EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

  • ECDC publishes new risk assessment on further emergence of Omicron variant
  • Epidemiological update: Omicron variant of concern (VOC) - data as of 15 December 2021

STATE AID

  • Commission approves €2 million Italian scheme to support management bodies of speleological sites and caves affected by the coronavirus pandemic (SA.100724) - Midday Express

ECONOMY

  • NextGenerationEU: European Commission launches Recovery and Resilience Scoreboard - IP/21/6862

TRAVEL

  • Council Recommendation on the temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the EU and the possible lifting of such restriction - notification from Switzerland 

COMPETITION

  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10550 - Phillips 66 / Fortress Investment Group / Western Oil)
  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10418 - EFMS / Goldman Sachs / Parexel)
  • Commission clears acquisition of joint control of Votener by Votorantim and CPP Investments (M.10557) - Midday Express
  • Commission clears acquisition of RG Safety by Ardian France (M.10549) - Midday Express
  • France - Green light, subject to conditions, to the takeover of the three main dealership networks for leisure accommodation vehicles by the Trigano group
  • France - Related rights: Google proposes commitments
  • Germany - Withdrawal of merger notification in scrap recycling sector due to competition concerns
  • Greece - HCC Decision on the imposition of a fine on ELTEPE SA (currently ENDIALE SA) for violation of articles 2 of Greek Law 3959/2011 and 102 TFEU
  • Greece - Dawn Raid of the Hellenic Competition Commission in the markets for sunflower, cotton and maize seeds
  • Hungary - The GVH is investigating abuse of dominant position in the online classified car ad market
  • Romania - The Competition Council assesses the transactions by which Premier Energy P.L.C. of Cyprus intends to take over both Ecoenergia S.R.L. Romania and, through Premier Energy S.R.L., Alive Capital S.A.
  • Romania - Price increase announcement can infringe the competition law
  • Slovakia - AMO SR approved a merger grounded in the change of quality of control over undertakings Cinre, s.r.o., and Cinre Property, s.r.o.
  • UK - Apple and Google duopoly limits competition and choice

STATE AID

  • Tax ruling: Advocate General Priit Pikamäe proposes that the Court allow the appeal brought by Ireland and annul the Commission’s decision declaring aid which Luxembourg granted to Fiat as being incompatible with the internal market (See CPR Nº 223/2021 - Opinion of the Advocate General in cases C-885/19 P, C-898/19 P, Fiat Chrysler Finance Europe Vs. Commission, Ireland Vs. Commission e.a)
  • Communication from the Commission - Guidelines on State aid to promote risk finance investments
  • EFTA Surveillance Authority - State aid - Decision to raise no objections

TRADE & CUSTOMS

  • Notice concerning the implementation of judgment of 3 December 2020 in Case C-461/18 P in relation to Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 626/2012 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 349/2012 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of tartaric acid originating in the People’s Republic of China
  • Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2239 of 15 December 2021 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of certain utility scale steel wind towers originating in the People’s Republic of China
  • Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the EU and Australia pursuant to Article XXVIII of the GATT 1994 relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff-rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU - See the Council Decision (EU) 2021/2234 on the conclusion
  • New EU - funded Eastern Partnership Trade Helpdesk launched
  • WTO - Items proposed for consideration at the next meeting of Dispute Settlement Body of 20 December 2021
  • WTO - New initiatives seek to put environment at heart of trade discussions
  • WTO - Launch event of ministerial statements on trade, environment and sustainable development
    - Remarks by Deputy Director-General Jean-Marie Paugam  
    - Keynote Address by WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala 
  • WTO circulates panel reports in dispute complaints targeting Indian sugar subsidies
  • WTO - DDG Ellard discusses trends in global trade, WTO reform

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

FINANCIAL SERVICES

  • DG FISMA - Consolidated list of persons, groups and entities subject to EU financial sanctions as of 15 December 2021

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

  • Convention on Biological Diversity: 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (Part 1) (Kunming/hybrid, 11-15 October 2021) - Statements by the EU and its Member States
  • Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution - Forty-first session of the Executive Body (EB 41) (Geneva/hybrid, 6-8 December 2021) - Statements by the EU and its Member States
  • Commission Delegated Directive (EU) .../… of 13.12.2021 amending, for the purposes of adapting to scientific and technical progress, Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for the use of mercury in other discharge lamps for special purposes
  • Commission Delegated Directive (EU) .../… of 13.12.2021 amending, for the purposes of adapting to scientific and technical progress, Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for mercury in fluorescent lamps for other general lighting and special purposes
  • Commission Delegated Directive (EU) .../… of 13.12.2021 amending, for the purpose of adapting to technical and scientific progress, Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for the use of mercury in single capped (compact) fluorescent lamps for special purposes
  • Report from the Commission on implementation of Directive 2010/75/EU on Industrial Emissions
  • Ivory trade: Commission updates rules to end most forms of ivory trade in the EU - IP/21/6887 & QaA
    - Commission Regulation amending Council Regulation 338/97 and Commission Regulation 865/2006
    - Annex 1 and Annexes 2 & 3
    - Implementing Regulation amending Implementing Regulation 792-2012
    - Revised Guidance Document - EU regime governing trade in ivory
  • European Green Deal: Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform kicks off - Midday Express
  • Climate Action: Modernisation Fund invests nearly €900 million during first year of operation - Midday Express
  • Commission to invest €673 million to roll out EU Missions in health, climate and the environment - Midday Express
  • Commission adopts Recommendation to help companies calculate environmental performance and manufacture more environmentally friendly products - Midday Express

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

  • EU to improve protection of workers from dangerous chemical substances - See the EP Statement
  • Protecting workers against cancer-causing chemicals: Commission welcomes political agreement on fourth update of Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive - Midday Express
  • EFSA - Implementation of the evidence‐based risk assessment for the re‐evaluation of Bisphenol A: preparatory work on cross‐sectional studies.
  • EFSA - The use of animal‐based measures at slaughter for assessing the welfare of calves on farm: EFSA’s AHAW Network exercise
  • EFSA - Implementation of the evidence‐based risk assessment for the re‐evaluation of Bisphenol A: preparatory work on Mode of Action studies in mammalian, human and/or in vitro models.
  • EFSA - Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of sodium aluminosilicate, synthetic, for all animal species (European Zeolites Producers Association (EUZEPA) & Association of Synthetic Amorphous Silica Producers (ASASP))
  • EMA launches the Regulatory Science Research Needs initiative

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

  • Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2014/41/EU, as regards its alignment with EU rules on the protection of personal data - Outcome of the European Parliament's first reading (Strasbourg, 13-16 December 2021)
  • Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Framework Decision 2002/465/JHA, as regards its alignment with EU rules on the protection of personal data - Outcome of the European Parliament's first reading (Strasbourg, 13-16 December 2021)
  • Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2243 of 15 December 2021 laying down internal rules concerning the provision of information to data subjects and the restriction of certain of their rights in the context of the processing of personal data for the purposes of the security of information and communication systems of the Commission
  • Commission to invest more than €1 billion under the Connecting Europe Facility for innovative and secure connectivity - IP/21/6830
  • Digital Markets Act: Parliament ready to start negotiations with Council
  • Big Tech faces new curbs as European Parliament passes landmark rules - The Digital Markets Act is Europe’s latest attempt to rein in the power and size of Big Tech companies - Politico.eu 

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

  • The principle ne bis in idem does not preclude the issue of a European arrest warrant against persons accused of abducting the son of a former Slovak President (See CPR No.222/21 - Judgment in Case C-203/20 AB and Others (Revocation of an amnesty))

FUTURE OF EUROPE

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

  • Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community: Commission adopts the Action Programme for 2021 - IP/21/6664

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

  • Outcome of the 3826th Foreign Affairs Council meeting of 15 & 16 November 2021
  • Joint Declaration of the Eastern Partnership Summit (Brussels, 15 December 2015) - Statement
  • Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Borrell to a MEP written question - Impact on Lithuania of Council sanctions against Belarus
  • 2021 Annual Report On the implementation of the European Union's External Action Instruments in 2020 - Working Document
  • EU arms itself against Russia, China with age-old tactic: A policy document - EU officials are plotting modest military developments they say are achievable - but wariness lingers across the bloc - Politico.eu
  • Eastern brinkmanship: Tensions with Russia overshadow summit with ex-Soviet countries - Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy asks for preemptive sanctions to thwart potential attack by Moscow.
    Politico.eu