrell-Fontelles, on behalf of the European Union, on the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol
• Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the latest developments in Somalia