EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

  • Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/2014 of 17 November 2021 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1073 laying down technical specifications and rules for the implementation of the trust framework for the EU Digital COVID Certificate established by Regulation (EU) 2021/953 of the European Parliament and of the Council
  • EMA receives application for conditional marketing authorisation of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, Nuvaxovid

    STATE AID

  • Commission sets out future of Temporary Framework to support economic recovery in context of coronavirus outbreak - IP/21/6092
  • Commission approves €22.7 million Croatian scheme to support the primary agricultural sector affected by the coronavirus outbreak (SA.100417) - Midday Express

TRAVEL

  • COVID-19: Council adds Indonesia to the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted -  see Amendment of Annex I = Adoption

COMPETITION

  • Judgment of the Court of 18 November 2021 in Case C-306/20, 'Visma Enterprise' SIA Vs. Konkurences padome
    Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Competition - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - Article 101(1) and (3) TFEU - Vertical agreements - Restriction 'by object' or 'by effect' - Exemption - Registration by the distributor of the potential transaction with the end user - Clause conferring on the distributor a 'priority for carrying out the sales transaction' for six months from registration - Exception - Opposition by the user - Jurisdiction of the Court - Purely domestic situation - National legislation complying with the solutions adopted by Union law
  • Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10532 - GIP / IFM / Sydney Airport)
  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10510 - Apollo Management / K1 Group)
  • Commission outlines contribution of competition policy and its review to green and digital transition, and to a resilient Single Market - IP/21/6101 & Communication
  • Commission clears acquisition of joint control of a newly created joint venture by NREP, Novo Holdings and Industriens Pensionsforsikring (M.10468) - Midday Express 
  • Commission clears acquisition of joint control of T-Mobile Netherlands by Warburg Pincus and Apax Partners (M.10495)  - Midday Express
  • Commission clears creation of joint venture by Neste and Ravago (M.10474) - Midday Express
  • Commission clears acquisition of Destia by Bouygues (M.10501) - Midday Express
  • Belgium - Notification - MEDE-C/C-21/0025 - Vectis Private Equity IV CommV. / Luc Ost
  • Ireland - The CCPC is implementing the following permanent changes to the merger notification procedure
  • Italy - FinecoBank investigation into current accounts with balances in excess of €100,000 closed with commitments
  • Lithuania - By agreeing not to pay players' salaries Lithuanian Basketball League and 10 basketball clubs infringed competition law
  • UK - CMA to open up electric vehicle charging competition on motorways
  • UK - CHC Group's purchase of Babcock Mission Critical Services raises competition concerns, UK CMA says

STATE AID

  • Answer given by Ms Vestager to a MEP written question - Respect for passenger rights as a condition for granting State aid in the aviation sector

TRADE & CUSTOMS

  • Agenda for: Customs Union Working Party of 23 November 2021
  • Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Services & Investment) of 25 November 2021
  • Minutes of the Meeting of the Expert Group on responsible sourcing of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold of 17 September 2021
  • Explanatory Notes to the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union (CN: 8714 94 20 Brakes)
  • Explanatory Notes to the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union (CN: 6307 90 10 Knitted or crocheted and 6307 90 91 Of felt and 6307 90 98 Other)
  • Notice of initiation of an anti-subsidy proceeding concerning imports of certain graphite electrode systems (CN: 85451100) originating in the People’s Republic of China
  • Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2011 of 17 November 2021 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of optical fibre cables originating in the People’s Republic of China
  • Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2012 of 17 November 2021 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty and definitively collecting the provisional duty imposed on imports of stainless steel cold-rolled flat products originating in India and Indonesia
  • EU takes next step in WTO dispute with Russia on discriminatory procurement by Russian state-owned enterprises
  • Joint Statement by the Trade Ministers of the United States, Japan, and the European Union
  • Answer given by Mr Gentiloni to a MEP written question - EU-Morocco Agreement – specimen impressions of stamps and addresses of the customs authorities responsible
  • WTO - The 3rd review of the trade policies and practices of Oman takes place on 17 and 19 November 2021
  • WTO and Kazakhstan host "Trade for Peace Week 2021" with focus on trade and global security

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

  • Commission launches the European Innovation Council Board with 20 leading innovators -
  • Raw Materials Scoreboard highlights urgency to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of raw materials supply in the EU 
  • First report on the application of Directive 2014/60/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State and amending Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012

FINANCIAL SERVICES

  • Agenda for: Working Party on Financial Services and the Banking Union (Basel 3 finalisation: Daisy chains - CRR/BRRD) of 22 November 2021
  • Draft Opinion by MEP Lídia Pereira (EP Envi Committee) for the EP LIBE Committee on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2013/34/EU, Directive 2004/109/EC, Directive 2006/43/EC and Regulation (EU) No 537/2014, as regards corporate sustainability reporting
  • ESMA proposes changes to the scope of the clearing and derivative trading obligations for the benchmark transition
  • EBA sees limited impact of the NSFR on the functioning of the precious metals’ markets

TAXATION

  • Judgment of the Court of 18 November 2021 in Case C-358/20, Promexor Trade SRL Vs. Direcția Generală a Finanțelor Publice Cluj - Administrația Județeană a Finanțelor Publice Bihor
    Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Harmonisation of tax laws - Common system of VAT - Directive 2006/112/EC - Right to deduct VAT - Cancellation of the VAT identification of a taxable person - Refusal of the right to deduct - Formal requirements

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

  • EU fleet maintains good profits overall, mainly thanks to sustainable fishing practices and management - See the JRC Report

ENERGY

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

  • European Green Deal: Commission adopts new proposals to stop deforestation, innovate sustainable waste management and make soils healthy for people, nature and climate - IP/21/5916
    - QaA, Factsheet & Proposal for a new Regulation to curb EU-driven deforestation and forest degradation
    - QaA, Factsheet & Proposal for a revised Regulation on waste shipments
    - QaA, Factsheet on Soil Strategy
  • Press conference by EVP Frans Timmermans and Commissioner Sinkevičius on a package of proposals on soil, waste and deforestation
  • EU Waste Shipment Regulation falls short of fixing Europe’s waste export crisis - see EEB Statement
  • Agenda for: Meeting of the Committee on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (Habitats) of 30 November 2021
  • Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (UNECE CLRTAP) of 25 November 2021
  • EU Clean Air Forum meets in Spain to discuss solutions to improve air quality across Europe
  • Give Europeans a ‘right to plug’ at home and work, say T&E and ACEA

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

  • Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona reiterates that the general and indiscriminate retention of traffic and location data relating to electronic communications is permitted only in the event of a serious threat to national security (See CPR Nº 206/2021 - Opinions of the Advocate General in joined cases C-793/19, C-794/19, C-140/20,C-339/20 VD, C-397/20 SR SpaceNet ,Telecom Deutschland, Commissioner of the Garda Síochána)
  • Agenda for: Council of the EU (Telecommunications) of 2 and 3 December 2021 - See list of "A Items"
  • First calls for proposals under the Digital Europe Programme are launched in digital tech and European Digital Innovation Hubs
  • Joint Letter to EU Commission: eco Supports Digital Responsibility Goals
  • Google intensifies outreach amid progress on EU tech regulation - EP agreed its position on the Digital Markets Act last night - Financial Times

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

  • eco Association on Blanket Data Retention: “The German traffic light coalition and ECJ must prevent the ‘transparent human being’ at all costs”
  • ENISA issues a new report on how cybersecurity investments have developed under the provisions of the NIS directive

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

  • Minutes of the 31st Land Transport Security Meeting of 20 October 2021
  • Judgment of the Court of 18 November 2021 in Case C-413/20, Belgian State Vs. LO, OG, SH, MB, JD, OP, Bluetail Flight School SA (BFS),
    Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Air transport - Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 - Technical requirements and administrative procedures applicable to civil aviation flying personnel - Annex I, Appendix 3, point A, paragraphs 9 and 10 - Training course for the issue of a commercial pilot licence - Flight training - Instrument time on the ground - Calculation - Simulator training - Practical examination - Principle of legal certainty - Limitation in time of the effects of a judgment given for a preliminary ruling

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

  • Fight against terrorism: EU rules brought stronger criminal justice response against terrorism and more rights for victims, but challenges remain - See the Report & Working document -  - Midday Express

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

  • ECB - Euro area investment fund statistics: third quarter of 2021
  • ECB - Euro area financial vehicle corporation statistics: third quarter of 2021
  • Natural rate chimera and bond pricing reality - ECB Working Paper Series No.2612
  • Speech by ECB's Fabio Panetta: Designing a digital euro for the retail payments landscape of tomorrow
  • Opinion of the European Central Bank of 5 November 2021 on a proposal for a regulation on European green bonds
  • ECB warns of ‘exuberance’ in housing, junk bonds and crypto assets - Investors taking risks in search for yield has left markets ‘susceptible to correction’ - Financial Times  

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

  • EU Military Staff: High Representative Josep Borrell commemorates the 20th Anniversary of the EU Military Staff
  • VP Schinas in Turkey to address the situation at the EU's external border with Belarus - Midday Express
  • European Union launches a Green Team Europe Initiative in partnership with South East Asia - IP/21/6111
  • EU and UNRWA sign new Joint Declaration marking 50 years of Strategic Partnership (IP/21/6081)
  • Belarus: G7 Foreign Ministers' statement on the border situation

 

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