Europe Daily News, 03 November 2021

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

• EMA ends rolling review of the antibodies bamlanivimab and etesevimab for COVID-19 following withdrawal by Lilly

STATE AID

• Commission approves amendment to Greek aid scheme aiming to protect primary residences of vulnerable borrowers affected by coronavirus outbreak (SA.100197) - Midday Express

ECONOMY

• SMEs: national solvency measures in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic helped companies avoid bankruptcies

TRAVEL

• Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/1896 of 29 October 2021 amending Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/912 on the temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the EU and the possible lifting of such restriction

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10454 - Omers / Goldman Sachs / Amedes)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10456 - Sky / ViacomCBS / JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10474 - Neste / Ravago / JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10520 - Cummins / China Petrochemical Corporation / JV)
• Commission clears acquisition of Energi Danmark by Andel (M.10212) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control of the Fast Group by ECI and Bonak (M.10364) - Midday Express
• Belgium - Decision BMA-2021-CC-19-AUD Belgian Pork Group NV / Van Bogaert BV
• France - The Competition Authority fines Tereos Indian Ocean for abuse of dominant position
• Iceland - The Competition Authority approves the merger of Marel and Valka
• UK - CMA: Consultation outcome - Retained Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Regulation

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Minutes of the 224th meeting of the Customs Code Committee (Sub-Section Agriculture/Chemistry) from 27th to 29th September 2021
• Minutes - CLEN - SAMANCTA Project Group of 22 September 2021
  -  Annual meeting
  - Technical meeting revision Samancta
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1900 of 27 October 2021 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 on the temporary increase of official controls and emergency measures governing the entry into the Union of certain goods from certain third countries implementing Regulations (EU) 2017/625 and (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• WTO - DG Okonjo-Iweala highlights trade’s role in ambitious and just climate action at COP26
• WTO - Uzbekistan stresses determination to accelerate WTO accession negotiations  
• WTO members review three RTAs, receive update on Transparency Mechanism

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Committee on market surveillance and compliance of products of 09 November 2021
• Agenda for: Marine Equipment Expert Group of 24-25 November 2021

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Commission proposes fishing opportunities in the Atlantic, Kattegat and Skagerrak for 2022 - IP/21/5660 - See the Proposal

ENERGY

• France, Germany, UK, US and EU launch ground-breaking International Just Energy Transition Partnership with South Africa - IP/21/5768
• Brussels to weaken its sustainable finance ‘green standard’ - EU taxonomy is likely to include nuclear power and natural gas, which will fuel allegations of greenwashing - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Commissioner McGuinness attends events on taxonomy and sustainable finance at COP26 - Midday Express
• Statement by President von der Leyen on the launch of the Catalyst Programme with Bill Gates and Werner Hoyer
• Speech by President von der Leyen on accelerating clean technology innovation and deployment
• Speech by President von der Leyen on the launch of the Global Methane Pledge
• U.S. President Biden, European Commission President von der Leyen and UK Prime minister Johnson announce Commitment to addressing climate crisis through infrastructure development

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the EU WG Clinical Investigation and Evaluation (CIE) - Plenary & Regulatory Only – v1 of 18 November 2021
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1902 of 29 October 2021 amending Annexes II, III and V to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the use in cosmetic products of certain substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Common Aviation Area Agreement – Between the European Union and its Member States, of the One Part, and Ukraine, of the Other Part – See Council Decision (EU) 2021/1897 
• Aviation: New Annual Monitoring Report 2020 assessing the performance of air navigation service providers released - Performance Review Body - Monitoring Report 2020 
• Agenda of the 109th Regulatory Committee for Civil Aviation of 23 November 2021 

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• ECB - Euro area bank interest rate statistics: September 2021
• Speech by Christine Lagarde: Learning from Lisbon: recovery and resilience in Europe
• Speech by Frank Elderson: The NGFS Glasgow Declaration – From a coalition of the willing to a coalition of the committed 

BREXIT

• UK producers send meat to EU for processing amid butcher shortage - Pig cull tops 10,000 as backlog from labour crisis continues with farmers ‘stuck in limbo’ - Financial Times
• UK seeks new legal advice to back possible change to N Ireland protocol - Ministers begin preparations for potential overhaul of post-Brexit trading deal - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Afghanistan: Statement by the Spokesperson on the attack against Kabul military hospital 
• South Sudan: EU provides €2 million in emergency humanitarian funding for victims of floods - IP/21/5783