EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

STATE AID

  • Commission approves €358 million Romanian scheme to support small and medium-sized enterprises active in sectors particularly affected by the coronavirus outbreak (SA.100195) - Midday Express
  • Commission approves €36 million Bulgarian scheme to support the agricultural sector affected by the coronavirus outbreak (SA.100255) - Midday Express

COMPETITION

  • Summary of Commission Decision of 13 January 2021 declaring a concentration compatible with the internal market and the functioning of the EEA Agreement (Case M.9564 - LSEG/Refinitiv Business), see also the Opinion of the Advisory Committee on mergers  and the Final Report of the Hearing Officer
  • Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10468 - NREP / Novo Holdings / Industriens Pensionsforsikring / JV)
  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10390 - Christian Burrus/OTPP/JV)
  • Germany - Bundeskartellamt clears acquisition of Mittelbayerische Zeitung by Verlagsgesellschaft Passau
  • Lithuanian - Competition authority will review transaction between Ticket distributor on its own initiative
  • Norway - A draft guide on price discrimination has been issued for consultation by the competition watchdog
  • Romania - The Competition Council approved the taking over of Wolf Plastics Verpackungen GMBH by Alpla Group
  • Romania - The Competition Council approved the taking over of Thames Farming Enterprises BV by Transcarpathians Trading SRL
  • UK - The CMA is investigating the completed acquisition by Admiral Taverns of pubs owned by Hawthorn Leisure Topco Limited (the Hampden Pub Estate) 

TRADE & CUSTOMS

  • Decision No 1/2021 of the EU-Iceland Joint Committee of 16 July 2021 amending the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Iceland by replacing Protocol No 3 thereto concerning the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation
  • Decision No 1/2021 of the EU-Georgia Customs Sub-Committee of 1 September 2021 amending the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part, by replacing Protocol I thereto concerning the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation
  • EU exports boosted thanks to stronger implementation and enforcement of trade deals and global rules, see the 2021 Report - IP/21/5545 & Foreword by EVP Valdis Dombrovskis
    - Preference utilisation on EU exports & on EU imports
    - Specific statistics on Trade from 67 countries
    - Utilisation rate of TRQs opened by the EU to third countries
    - FAQ on preference utilisation rates, duty saving sand tariff rate quotas
    - Key facts on tools for trade enforcement
    - Commission staff working document
  • WTO concludes first phase of advanced workshop on agriculture notifications
  • WTO’s DSB agreed to establish a dispute panel to examine China’s imposition of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imported wine from Australia
  • WTO - Participants on track to conclude negotiations on services domestic regulation at MC12 - Australia, Canada and the United States submitted their draft services schedules

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

  • Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth
    - High Level of 04 November 2021 (see Background paper on the Commission note on monitoring of the Fit for 55 business case for EU industry)
    - Internal Market of 28 October 2021
  • Agenda for: Working Party on Intellectual Property (Copyright) of 04 November 2021
  • Turkey becomes associated to major EU programmes for research, innovation and education - Midday Express
  • Semiconductor resilience in Europe: ACEA support letter to Commissioner Breton - See the Annex - Financial Times

FINANCIAL SERVICES

TAXATION

  • Ad Hoc Working Party on the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) of 04 November 2021

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLCIY

  • The social and employment situation of Roma communities in Slovakia - Study - EP EMPL Committee

ENERGY

  • EU energy ministers address rising energy prices - see Main Results of the TTE Council (Energy) of 26.10.2021) -  Remarks by Commissioner Kadri Simson
  • Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the Report: “Progress on competitiveness of: clean energy technologies” 
    - 1 - Macroeconomic 
    - 2 & 3 - Windpower 
    - 4 & 5 - Solar PV and Heat pumps 
    - 6 & 7 - Batteries and Hydrogen Electrolysers 
    - 8 & 9 - Smart Grids and Renewable Fuels
  • Gazprom offered Moldova a new gas deal in exchange for weaker ties with the European Union - Financial Times  

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

  • Commission decides to register new European Citizens' Initiative on environmental protection - IP/21/5589
  • Agenda for: Meeting of the Expert Group on Waste (Waste Framework Directive) of 16 November 2021
  • Trends and projections in Europe 2021 - EEA Report No.13/2021
  • Best Available Techniques (BAT) - Reference Document for the Ferrous Metals Processing Industry - See the final draft as of 13 October 2021
  • Answer given by Mr Sinkevicius to a MEP written question - Scope of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive
  • Answer given by Mr Sinkevicius to a MEP written question - Wind farms near areas protected under the Habitats Directive
  • Answer given by EVP Timmermans to a MEP written question - The LULUCF sector in the context of the EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and the ‘Fit for 55’ package

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

  • International health resilience: A defining challenge
  • EU Health Policy Platform webinar - The EU Mission on Cancer and the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (18 November 2021, 11:00-12:30 CET)
  • Minutes - 25th meeting of the Expert Group on Health Systems Performance Assessment (HSPA) (28 September 2021)
  • Early influenza cases indicate the possibility of severe upcoming season for elderly - See ECDC Press release - 26 Oct 2021
  • EFSA - Maximum levels of cross‐contamination for 24 antimicrobial active substances in non‐target feed.
    - Part 1: Methodology, general data gaps and uncertainties 
    - Part 2: Aminoglycosides/aminocyclitols: apramycin, paromomycin, neomycin and spectinomycin 
    - Part 3: Amprolium4
    - Part 4: β‐Lactams: amoxicillin and penicillin V 
    - Part 5: Lincosamides: lincomycin 
    - Part 6: Macrolides: tilmicosin, tylosin and tylvalosin 
    - Part 7: Amphenicols: florfenicol and thiamphenicol 
    - Part 8: Pleuromutilins: tiamulin and valnemulin 
    - Part 9: Polymyxins: colistin 
    - Part 10: Quinolones: flumequine and oxolinic acid 
    - Part 11: Sulfonamides 
    - Part 12: Tetracyclines: tetracycline, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, and doxycycline 
    - Part 13: Diaminopyrimidines: trimethoprim 
  • EFSA - Lack of confirmatory data following Article 12 MRL reviews for 2,4‐d, fenhexamid and iprovalicarb

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

  • Minutes of the RSC Radio Spectrum Committee - Decision n° 676/2002/EC of 13-14 October 2021
  • Europe’s Digital Decade and Autonomy - Study - EP ITRE Committee
  • Children’s exposure to inappropriate content on TikTok unaddressed as enforcement of EU audiovisual rules held up in Ireland - See Beuc Statement

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

  • Revised Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on cyber issues on 27 October 2021
  • Joint statement on the first review of the EU-Japan mutual adequacy arrangement

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

  • Use of hired lorries - presidency agrees clearer and more flexible rules with European Parliament

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

  • Security: Commission report on the application of EU firearms legislation - Midday Express
  • Speech VPSchinas opening speech at the “EU Security, Migration and Asylum Policy in a strong transatlantic partnership” discussion with the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
  • 150 arrested in dark web drug bust as police seize € 26 million - See Eurojust Statement
  • Smuggling network up in smoke: seven arrested in Spain - See Europol Statement

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

  • The Future of the European Semester in the context of the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Draft ECOFIN Council conclusions
  • ECB - Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 22 October 2021
  • Lagarde to brush off speculation on rate increase - Financial Times 

FUTURE OF EUROPE

  • Possible items for College agendas from 10 November to 22 December 2021
  • Revised Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.2) of 27 October 2021
  • Minutes of the Meeting of the Coreper (Part.2) of 08 October 2021
  • List of meetings taking place between 1 and 30 November 2021

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

  • Agenda for : Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the EU of 29 October 2021
  • Agenda for : 6th EU-Republic of Moldova Association Council of 28 October 2021
  • AU-EU Ministerial meeting: Remarks by HR/VP Josep Borrell at the press conference following the Ministerial in Rwanda, Kigali
  • Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on Sudan 
  • EU and Bangladesh hold fourth Diplomatic Consultations

Related Capabilities

Key Issues –

Latest Perspectives

View More