Europe Daily News, 19 June 2020

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE

HEALTH

• Presentations - Webinar on Second Wave of COVID-19: Preparatory actions - Consultation with Clinicians (11 June 2020)
• Summary report - Extra-ordinary COVID-19 meeting of the Competent Authorities for Blood and Blood Components (1 April 2020)
• Video recording & Presentations - Webinar organised by VASCERN on COVID-19 and Heritable Thoracic Aortic Diseases (HTAD) (14 May 2020) 
• Coronavirus: Using European supercomputing, EU-funded research project demonstrates promising results for potential treatment - IP/20/890
• Communication from the Commission to the Institutions - EU Strategy for COVID-19 vaccines
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Coronavirus
• Answer given by Ms Gabriel to a MEP written question - on - European COVID-19 Monitoring Council 

STATE AID

• Commission approves €4 billion Slovak direct grant and guarantee schemes to support companies affected by coronavirus outbreak (SA.57483, SA.57484 and SA.57485) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €449 million Polish scheme to support research and development, testing and production of coronavirus relevant products (SA.57519) - Midday Express
• Commission authorises €7 million Luxembourg scheme for audiovisual production companies affected by coronavirus pandemic (SA.57530) - Midday Express

INTERNAL MARKET

• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Immediate resumption of the free movement of foodstuffs and medicinal products at the Italian border 

AGRICULTURE

• Non-objection to a delegated act: support for the fruit and vegetables and wine sectors in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic
• Answer given by Mr Wojciechowski to a MEP written question - Impact of Coronavirus on farming and horticulture
• Answer given by Mr Wojciechowski to a MEP written question - Crisis of livestock production in Greece

TAXATION

• Answer given by Mr Gentiloni to a MEP written question - Customs duties levied on medical equipment imported from third countries  

ECONOMY

• Answer given by Mr Gentiloni to a MEP written question - COVID-19 and the economy
• Answer given by Mr Schmit to a MEP written question Measures to support workers in the face of the coronavirus crisis in Greece
• COVID-19: Easing rules to encourage banks to lend to companies and households - See the EP Statement

TRANSPORT

• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing measures for a sustainable rail market in view of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/858 of 18 June 2020 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/732 as regards postponing its date of application (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure)

AREA OF FREEDOM

• Answer given by Mr Lenarčič to a MEP written question - Repatriation of EU citizens to their countries of origin in the Covid-19 pandemic
• Answer given by Mr Reynders to a MEP written question - Border controls and entry restrictions following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Main Results and Remarks by President Charles Michel after the Eastern Partnership leaders' video conference
• COVID-19 crisis is a potential geopolitical game-changer, warn MEPs

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9779 – Alstom/Bombardier Transportation)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9868 – Raytheon Technologies Corporation/Saudi Arabian Oil Company/Middle East Cyber Services JV) 
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9874 – Tokyo Century Corporation/Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation/JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.9825 – CPPIB/Téthys Invest/Galileo Global Education)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.9587 – ENGIE/EDP Renováveis/EDPR Offshore España) 
• Commission clears acquisition of part of thyssenkrupp Elevator by Advent and Cinven (M.9815) - Midday Express
• Head of U.K. Competition Regulator to step down citing limits of role - Andrew Tyrie plans to leave in September after just over two years on the job - Wall Street Journal

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections (SA.53615 (2020/N), SA.53790 (2019/N), SA.54581 (2019/N), SA.55302 (2019/N), SA.56407 (2020/N), SA.57164 (2020/N), SA.57367 (2020/N), SA.57453 (2020/N), SA.57514 (2020/N), SA.57552 (2020/N))
• State aid SA.54817 (2020/C) (ex 2019/N) - Tax shelter aid scheme for video game production - Invitation to submit comments pursuant to Article 108(2) of the TFEU
• Commission approves support for the development of e-mobility charging stations in Schleswig-Holstein (SA.55201) - Midday Express
• Answer given by Executive VO Vestager to a MEP written question - Unlawful state aid given by the Hungarian Government to Kall Ingredients Kft., which is part-owned by Lőrinc Mészáros
• Answer to a written question - Possible inappropriate State aid from the Spanish Government to unnamed digital broadcasting services
• State Aid Weekly e-News - No.22/20 - Covers from 12 to 18 June 2020

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Judgment of the Court of 18 June 2020 in Case C‑340/19, Valsts ieņēmumu dienests Vs. SIA ‘Hydro Energo’
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Common Customs Tariff - Combined Nomenclature - Tariff classification - Tariff heading 7407 - Copper bars, rods and profiles - Hot-rolled copper or copper alloy ingots in a rectangular shape) 
• Agenda for : EP INTA Committee of 25 June 2020  
• Response of the European Union to Turkey’s request for a preliminary ruling - WT/DS583
• WTO - DDG Wolff: Pandemic underlines need to improve trading system’s relevance and resilience 
• WTO - Post-COVID 19 World, DDG Wolff said two system imperatives deserve attention: strengthening trade rules that are least prescriptive and acting collectively where needed
• WTO - Fisheries subsidies work resumes in Geneva as COVID-19 restrictions ease 
• WTO still has ability to affect rulings and regulation elsewhere Premium - Saudi Arabia-led takeover of Newcastle United cast into doubt by dispute settlement judgment – Financial Times 

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Standing Committee on Cosmetic Products of 25 June 2020
• Roadmap - Review of the Construction Products Regulation -Feedback period: 17 June 2020 - 19 August 2020 
• EP President Sassoli press conference on EU summit, Recovery Fund and Budget on Friday 19 June 
• New aspects and challenges in consumer protection – Digital services and Artificial Intelligence - Briefing for the IMCO Committee  

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Agenda for: Working Party on Financial Services (CCP recovery and resolution) of 22 June 2020
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Commerzbank  
• EBA publishes revised standards to identify staff with a material impact on the institution’s risk profile

TAXATION

• Judgment of the Court of 18 June 2020 in Case C-276/18, KrakVet Marek Batko sp. K. v Nemzeti Adó- és Vámhivatal Fellebbviteli Igazgatósága
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Common system of VAT - Directive 2006/112/EC - Article 33 - Determination of the place where taxable transactions are carried out - Supply of goods with transport -  Supply of goods dispatched or transported by or on behalf of the supplier - Regulation (EU) No 904/2010 - Articles 7, 13 and 28 to 30 - Cooperation between the Member States - Exchange of information
• Overview of the preferential tax regimes and other measures examined by the Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation) under EU listing criteria 2.1 and 2.2
• Roadmap - Proposal for a decision - Tax relief for Madeira & Azores for local rums and liqueurs (review) - Feedback period 20 March 2020 - 17 April 2020 
• DG Taxud - Locally-produced alcohol in Madeira and Azores to continue benefitting from reduced excise duty rate
• Europeans vow to pursue digital tax plans after US ‘provocation’ - Paris, London and Brussels say they will find new ways of taxing multinationals after Washington pulls out of talks – Financial Times

ENERGY

• Draft act - Delegated regulation - ‘Smart’ buildings – smart readiness indicator (definition and calculation) - Feedback period: 18 June 2020 - 16 July 2020
• Draft act - Implementing regulation - ‘Smart’ buildings - smart readiness indicator (arrangements for rollout of scheme) - Feedback period - 18 June 2020 - 16 July 2020 
• ACER publishes two decisions fostering a single EU balancing market for electricity 
• First ACER webinar on gas transmission tariffs (30 June 2020)

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on the Environment of 25 June 2020
• Sustainable Finance: Commission welcomes the adoption by the European Parliament of the Taxonomy Regulation - IP/20/1112   
• Austria, Italy, Portugal, Spain receive €279m after natural disasters in 2019 - see the EP Statement 
• EEA Briefing - Longer-lasting electronics benefit environment, climate and circular economy 

DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/857 of 17 June 2020 laying down the principles to be included in the contract between the European Commission and the .eu top-level domain Registry in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2019/517 of the European Parliament and of the Council

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• During its 31st Plenary Session, the EDPB adopted the following documents:
  • EDPB response to MEP Körner regarding TikTok 
  • EDPB response to MEPs regarding Clearview AI 
  • EDPB response to ENISA regarding EDPB representative to the ENISA Advisory Group 
  • EDPB response to open letter from NYOB

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Opinion of Advocate General M. Henrik Saugmandsgaard  ØE of 18 June 2020 in Case C-321/19, BY, CZ against Bundesrepublik Deutschland
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures - Directive 1999/62/EC - Directive 2006/38/EC - Calculation of tolls - Article 7(9) - Principle of recovery of infrastructure costs - Road policing costs - Operating costs - External costs - Costs relating to the return on capital - Article 7a(1) to (3) - Direct effect - Small cost overrun - Post-calculation - Limitation of the effects of the standstill in time.

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/855 of 7 May 2020 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1675 supplementing Directive (EU) 2015/849 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards adding the Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Cambodia, Ghana, Jamaica, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar/Burma, Nicaragua, Panama and Zimbabwe to the table in point I of the Annex and deleting Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Guyana, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Sri Lanka and Tunisia from this table (Money laundering) 
• Roadmap: EU Citizenship Report 2020 - Feedback period: 17 June 2020 - 05 August 2020 
• Roadmap: EU strategy on the rights of the child (2021-24) - Feedback period: 17 June 2020 - 05 August 2020
• Commission reports on 2019 European elections: fostering European debates and securing free and fair election - IP/20/1123
• EU’s top court rules against Hungary on NGO funding - ECJ strikes down law discriminating against foreign-funded civil society groups - Financial Times

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• ECB - US dollar liquidity-providing operations from 1 July 2020
• Frugal four’ chief Mark Rutte leads opposition to EU recovery plan - Dutch PM wins plaudits at home with resistance to Berlin-backed pandemic grants - Financial Times 

BREXIT

• EU-UK talks: MEPs display unwavering support for the EU position - see the EP Recommendations

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Conference on Future of Europe should start “as soon as possible in autumn 2020” - See the Resolution 

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/847 of 18 June 2020 implementing Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 concerning restrictive measures against Iran
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/849 of 18 June 2020 amending Decision 2010/413/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Iran
• Illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol: EU renews sanctions by one year - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/850
• World Refugee Day, 20 June 2020: Joint Statement by the European Commission and the High Representative 
• Eastern Partnership: Leaders endorse a new framework that is adapted to the new reality, listens to citizens and focuses on joint priorities - see the Factsheet - Midday Express
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell to a MEP written question - The modernisation of the EU-Chile Association Agreement, notably regarding the situation of indigenous peoples