Europe Daily News, 18 June 2021

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE

STATE AID

• Commission approves a Polish scheme to compensate large companies for damages suffered due to coronavirus outbreak and provide liquidity support (SA.62752) - IP/21/3051
• Commission approves modification of Swedish scheme to support companies active in air ambulance transport in context of coronavirus outbreak (SA.63130) - Midday Express

ECONOMY

• NextGenerationEU: European Commission endorses Luxembourg's €93 million recovery and resilience plan - IP/21/3047 & QaA
• NextGenerationEU: European Commission endorses Denmark's €1.5 billion recovery and resilience plan - IP/21/3024
• Recovery and Resilience Facility: Estonia submits official recovery and resilience plan - IP/21/3042
• NextGenerationEU: President von der Leyen in Austria and Slovakia to present Commission assessment of national recovery plans - Midday Express

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.9936 - Imabari Shipbuilding/JFE/IHI/Japan Marine United)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10221 - PLD/NBIM/Target Assets)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10315 - BCI/ABP/TIG/Certain assets of Arauco)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10317 - Macquarie/Warburg Pincus/PTSG)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10280 - ABP/Slaney/Linden)
• Commission sends Statement of Objections to Insurance Ireland for restricting access to a data sharing platform - IP/21/3081
• Commission clears acquisition of Arrow Global by TDR Capital (M.10269) - Midday Express
• France - The Competition Authority authorises the acquisition of the Aroma Zone group (essential oils, cleaning products and natural cosmetics) by the Eurazeo group
• UK - CMA has probed the joint venture between Baker Hughes and Akastor

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections
• Commission approves prolongation and modification of German scheme to support research and development (SA.59148) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: 38th Meeting of the Customs Expert Group - Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature - Section HS/WCO coordination sector of 01 July 2021
• Draft - Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) …/... of XXX amending Regulations (EU) 2020/761 and 2020/1988 as a result of international agreements that the European Union concluded with some WTO members
• Draft - Commission Implementing Regulation amending Implementing Regulations (EU) 2020/761 and (EU) 2020/1988 with regard to the volumes of certain TRQs
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2019/216 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards Union tariff rate quota for high quality beef from Paraguay
• CSD on the Sustainable Impact Assessment (SIA) on EU-Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) deepening
  - draft reports: Trade and intellectual property rights, Trade and public procurement and competition and on Institutional structure and dispute resolution mechanisms  
  - draft case studies: Agriculture, Textile and garment manufacturing and on Tourism
• Answer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - EU‑ASEAN relations in the context of China
• WTO - DDG Zhang highlights role of trade in promoting security, peace and development

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda & Working Documents for the Expert group on European Structural and Investment Funds of 22 & 23 June 2021
• Minutes & Background Documents of the Meeting of the Commission Expert Group on risk management in the extractive sector on 17 March 2021
• Buying Social – A guide to taking account of social considerations in public procurement – Second edition
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - EU legislation on public procurement  

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Honduras on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union
• Commission seeks citizens' views on environmental education and sustainable development - Midday Express
• RoHS deleting exemptions for mercury in double-capped linear fluorescent lamps for general lighting purposes - Delegated directive - Feedback period: 18 June 2021 - 16 July 2021

HEALTH, FOOD PRODUCT & SAFETY

• Moving forward with EU4Health: first annual work programme worth €312 million adopted
• Safety Gate: the EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products - RAPEX - Report-2021-24
• SCCS - Draft Agenda of the 16th plenary meeting, Luxembourg, 24-25 June 2021
• SCCS - Minutes of the Working Group meeting on Methodologies of 28 May 2021
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Assessment of GM oilseed rape 73496 for food and feed uses, under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (application EFSA‐GMO‐NL‐2012‐109)
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Role played by the environment in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through the food chain

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Answer given by Mr Reynders to a MEP written question - Half a billion Facebook accounts leaked – Facebook has knowingly withheld this information from authorities for years 
• EU Telecom Security Authorities discuss the challenges of Over-the-top Communications Services Supervision - see ENISA Statement
• Pandemic urges strong measures to address risks on the security of personal data - see ENISA Statement 

JUSTICE, HOME AFFAIRS & SECURITY

• Visa Information System: Bulgaria and Romania to gain read access in July - See the Decision - Midday Express
• Judicial experts discuss latest trends in cybercrime and support to victims of malware - See Eurojust Statement
• Support to action against forced prostitution of female victims in Romania and UK - See Eurojust Statement

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Main Results of the Eurogroup Meeting of 17 June 2021 - See Remarks by Paschal Donohoe 1 by Commissioner Gentiloni
• Eurogroup statement on Greece of 17 June 2021 - (5th tranche of policy-contingent debt measures worth €748 million)
• ‎Missing Trader Intra-Community Fraud (VAT fraud has an extensive impact on the EU budget) - Briefing for the EP Committee on Budgetary Control
• Monetary and Fiscal Spillovers Across the Atlantic: The Role of Financial Markets - In-Depth Analysis for EP ECON Committee
• Public finances in Euro Area Member States: Selected indicators - June 2021 - Briefing for EP ECON Committee
• Could the Euro Area Benefit From the US Stimulus Packages? - In-Depth Analysis for EP ECON Committee

BREXIT

• Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland: Statement by the European Commission following the UK's request to extend the grace period for chilled meats
• EU citizens’ voting and candidacy rights in local elections need to be updated to reflect our new relationship with the EU - UK Policy Paper
• Preliminary deal on €5 billion fund to mitigate the effects of Brexit - See the EP Statement

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• 10th revised "List of meetings" taking place between 1 and 30 June 2021

EXTERNAL RELATIONS, DEVELOPMENT & COOPERATION

• HR/VP Josep Borrell in Turkey for the SEECP Summit and Antalya Diplomatic Forum and first mission to Lebanon
• North Africa: EU mobilises €20 million in humanitarian aid for vulnerable populations - IP/21/2874
• Venezuela: EU reaffirms support to refugees and migrants at International Donors' Conference
• World Refugee Day: Joint Statement by the European Commission and the High Representative  
• Belarus: Statement by the Spokesperson on a likely execution
• 16th EU-Pakistan Joint Commission - Statement