Europe Daily News, 22 July 2020

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE

‎ECONOMY

• Remarks by President Charles Michel after the Special European Council, 17-21 July 2020 
• After intense negotiations EU leaders agreed to a comprehensive package of €1 824.3 billion which combines an extraordinary recovery effort and the 2021-2027 budget to rebuild after the pandemic and launch the green and digital transitions.
• European Council conclusions, 17-21 July 2020 
• Opening remarks by President von der Leyen at the joint press conference with President Michel following the Special European Council meeting of 17-21 July 2020 
• EU summit compromise: positive step for recovery, inadequate in the long-term
• REACT-EU: Council agrees on its partial negotiating position
• Answer given by Executive VP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Coronavirus, lockdown, cars at a standstill: car insurance companies should lower their prices 

HEALTH

• Coronavirus Global Response: EU supports vaccine research with additional €100 million - Midday Express
• Summary report - 27th Health Security Committee on COVID-19 outbreak 
• Answer given by Ms Gabriel to a MEP written question - Use of the BCG vaccine against COVID-19 – research

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - German ban on medical equipment exports 
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Restrictions on intra-EU exports of medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - European value chain against Covid-19
• Answer given by VP Šuica to a MEP written question - Situation of the elderly and persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• Answer to a written question - COVID-19 health alert to Member States by the Spanish-based European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

 EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Coronavirus: European Commission strengthens health and other key services in Tajikistan with €112 million - IP/20/1149
• Coronavirus global response: 2 EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flights to South Sudan and new funding - IP/20/1393

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9903 - SoftBank Group/Mizuho Financial Group/One Tap Buy) 
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9885 - HAL Investments/De Drie Eiken) 
• Communication from the Commission - Communication on the protection of confidential information by national courts in proceedings for the private enforcement of EU competition law -  
• Commission clears the creation of a joint venture for the production and sale of lithium-ion secondary batteries between Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings and Ube Industries (M.9826) - Midday Express
• EU Commission publishes full text of decision to fine Qualcomm for predatory pricing
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt – List of Notified Merger Projects
• The Netherlands - ACM has imposed a fine of 24,000 euros on two roofing contractors for distorting competition in a tender process
• UK - CMA full text of Phase 1 decision in Taboola/ Outbrain merger
• UK - CMA to consider undertakings in lieu in ION Investment / Broadway Technology merger

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Council Decision (EU) 2020/1067 of 13 July 2020 on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation in the context of negotiations under Article XXVIII of the GATT 1994 on the modification of Switzerland’s WTO concessions with regard to seasoned meat 
• Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation in the context of negotiations under Article XXVIII of the GATT 1994 on the modification of Switzerland’s WTO concessions with regard to seasoned meat 
• WTO - Items proposed for consideration at the next meeting of Dispute Settlement Body on 29 July 2020 
• DG Azevêdo: “Decisions made at the WTO will matter” for economic recovery from COVID-19 crisis

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Draft - Commission Regulation (EU) …/… of XXX amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards substances in tattoo inks or permanent make-up - See the Annex

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• ESAs notify the European Commission about the outcome of the review of the PRIIPs key information document 
• ESMA recommends supervisory coordination on accounting for COVID-19-related rent concessions 
• EBA publishes overview of public guarantee schemes issued in response to the Covid-19 pandemic

ENERGY

• Report - 2019 assessment of the progress made by Member States towards the national energy efficiency targets for 2020 and towards the implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive as required by Article 24(3) of the Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU
• Green Recovery: Commission opens public consultation on offshore renewable energy
• Minutes of the Committee on the Sustainability of Biofuels and Other Bioliquids of 29 June 2020

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1068 of 15 May 2020 amending Annexes I and V to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the export and import of hazardous chemicals 
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1079 of 20 July 2020 on the verification and correction of data referred to in Regulation (EU) 2018/956 on the monitoring and reporting of CO2 emissions from and fuel consumption of new heavy-duty vehicles
• Public Consultation - Proposal for a regulation - Environmental performance of products & businesses – substantiating claims - Feedback period: 20 July 2020 - 31 August 2020

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Webinar on the EU LGBTI SURVEY II - Thursday 23 July 2020 
• EFSA - Safety and efficacy of l‐lysine sulfate produced by fermentation using Corynebacterium glutamicum KFCC 11043 as a feed additive for all animal species
• EFSA - Safety and efficacy of Lactobacillus parafarraginis DSM 32962 as a silage additive for all animal species
• EFSA - Safety and efficacy of fumonisin esterase from Komagataella phaffii DSM 32159 as a feed additive for all animal species
• EFSA - Safety of a tincture derived from Artemisia vulgaris L. (Mugwort tincture) when used as a sensory additive in feed for all animal species
• EFSA - Safety and efficacy of OptiPhos® PLUS for suckling and weaned piglets, pigs for fattening, sows, other minor pig species for fattening and other minor reproductive pig species

TRANSPORT

• Agenda for: Working Party on Land Transport of 23 July 2020  
• BEUC reports major airlines for breaching passenger rights and calls for industry investigation 
• E-truck chargers in cities key to cleaning up road freight - See the T&E report

DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1070 of 20 July 2020 on specifying the characteristics of small-area wireless access points pursuant to Article 57 paragraph 2 of Directive (EU) 2018/1972 of the European Parliament and the Council establishing the European Electronic Communications Code 

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Polish DPA fines non-public nursery and pre-school: Lack of cooperation with the supervisory authority 
• Polish DPA fines Surveyor General of Poland: Full inspection must be carried out  
• European Data Protection Board - 34th Plenary session: Schrems II, Interplay PSD2 and GDPR and letter to MEP Ďuriš Nicholsonová on contact tracing, interoperability of apps and DPIAs
• ENISA - Survey to Explore the Preparedness of EU SMEs for Cybersecurity Challenges
• ENISA - 1st Advisory Group Meeting: Members to Strengthen Agency’s Work Towards a Cyber Secure Europe

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Integration of migrants: Commission launches a public consultation and call for an expert group on the views of migrants - IP/20/1364
• Vice-President Schinas and Commissioner Várhelyi in Vienna for Ministerial conference on migration along the Western Balkan Route - Midday Express

ECONOMY

• Study - Benefits and drawbacks of an “expenditure rule”, as well as of a "golden rule", in the EU fiscal framework 
• Inflation volatility in small and large advanced open economies - ECB Working Paper Series No.2448 
• What is the tipping point? Low rates and financial stability - ECB Working Paper Series No.2447 
• Interview of ECB 's Isabel Schnabel with Expansión 
• Government debt up to 86.3% of GDP in euro area - Stat/116/2020
• Seasonally adjusted government deficit rose sharply to 2.2% of GDP in the euro area - Stat/117/2020

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/1066 of 20 July 2020 amending Decision (CFSP) 2017/2370 in support of the Hague Code of Conduct and ballistic missile non-proliferation in the framework of the implementation of the EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction 
• Macao: 2019 Annual report shows the ‘One country, two systems' principle generally respected - IP/20/1386
• Hong Kong 2019 Annual Report: an exceptionally challenging year - IP/20/1387
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell - Turkey