Europe Daily News, 20 September 2021

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE

HEALTH

• Answer given Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Legal action against delays and reductions in doses of COVID-19 vaccines by AstraZeneca and BioNTech-Pfizer, and changes to contract terms and conditions by pharmaceutical companies
• Data on the daily number of new reported COVID-19 cases and deaths by EU/EEA country - ECDC
• Data on COVID-19 vaccination in the EU/EEA - ECDC
  
  STATE AID

• Commission launches public consultation on availability of private short-term export-credit insurance capacity for exports in light of economic impact of coronavirus outbreak - Midday Express

COMPETITION

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competition of 22 September 2021
• Action brought on 30 July 2021 - Natixis Vs. Commission (Case T-449/21)
  Re: declaring Commission Decision C(2021) 3489 final adopted on 20 May 2021 relating to a proceeding under Article 101 of the TFEU and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement in Case AT.40324: European Government Bonds (the ‘Contested Decision’) to be void in its entirety, as concerns the applicant
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10059 - SK hynix/Intel’s NAND and SSD business)
• Commission clears acquisition of sole control over Valtech by BC Partners (M.10386) - Midday Express
• Commission refers to Italy the assessment of the creation of an Italian e-mobility joint venture by Enel X and VWFL (M.10311) - Midday Express
• Platform mergers and antitrust - Should internet era merger policy differ from industrial era merger policy - See the Bruegel Paper  
  

STATE AID

• Commission approves €11 million Italian scheme to support inland waterway transport in Italy (SA.58817) - Midday Express
  

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Notice of initiation of a partial interim review of the countervailing measures applicable to imports of certain rainbow trout (CN codes ex 0301 91 90, ex 0302 11 80, ex 0303 14 90, ex 0304 42 90, ex 0304 82 90 and ex 0305 43 00) originating in the Republic of Turkey
• Amendments to the Customs Convention on the International Transport of goods under cover of TIR carnets (TIR Convention 1975) - According to UN Depositary Notifications C.N.157.2021.TREATIES-XI.A.16 and C.N.268.2021.TREATIES-XI.A.16 the following amendments to the TIR Convention enter into force on 1 September 2021 for all Contracting Parties
• Answer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - On the possible suspension of the EU‑Turkey customs union in response to Erdoğan’s provocative statements regarding Varosha
• EU chemicals trade surplus rose to €178 billion in 2020 - Eurostat Press Release
• WTO - The fourth South-South Dialogue on LDCs and Development: Reinforcing the multilateral trading system for development - Keynote address by DG Okonjo-Iweala
• DG Okonjo-Iweala calls on WTO members to deliver tangible outcomes for LDCs at MC12
  

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness & Growth 
  - Public Procurement of 29 September 2021
  - Industry of 21 September 2021
• Preparation of the Competitiveness Council on 29 September 2021 
  - Implementation of the updated New Industrial Strategy for Europe: Accelerating green transition: The Package Fit for 55 from an industrial perspective - Policy debate
  - Conclusions on the Global approach to Research and Innovation - Europe's strategy for international cooperation in a changing world - Approval
  - Governance and implementation of the European Research Area - Exchange of views
• EIT & EIF join forces to boost innovation in Europe
• List of national market surveillance authorities by Country & by Sector as of 17 September 2021- Created by GROW.D.3
• New guide available on classifying and labelling titanium dioxide - ECHA/NR/21/24
• QSAR Toolbox for animal-free assessment of skin sensitisation - News item

ENERGY

• Action brought on 4 August 2021 - RTE Réseau de transport de l’électricité (Paris, France) Vs. European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (Case T-472/21)
  Re: Annulment of the defendant’s Board of Appeal Decision A-001-2021 (consolidated) of 28 May 2021 (the ‘Decision’) upholding the defendant’s Decision 30/2020 of 30 November 2020
• Action brought on 9 August 2021 - TenneT TSO GmbH (Bayreuth, Germany), TenneT TSO BV Vs. European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (Case T-482/21)
  Re: Annulment of the decision A-001-2021 (consolidated) of the Board of Appeal of ACER of 28 May 2021, which upholds ACER Decision 30/2020 of 30 November 2020 on the Core CCR TSOs’ proposal for the methodology for cost sharing of redispatching and countertrading (RDCTCS), in its entirety
• Joint EU-US Press Release on the Global Methane Pledge - IP/21/4785
• The Netherlansds - ACM takes into account the energy transition when setting the network tariffs
  

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on the Environment of 20,21 & 23 September 2021
• Agenda for: 107th session of the Climate Change Committee of 29 September 2021
• EU at UNGA76: The EU starts its engagements at the UN General Assembly in New York - Midday Express
• Commissioner Sinkevičius on a visit to Spain to meet the fisheries sector, textiles industry and visit natural spots of ecological interest - Midday Express
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevicius to a MEP written question - Ending the export of banned pesticides: concrete actions
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevicius to a MEP written question - Alarm in the biodegradable and compostable plastics sector in Italy: the Commission’s guidelines are placing the industry at risk

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Pharmaceuticals & Medical devices of 23 September 2021
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1533 of 17 September 2021 imposing special conditions governing the import of feed and food originating in or dispatched from Japan following the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power station and repealing Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/6
• EMA - Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) 13-16 September 2021
• EMA - New add-on treatment for rare autoimmune inflammatory disorder
• New EU health crisis authority must deliver for consumers - See Beuc Statement

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Cyber issues of 22 September 2021
• Answer given by Ms Johansson to a MEP written question - International cooperation to combat cybercrime

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• E-QUEST - A Multi-Region Sectoral Dynamic General Equilibrium Model with Energy: Model Description and Applications to Reach the EU Climate Targets - Discussion Paper 146
• Interview with Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, conducted by Joost van Kuppeveld and Daan Ballegeer
• Letter from the ECB President to Mr Dimitrios Papadimoulis, MEP, on financial stability
• Letter from the ECB President to Mr Martin Schirdewan, MEP, on climate change
• Letter from the ECB President to Mr Gunnar Beck, MEP, on monetary policy
• Letter from the ECB President to Mr Engin Eroglu, MEP, on monetary policy
• ECB - Euro area monthly balance of payments: July 2021

BREXIT

• Final Draft - Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Brexit Adjustment Reserve
  

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Council of the European Union (General Affairs) of 21 September 2021
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) of 22 & 24 September 2021
• Video message by President Charles Michel on the occasion of the EU Med 9 summit in Athens
• The debate on the future of Europe has a German problem – See EPC Commentary
• Exercise in democracy allows voters to air views on EU's future - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Draft Council Conclusions on the Global approach to Research and Innovation ‒ Europe’s strategy for international cooperation in a changing world
• Speech by President Charles Michel at the 6th Latin American and Caribbean Summit (CELAC) in Mexico
• EU announces additional €119.5 million support to democracy and human rights for 2021 - IP/21/4708