Europe Daily News, 13 January 2022

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

• Data on COVID-19 vaccination in the EU/EEA - ECDC
• Data on country response measures to COVID-19 - ECDC
• Data on the daily number of new reported COVID-19 cases and deaths by EU/EEA country - ECDC
• MDCG 2022-1 - Notice to 3rd country manufacturers of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro diagnostic medical devices – January 2022
• Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/912 on the temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the EU and the possible lifting of such restriction - Amendment of Annex I = Adoption

TRAVEL

• Data for the maps in support of the Council Recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the EU/EEA - ECDC

ECONOMY 

• NextGenerationEU: European Commission pays €1.9 billion in pre-financing for Romania's loan component - Midday Express

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10547 - Voith/Voith Hydro)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10471 - Suez / Schneider Electric / JV)
• Commission authorises acquisition of joint control of Lusoponte by Lineas and Vinci (M.10538) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control of Renaissance by Blackstone and Francisco Partners (M.10554) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control of the Initial Fund by Warner Music, BlackRock Financial Management and Influence Media (M.10422) - Midday Express
• Commission prohibits proposed acquisition of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering by Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings (M.9343) - IP/22/343

STATE AID

• EFTA Surveillance Authority - State aid – Decision to raise no objections - see OJ C 16 p.2,3 & 4 

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Opinion of Advocate General Pikamae of 13 January 2022, Case C‑260/20 P, European Commission Vs. Hansol Paper Co. Ltd
  Re: Appeal - Dumping - Implementing regulation (EU) 2017/763 - Imports of certain lightweight thermal paper originating in the Republic of Korea - Definitive anti-dumping duty - Calculation of the dumping margin - Calculation of the injury margin - Determination of injury
• Notice of the impending expiry of certain anti-dumping measures (Barium carbonate - The People’s Republic of China - Anti-dumping duty - Regulation (EU) 2017/1759 - 29.9.2022)
• Draft Report by MEP Heidi Hautala on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on applying a generalised scheme of tariff preferences and repealing Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• WTO - The third review of the trade policies and practices of Georgia takes place on 12 and 14 January 2022
• WTO - Committee on Safeguards - Notification under article 12.1(c) of the Agreement on Safeguards - Notification under article 9.1, footnote 2 of the agreement on Safeguards on Certain Steel Products - Supplement
• Lithuania’s foreign minister calls on EU to stand up to China - Beijing targeting companies that use components made in the Baltic state, says Gabrielius Landsbergis - Financial Times
• Using trade policy for strategic ends will be harder than Macron thinks - France may simply end up using a new anti-coercion tool as a protectionist weapon - Financial Times
• Palm oil attacks? Why EU's latest sustainability plans risk alienating Indonesia amid free trade talks

INTERNAL MARKET & GENERAL

• Opinion of Advocate General MR Maciej Szpunar of 13 January 2022, Joined Cases C-253/20 and C-254/20, Impexeco N.V. Vs Novartis AG (C-253/20) and PI Pharma NV Vs. Novartis AG, Novartis Pharma NV (C-254/20)
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Industrial and commercial property - Trade mark rights - Parallel imports of medicinal products - Reference medicinal products and generic medicinal products - Opposition of the proprietor of a trade mark to the affixing of the trade mark to imported generic medicinal products - Artificial partitioning of the markets between Member States
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Working Party on Competitiveness (Industry) of 20 January 2022
• Creative Europe increased budget in 2022 to support cultural and creative sectors - IP/22/286
• The Commission steps up action for high quality and inclusive youth volunteering - IP/22/284, Proposal for Recommendation

TAXATION

• Judgment of the Court of 13 January 2022 in Case C-513/20, Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira Vs. Termas Sulfurosas de Alcafache SA
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Common system of value added tax (VAT) - Directive 2006/112/EC - Article 132(1)(b) - Exemptions for certain activities in the public interest - Exemption for hospital and medical treatment - Closely connected transactions - Thermal cures - Amount charged for the drawing up of an individual file, including a clinical file
• Judgment of the Court of 13 January 2022 in Case C-326/20, 'MONO' SIA Vs. Valsts ieņēmumu dienests,
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Excise duties - Directive 2008/118/EC - Exemption from harmonised excise duty - Products intended for use in connection with diplomatic or consular relations - Conditions for the application of the exemption laid down by the host Member State - Payment by means other than cash
• Judgment of the Court of 13 January 2022 in Case C‑156/20, Zipvit Ltd Vs. The Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Common system of VAT - Directive 2006/112/EC - Article 168 - Right of deduction - Supply of postal services mistakenly exempted - VAT deemed to be included in the commercial price of the supply for the purpose of exercising the right of deduction - Not included - Concept of VAT ‘due or paid’

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Potential negative effects of the embargo imposed by Belarus on the imports of a number of agri-food products, including apples - Information from the Polish delegation
• Commissioner Wojciechowski in Spain to visit La Palma following the eruption of the volcano Cumbre Vieja - Midday Express

ENERGY

• ACER to decide on ENTSO-E’s proposal for the Regional Coordination Centre Post-Operation and Post-Disturbances Analysis and Reporting Methodology
• Judgment of the Court of 13 January 2022 in Case C-110/20, Regione Puglia v Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività culturali e del Turismo, Ministero dello Sviluppo economico, Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri, Commissione tecnica di verifica dell'impatto ambientale, in the presence of : Global Petroleum Ltd
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Energy - Directive 94/22/EC - Conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons - Authorisation to prospect for hydrocarbons in a specific geographical area for a given period - Contiguous areas - Granting of more than one authorisation to the same operator - Directive 2011/92/EU - Article 4(2) and (3) - Assessment of the environmental impact
• 25% of EU electricity production from nuclear sources - see the Statement

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• EU ETS emissions continued to decline during the Covid-19 pandemic - see the Statement
• Hazardous substances - exemption for use of lead in electrical/electronic equipment for specific medical devices devices - Delegated directive - Feedback period: 12 January 2022 - 09 February 2022
• Hazardous substances - exemption for use of lead in non-magnetic components for specific medical - Delegated directive - Feedback period: 12 January 2022 - 09 February 2022

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Judgment of the Court of 13 January 2022 in Case C-881/19, Tesco Stores ČR a.s. Vs. Ministerstvo zemědělství
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Consumer protection - Approximation of laws - Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 - Annex VII, Part E, point 2(a) - Food information for consumers - Labelling and presentation of foodstuffs - Directive 2000/36/EC - Annex I, Part A, point 2(c) - Cocoa and chocolate products - List of ingredients of a foodstuff intended for consumers in a Member State 
• Minutes - 10th Plenary meeting of the Expert Panel on Effective Ways of investing in health (2019-2022) (24 November 2021)

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Framework Decision 2002/465/JHA, as regards its alignment with Union rules on the protection of personal data
• Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2014/41/EU, as regards its alignment with Union rules on the protection of personal data
• Data Protection Regulation for EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies - report on application - Communication - Feedback period: 11 January 2022 - 08 February 2022

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Train drivers – improved EU certification scheme - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 11 January 2022 - 08 February 2022

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Teachers of Catholic religious education: the requirement to hold a suitability certificate issued by a Church authority does not justify the renewal of fixed-term contracts (See CPR No.1/22, - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-282/19, MIUR and Ufficio Scolastico Regionale per la Campania)
• Commissioner Johansson travels to Berlin tomorrow - Midday Express
• Von der Leyen expects EU deal on rules for women in boardrooms - Commission president will work with France on directive during its six-month leadership - Financial Times

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• President Charles Michel outlined his vision of shoring up Europe's economic sovereignty at the 2022 edition of the EIB annual high-level conference.
• ECB - Economic Bulletin, Issue 8 / 2021 

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Head of Cabinet of President von der Leyen in talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman - IP/22/326
• Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures against Syria
• Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses