Europe Daily News, 13 December 2021

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

• ECDC - Epidemiological update: Omicron variant of concern (VOC) – data as of 12 December 2021

STATE AID

• Commission approves €3.6 million Greek scheme to support port authorities affected by the coronavirus pandemic (SA.100534) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €10.3 million Romanian scheme to support airport operators in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (SA.100666) - Midday Express 

ECONOMIC

• Answer given by Mr Wojciechowski to a MEP written question - REACT-EU funds granted (under the Next Generation EU instrument for the post-COVID recovery) to Nutreco and Mosa Meat to produce lab-grown meat from in vitro cell cultures  

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10487 - CDPQ / Investcorp / ICR) 
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10558 - Cogenio / Avio / Termica Colleferro) 
• EU publishes 2017 air-cargo cartel decision - AT 39258 
• Germany - List of Notified Merger Projects (10.12.2021)
• Hungary - Positive changes due to the Peer Review of the Eurasian Economic Union by the OECD may also benefit Hungarian and European undertakings
• Poland - Apple - the President of UOKiK initiates an investigation
• Poland - Conditional approval to the concentration of Carrefour and Tesco
• Slovak Republic - AMO SR initiated an administrative proceeding in the matter of merger of undertakings MHP East Europe, s.r.o., EU Poultry, s.r.o., WE Trade, s.r.o., MHP SE and Mr. Dmytro Borodavka
• UK - Microsoft-Nuance deal probed by UK CMA

STATE AID

• Commission approves €256 million Austrian scheme to support the purchase of zero-emission buses and related infrastructure (SA.63278) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)) of 14 December 2021
• Agenda for: Meetng of the Economic Tariff Questions Group of 14-15 December 2021
  - Working document for Quotas & Suspensions
• Notice of initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of ceramic tiles originating in India and Turkey (CN codes 6907 21 00, 6907 22 00, 6907 23 00, 6907 30 00 & 6907 40 00)
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Joint Committee established by the Euro-Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement on Trade and Cooperation between the European Community, of the one part, and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority (PA) of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, of the other part, concerning the extension of the EU – PA Action Plan
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Joint Committee established by the EEA Agreement, as regards the amendment of Protocol 4 on rules of origin to that Agreement - See the Annex
• Report Trade and Technology Council Working Group 10 (Global Trade Challenges), EU Stakeholder Outreach Event
  - challenges from non-market economic policies/practices
  - avoiding new and unnecessary barriers in products and services of emerging
  - trade and labour and trade and environment
• Answer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Drastic rise in EU fertiliser prices - Commission measures
• Answer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Following the adoption of the ‘Buy american’ Act, is there reciprocity in access to public procurement in the US?
• WT/DS600 - EU and certain Member states -  Certain measures concerning palm oil and oil palm crop-based biofuels - Malaysia - First Written Submission by the EU

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Technical Harmonisation of 14 December 2021
• CSR - REACH Authorisation decisions
  - OPnEO - Intrumentation Laboratory Spa  
  - OPnEO - IDEXX - Use 1-2-3
• Investment plan for Europe supports new fund to finance small and medium-sized businesses in Italy - IP/21/6826

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Commissioner McGuinness in Luxembourg attends high-level meetings in order to discuss sustainable finance, banking, anti-money laundering, insurance and the progress made on the capital markets union - Midday Express
• ESMA publishes 2021 ESEF XBRL taxonomy files and ESEF conformance suite

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Main results of the Agriculture & Fisheries Council of 12-13 December 2021
• Statement by the Commission on fishing licences

ENERGY

• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof (Germany) lodged on 22 September 2021 - EEW Energy from Waste Großräschen GmbH Vs. MNG Mitteldeutsche Netzgesellschaft Strom GmbH (Case C-580/21)
  Re: Article 16(2)(c) of Directive 2009/28/EC - feeding of electricity - proportion of biodegradable waste used in the production of electricity
• Speech by Commissioner Simson at the European Economic Social Committee Plenary debate on the Fit for 55 package
• The road to energy efficiency - Study for the EP ITRE Committee
• Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - The Commission’s reaction to Russia’s perpetration of the gas crisis in Moldova

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - EU ban on substances used in tattoo ink lacks scientific evidence and risks undermining the businesses of European tattoo artists
• Cities play pivotal roles in Europe's sustainability transition – See EEA Statement
• EU looks at new ways of funding the green transition - Economics commissioner Paolo Gentiloni discusses possible sequels to the EU’s recovery fund – Financial Times

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Bayerisches Verwaltungsgericht Ansbach (Germany) lodged on 27 September 2021 - LSI - Germany GmbH Vs. Freistaat Bayern (Case C-595/21)
  Re : ‘name of the product’ in point 4 of Part A of Annex VI to Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 - generic name
• 2021 edition of the State of Health in the EU’s Companion Report - Country Health Profiles released on 13 December 2021
• New Report on smoke-free environments and advertising of tobacco and related products published - Executive summary & Appendices
• EFSA - EU One Health report: drop in reported zoonotic diseases in humans and foodborne outbreaks in 2020
• EFSA - Safety of iron hydroxide adipate tartrate as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 and as a source of iron in the context of Directive 2002/46/EC
• EFSA - Assessment of animal diseases caused by bacteria resistant to antimicrobials: cattle
• EFSA - Analysis of wild ungulate‐livestock interface in Europe: preliminary results
• EFSA - Safety and efficacy of the feed additive consisting of
  - selenium‐enriched yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I‐3060) for all animal species (Alltech Ireland) 
  - monosodium l‐glutamate produced by fermentation with Corynebacterium glutamicum KCCM 80187 for all animal species (CJ Europe GmbH) 
  - l‐isoleucine produced by Corynebacterium glutamicum KCCM 80185 for all animal species (CJ Europe GmbH) 
  - a tincture from the bark of Cinnamomum verum J. Presl (cinnamon tincture) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl)
• ECDC signs MoU with Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues of 14 December 2021
• E-government conference: Human-centric digital transformation of the public sector
• Answer given by Ms Johansson to a MEP written question - Release of data held by the encrypted email service ProtonMail

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• 'Fit for 55' legislative package: ReFuel EU Aviation - Briefing for the EP TRAN Committee

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Case-law by the Court of Justice of the European Union on the
  - European Arrest Warrant - December 2021  
  - Principle of ne bis in idem in Criminal Matters - December 2021

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• EMU: President Donohoe's report to the President of the Euro Summit
• ECB Vice-President Luis de Guindos self-isolates after testing positive for COVID-19

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1) of December 2021
• Agenda for: Meeting of the General Affairs Council of 14 December 2021
• Minutes of the Council of the European Union (General Affairs) of 23 November 2021
• Legislative Programming: Joint Declaration on the EU legislative priorities for 2022 - Statements by Poland and Hungary
• Remarks by President Charles Michel after his meeting with German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Agenda for: Eastern Partnership summit of 15 December 2021
• Civilian CSDP Compact: Council conclusions commend progress
• EU further steps up its support to the people of Belarus - IP/21/6794
• Mali: EU sets up autonomous framework for sanctions against those obstructing the political transition
• 18-month programme of the Council, prepared by the future French, Czech and Swedish Presidencies and the High Representative, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Council
• EU to impose sanctions against Russian mercenary group Wagner - Measures will include asset freezes and travel bans in response to activities in Syria, Ukraine and Africa - Financial Times