EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

STATE AID

  • Commission approves €2.55 billion Portuguese restructuring aid in favour of TAP Group and €107 million compensation for damages suffered due to coronavirus pandemic (SA.60165, and SA.63402) – IP/21/7069
  • Commission approves €88 million German support to compensate Deutsche Bahn for damages suffered by its subsidiary DB Cargo due to the coronavirus outbreak (SA.63847) - IP/21/6308
  • Commission approves €9.8 million Belgian measure to recapitalise Brussels South Charleroi Airport in the context of the coronavirus outbreak (SA.63245) - IP/21/6777

DIGITAL

  • Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/2301 of 21 December 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
  • Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2288 of 21 December 2021 amending the Annex to Regulation (EU) 2021/953 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the acceptance period of vaccination certificates issued in the EU Digital COVID Certificate format indicating the completion of the primary vaccination series

TRAVEL

  • EU Digital COVID Certificate: Commission adopts equivalence decision for Montenegro, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay  
  • Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/2301 of 21 December 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

EMPLOYMENT

  • Proposal for a Council Implementing Decision amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1561 granting temporary support pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2020/672 to Hungary to mitigate unemployment risks in the emergency following the COVID-19 outbreak

ECONOMY

  • REACT-EU: EUR 314.35 million for Poland, Hungary and Martinique for recovery and rehabilitation measures - Midday Express
  • Cohesion policy: Commission grants €366.8 million for Spain through REACT-EU for crisis response and repair - Midday Express

COMPETITION

STATE AID

  • Commission approves €57.4 million restructuring aid to Croatian mechanical engineering company Ðuro Ðaković (SA.58248) - IP/21/6969
  • Commission invites comments on proposed revision of Guidelines on State aid for railway companies - IP/21/7049
  • Commission endorses the new Guidelines on State aid for Climate, Environmental protection and Energy - IP/21/6982 & Remarks by EVP Vestager
  • New State Aid Guidelines allow technology specific auctions, endorse Contracts for Difference to deploy more wind - see Statement by WindEurope
  • New EU subsidy regime for climate protection boosts solar - see Statement by SolarPowerEurope

TRADE & CUSTOMS

  • Agenda for: Meeting of the Trade Policy Committee (General System of Preferences) of 05 January 2022
  • Agenda for: Ad hoc Group on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) of 12 January 2022
  • Amendments to the Customs Convention on the International Transport of goods under cover of TIR carnets (TIR Convention 1975) - According to UN Depositary Notification CN.370.2021.TREATIES-XI.A.16 the following amendments to the TIR Convention enter into force on 4 February 2022 for all Contracting Parties
  • Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2019/216 as regards the Union tariff rate quota for high-quality beef from Paraguay
  • Decision No 1/2021 of the EPA Committee established under the stepping stone Economic Partnership Agreement between Ghana, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part of 29 July 2021 regarding the adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the EPA Committee
  • Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2283 of 20 December 2021 opening and providing for the management of autonomous tariff quotas of the Union for certain agricultural and industrial products, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1388/2013
  • Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2287 of 17 December 2021 imposing definitive countervailing duties on imports of aluminium converter foil originating in the P. R. China and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2170 imposing definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of aluminium converter foil originating in the P. R. of China

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

FINANCIAL SERVICES

  • Daisy Chain: member states ready to negotiate with European Parliament
  • EBA submission of the draft regulatory technical standards under Article 9a (1) and (3) of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 setting up an AML/CFT central database

TAXATION

  • Fair Taxation: Commission proposes to end the misuse of shell entities for tax purposes within the EU - IP/21/7027, Q&A, Factsheet & Link to legal texts
  • Fair Taxation: Commission proposes swift transposition of the international agreement on minimum taxation of multinationals - IP/21/7028, Q&A, Factsheet & Link to legal texts

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

  • The Council has approved an agreement between the EU and the UK on fishing opportunities for 2022
  • Minutes of the 26th Meeting of Mission Board for Soil Health and Food of 18 October 2021
  • Report from the Commission on the implementation of Article 45 of Regulation (EU) N° 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on information measures relating to the common agriculture policy

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

  • Report from the Commission on the ex post evaluation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) 2014-2020

ENERGY

  • TEN-E: Council and Parliament reach provisional agreement on new rules for cross-border energy projects 

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

  • EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety of tetrahydrocurcuminoids from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283
  • EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety of Wolffia globosa powder as a Novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283
  • EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety of Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali) root extract as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283
  • EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Assessment of an application on a detoxification process of groundnut press cake for aflatoxins by ammoniation
  • EFSA - Scientific Report - Avian influenza overview September – December 2021 

DATA PRIVACY

  • Norwegian DPA imposes fine against Grindr LLC
  • Pseudonymous data: processing personal data while mitigating risks - see EDPS Statement

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

  • Council Decision (EU) 2021/2293 of 20 December 2021 on the position to be taken on behalf of the Union in the Partnership Council established by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the United Kingdom regarding the extension of the derogation from the obligation to delete passenger name record data of passengers after their departure from the United Kingdom
  • Proposal for a Regulation the European Parliament and of the Council on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, and repealing Directive 2014/94/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council - Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

  • Minutes of the Company Law Expert Group (CLEG) and targeted stakeholders: Action 12 of the Capital Markets Union Action Plan of 25 November 2022
  • Rule of Law: Commission launches infringement procedure against Poland for violations of EU law by its Constitutional Tribunal - IP/21/7070
  • Visa policy: Commission takes stock of progress towards full visa reciprocity with the United States - See the Communication - Midday Express
  • Border management: Commission adopts model agreements for cooperation between Frontex and non-EU countries - Midday Express
  • Commission launches public consultation on legal aspects of cross-border protection of vulnerable adults - Midday Express

ECB EURO ECONOMY

  • Interview with Isabel Schnabel, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, conducted by Eric Albert on 16 December and published on 22 December
  • Euro area pension fund statistics: third quarter of 2021

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

  • Syria: €10 million to help vulnerable people in Syria affected by the drought - IP/21/7065
  • Sahel food crisis: EU allocates €15 million in additional humanitarian funding - IP/21/7048
  • The European Commission appoints a new Head of Representation in Lithuania - IP/21/7045



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