Europe Daily News, 29 September 2021

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

• Council Decision (EU) 2021/1725 of 24 September 2021 further extending the temporary derogation from the Council’s Rules of Procedure introduced by Decision (EU) 2020/430, in view of the travel difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Union
  
  STATE AID

• Commission approves €1.2 million Romanian aid scheme for airlines starting regular international flights at Maramureș International Airport following the coronavirus outbreak (SA.64092) - Midday Express

COMPETITION

• The General Court maintains the fines imposed by the Commission on several undertakings by reason of their participation in a cartel on the market for aluminium
  electrolytic capacitors and tantalum electrolytic capacitors (CPR No 164/21 - Judgments in Cases T-341/18 - NEC Vs. Commission, T-342/18 - Nichicon, Corporation Vs. Commission, T-343/18 - Tokin Vs.Commission, T-344/18 - Rubycon and Rubycon Holdings Vs. Commission, T-363/18 Nippon Chemi-Con Corporation Vs. Commission)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10169 - EPLI/SZ/JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10386 - BC Partners/Valtech)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10368 - Advent/Eurazeo/Hoist)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10440 - SEGRO/PSPIB/Varia Class Logistics)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10444 - RWE Generation/Messer Industriegase/Kreis Düren/Siemens Project Ventures/JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10416 - Stellantis/FIH/JV)
• Croatia - CCA Groceries Retail Market Inquiry for 2020: Retail turnover exceeds HRK 40 billion Konzum plus remains leading groceries retailer
• Cyprus - Notification of a concentration concerning the acquisition by Blakstone Inc. of part of the share capital of The Chamberlain Group LLC, Systems LLC and related assets, via Chariot Buyer LLC
• Cyprus - Notification of a concentration concerning the acquisition by PEP VIII International Ltd, of the share capital of Makto S.a r.l. through P8 Holding 1 S.a.r.l
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt - List of Notified Merger Projects
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt prohibits complete acquisition of publisher of “Ostthüringer Zeitung” by Funke-Mediengruppe
• Spain - The CNMC approves Mémora's acquisition of the Rekalde and Irache funeral homes, with commitments
  
• The Netherlands - ACM fines Samsung over 39 million euros for influencing the online prices of television sets
• UK - CMA consults on environmental sustainability advice

STATE AID

• Judgment of the General Court of 29 September 2021 in Case T-448/18, Ryanair DAC, Airport Marketing Services Ltd, e FR Financing (Malta) Ltd, Vs. European Commission
  Re: State aid - Agreements concluded by Kärntner Flughafen Betriebsgesellschaft with Ryanair and its subsidiaries Airport Marketing Services and Leading Verge.com - Airport services - Marketing services - Decision declaring the aid incompatible with the internal market and ordering its recovery - Concept of State aid - Whether imputable to the State - Advantage - Private investor test - Recovery - Article 41 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights - Right of access to the file - Right to be heard
• Judgment of the General Court of 29 September 2021 in Case T-569/19, AlzChem Group AG Vs. European Commission
  Re: Access to documents - Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 - Documents relating to a procedure for the recovery of State aid following a decision declaring the aid incompatible with the internal market and ordering its recovery - Refusal to grant access - Exception relating to the protection of the purpose of inspections, investigations and audits - Overriding public interest - Principle of non-discrimination - Obligation to state reasons

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• EU-Canada - Joint report of the Bilateral Dialogue meeting on Forest products of 7 July 2021

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Main results of the Competitiveness Council (Research) of 28 September 2021
• Research - Commission Communication on European Missions
• 12th Baltic Sea Strategy Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region - Midday Express
• The European Commission appoints two new Directors in DG DIGIT and DG TAXUD - Midday Express
• The Single Market Task Force plays a key role in tackling barriers to the Single Market - See First Report - Midday Express

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• DLT Pilot Regime for market infrastructures based on distributed ledger technology - Three-column table to commence trilogues
• ESMA publishes MiFID II Final Report on Algorithmic Trading
• SMSG advice on ESMA 2022 annual Work Programme

TAXATION

• Agenda for: Working Party on Tax Questions (Indirect Taxation - Excise duties/Energy taxation) of 06 October 2021

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Communication on the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030 - Policy debate

ENERGY

• Technical support for RES policy development and implementation - see the Full Report

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (UNECE Aarhus) of 04 October 2021
• Antarctica: EU leads efforts to designate new large-scale Marine Protected Areas - Midday Express
• Commission's technical support to Greece in tackling the structural reasons for wildfires crisis - Midday Express
• Industrial accidents: Commission report shows improvement in prevention of major accidents involving dangerous substances - See the Report - Midday Express 

CONSUMER PROTECTION

• Six years after Dieselgate scandal broke, consumer authorities finally jointly call on VW to compensate consumers - See Beuc Statement

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Commissioner Breton in South Korea to discuss digital and tech matters - Midday Express

AREA OF FREDDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Informal Expert Group on Company Law and Corporate Governance (ICLEG) of 4 October 2021
• The General Court dismisses the action brought by M. Kočner against Europol in the context of the investigation into the murder of the journalist J. Kuciak and his fiancée M. Kušnírová (See CPR Nº 165/2021 - Judgment of the General Court in Case T-528/20, Kočner Vs. EUROPOL)
• Commission proposes partial suspension of EU–Belarus Visa Facilitation Agreement for officials of the Belarus regime - IP/21/4906, QaA, FactSheet & Communication
• New Pact on Migration and Asylum: reporting on developments and stepping up fight against migrant exploitation - IP/21/4905, QaA & FactSheet
  - Report on Migration and Asylum: Annex 1 & Annex 2
  - Renewed EU action plan against migrant smuggling (2021-2025)
  - Communication on the application of the Employers Sanctions Directive
  - Proposal for a partial suspension of the Visa Facilitation Agreement with Belarus

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• 1st revised List of meetings taking place between 1 and 31 October 2021
• Conference on the Future of Europe - Update of National best practices

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/1726 of 28 September 2021 in support of combating the illicit trade in and proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Member States of the League of Arab States – Phase II
• The General Court annuls the Council decisions concerning, first, the agreement between the EU and Morocco amending the tariff preferences granted by the EU to products of Moroccan origin and, second, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (See CPR Nº 166/2021 - Judgments of the General Court in Case T-279/19 and in the joint Cases T-344/19 and T-356/19, Front Polisario Vs. Council)
• Statement by President von der Leyen on the occasion of her official visit to Albania and to the Republic of North Macedonia