Europe Daily News, 12 January 2022 | Perspectives & Events

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

Data on COVID-19 vaccination in the EU/EEA - ECDC
Data on the daily number of new reported COVID-19 cases and deaths by EU/EEA country - ECDC
EMA - Preliminary data indicate COVID-19 vaccines remain effective against severe disease and hospitalisation caused by the Omicron variant

COMPETITION

Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10521 - Orange / Publicis / Voila)
Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10563 - Engie Spain / Predica / Eolia)
Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10545 - PSA / TIL / PNIT)
Belgium - Notification CC-22-0001 - Groupe RMGA / Groupe Lallemand
Germany - Google News Showcase - Bundeskartellamt holds consultations on Google’s proposals for dispelling competition concerns
Ireland - CCPC publishes Merger & Acquisition Report 2021
The Netherlands - ACM issues warning against online store Kabel-gigant.com’s aggressive and misleading sales practices
Poland - Truck dealer cartels - two decisions of the UOKiK President
UK - The CMA is investigating the anticipated acquisition by Microsoft Corporation of Nuance Communications, Inc.

TRADE & CUSTOMS

Agenda for: Meeting of the Trade Policy Committee (Services & Investment) of 12 January 2022
Agenda for: Meeting of the 631st Export Credit Group meeting of 17 January 2022
Agenda for: Meeting of the Trade Questions Committee of 12 January 2022
Agenda for: Meeting of the Dual-Use Goods Committee of 19 January 2022
State of play of the FTAs and other agreements - Ongoing bilateral and regional negotiations - Last update in January 2022
The Benefits of Intellectual Property Rights in EU Free Trade Agreements - January 2022 - See ECIPE Full Report
EU and Mercosur in the Twenty-First Century: Taking Stock of the Economic and Cultural Ties - See ECIPE Policy Brief - 15/2021

INTERNAL MARKET

Commission Regulation (EU) …/… of XXX amending Annex XIV to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the REACH - Decision not to oppose adoption - Statement by Germany
Sustainable consumption of goods - promoting repair and reuse - Feedback and consultation period: 11 January 2022 - 05 April 2022 - Midday Express

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Answer given by Mr Gentiloni to a MEP written question - Revision of international agreements involving the transfer of personal data to third countries in connection with the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)
AFME publishes recommendations for a successful EU Green Bond Standard
EBF Response to Public Consultation on Guidance on the Rules Applicable to the Use of Public-Private Partnerships in The Framework of Preventing and Fighting Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
EU green investment labels pose problems for German coalition - Greens are irked by the inclusion of nuclear and gas in the bloc’s taxonomy - Financial Times

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

Agenda for: Council of the European Union (Agriculture & Fisheries) on 17 January 2022.
- High-level stakeholder conference on “EU animal welfare - today & tomorrow” of 9 December 2021
- Market situation - Exchange of views & Contributions received from Delegations

ENERGY

Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - Energy crisis
Answer given by Mr Gentiloni to a MEP written question - Price of gas in Spain
Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - EU-wide monitoring of energy poverty
Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - Gas price increase and impact on Murano glassware
Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - The lack of genuine competition on the Spanish electricity market
How biofuels can supercharge the EU’s drive to carbon neutrality - See ePure Statement
New year’s irresolution: France, nuclear power, and the EU’s energy transition - See ECFR Commentary

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

EU legislation on the commercial keeping and sale of dogs - Information from the Danish delegation
High-level stakeholder conference on “EU animal welfare – today & tomorrow” of 9 December 2021 - Information from the European Commission
EFSA - Safety assessment of the process MOPET, NOVAPET & LuxPET, based on the Polymetrix pellet technology, used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials
EFSA - Modification of the existing MRLs for fosetyl/phosphonic acid in chards/beet leaves and honey resulting from the use of potassium phosphonates
EFSA - Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for the active substance penthiopyrad in light of confirmatory data submitted
EFSA - Workshop on data and methodologies for establishing tolerable upper intake levels for vitamins and minerals
EFSA - Pest categorisation of Maconellicoccus hirsutus and of of Arboridia kakogawana

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

Launch of new calls worth €258 million to support digital connectivity infrastructures - Midday Express
Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Harmful influence of the US corporation Facebook on democracy and society
No pain, no gain? The Digital Markets Act - See CER Policy brief

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

Minutes of the 57th Plenary meeting of the EDPB of 18 November 2021
EDPS orders Europol to erase data concerning individuals with no established link to a criminal activity - see the Europol’s Statement

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

Answer given by Ms Vălean to a MEP written question - Digital tachograph and cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS)

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

Commission proposes partial suspension of visa waiver agreement with Vanuatu to address risks linked to golden passport schemes - IP/22/264, QaA & the Proposal
Commission proposes stronger mandate for EU Drugs Agency as illicit market proliferates - IP/22/302, see the Proposal, the Annex, the Impact assessment and its Executive summary
11 arrested in Spain and France for flying cannabis into Europe - Criminal network smuggled tonnes of cannabis from Morocco to Spain and France and then laundered the proceeds – See Europol Statement

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

Agenda for: Meeting of the Eurogroup Council of 17 January 2022
Agenda for: Meeting of the Ecofin Council of 18 January 2022
- Alert Mechanism Report 2022 - Draft Council conclusions
- 2022 European Semester: The Annual Sustainable Growth Survey 2022 - Draft Council Conclusions
- Draft Council Recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area - Explanatory note
ECB - Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 7 January 2022
Remarks by Christine Lagarde at a virtual ceremony marking the change of office of the President of the Bundesbank
ECB - Euro area securities issues statistics: November 2021
Towards a single fiscal performance indicator - ECB Occasional Paper Series No.288
Savings, efficiency and the nature of bank runs - ECB Working Paper Series No.2636

FUTURE OF EUROPE

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Never-ending divorce: The role of UK-EU security cooperation after Brexit - See ECFR Commentary

Key Issues –