EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

STATE AID

  • Commission approves €60 million Austrian wage subsidy scheme to support seasonal businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic (SA.101086) - Midday Express 

COMPETITION

  • Agenda for: Working Party on Competition of 17 January 2022
  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10444 - RWE Generation / Messer Industriegase / Kreis Düren/ Siemens Project Ventures / JV)
  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10428 - CDPQ / OTPPB / CMLIC)
  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10364 - ECI / Bonak / Fast Group)
  • Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10539 - South32 / KGHM / Sierra Gorda) 
  • Commission clears acquisition of Powen by ACEK, the Benjumea Family and Brookfield (M.10552) - Midday Express
  • Remarks by EVP Vestager on the Commission decision to prohibit the proposed acquisition of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering by Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings
  • Belgium - Notification CONC-CC-22/0003 / Thomas & Piron Holding SA / BAM Galère S.R.L.
  • Czech Republic - The Chairman of the UOHS terminated the proceedings with the undertaking NET4GAS because of the favourability of the subsequent legislation
  • Czech Republic - In its first instance decision, the UOHS imposed a fine of CZK 96,751,000 on GARLAND distributor, s.r.o. for vertical agreements on resale price maintenance
  • Cyprus - Notification of concentration regarding the acquisition of the share capital of Axios Systems Public Ltd by EQT investment funds, via Industrial and Financial Systems, IFS UK Ltd
  • Germany - Bundeskartellamt prohibits merger in the surface drainage sector: ACO and BIRCO cannot merge
  • Germany - Bundeskartellamt - List of Notified Merger Projects
  • France - Court bailiffs: the Autorité issues two decisions for anticompetitive agreements
  • Lithuania - Study reveals that Lithuanian businesses’ need for competition advocacy remains high
  • Romania - The Competition Council approved the transaction through which Mr. Peticilă Florentin - Lucian, through Visual Fan S.A., enters the ownership of Intervision Trading-Ro S.R.L

STATE AID

  • Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections
  • Commission authorises a €250 million French scheme to compensate businesses downstream of farms affected by the April 2021 frost (SA.100729) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

  • Stakeholder meeting on the establishment of a Multilateral Investment Court - 08 February 2022
  • Draft Opinion by MEP Luke Ming Flanagan on the future of EU-Africa trade relations
  • Opinion by MEP Zbigniew Kuzmiuk on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism
  • Draft Opinion by MEP Izabela-Helena Kloc on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism
  • Draft Opinion by MEP Samira Rafaela on the conclusion of the Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific (OACPS) States, of the other part - Amendments 1 - 50

INTERNAL MARKET

  • Minutes of the 23rd meeting of the Committee on Standards of 10 December 2022
  • Speech by Commissioner Breton at the conference "A stronger industry for a more autonomous Europe"
  • The “European Battery Alliance Academy” initiative - Powerpoint presentation (Compcro (Industry) WP 12.01.2022)
  • Opinion of Advocate General Pitruzzella of 13 January 2022 in Case C‑466/20, Heitec AG Vs. Heitech Promotion GmbH, RW
    Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - EU trade marks - Limitation in consequence of acquiescence - Calculation of the five-year period - Interruption of the period of limitation in consequence of acquiescence - Sending of a warning letter - Effects of limitation - Associated rights concerning compensation, provision of information and handing over of products for destruction

FINANCIAL SERVICES

  • Progress on financial services legislative files as of 13 January 2022
  • EBA Opinion and Report on de-risking and its impact on access to financial services
  • EBA publishes Guidelines for institutions and resolution authorities on improving banks’ resolvability and consults on transferability

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

  • Decision (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2021 on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers following an application from Italy: EGF/2021/003 IT/Porto Canale (2022/48), and EGF/2021/002 IT/Air Italy (2022/51) and from Spain: EGF/2021/004 ES/Aragón automotive (2022/50)

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

  • Minutes for: Special Committee on Agriculture of 10 January 2022
  • Agenda for: Council of the European Union (Agriculture & Fisheries) of 17 January 2022
  • Continuing critical situation in the pig sector in the Czech Republic - request for introducing exceptional EU support measures - Information from the Czech delegation 
  • Animal transport: systematic failures revealed (interview of MEP says Tilly Metz)

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

  • The Court of Justice sets aside the judgment of the General Court partially annulling the Commission regulation fixing emission values for real driving emissions tests for new light vehicles (See CPR No 2/2022 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Joined Cases C-177/19 P, Allemagne - Ville de Paris and Others Vs. Commission, C-178/19 P, Hongrie - Ville de Paris e.a. Vs. Commission)
  • Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of the environment through criminal law and replacing Directive 2008/99/EC - Correspondence table & Comparative table of offences 
  • Commission calls for environmental sustainability to be at the core of EU education and training systems - IP/22/327, Proposal for Council Recommendation & Working Document
  • Grenoble launches as European Green Capital 2022: Commissioner Sinkevičius attends opening ceremony - Midday Express

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

  • Food safety: Food additive Titanium Dioxide banned as of this summer - See the Q&A - Midday Express
  • Products with an aesthetic or non-medical purpose - safety requirements - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 14 January 2022 - 11 February 2022
  • EMA - Accelerating Clinical Trials in the EU (ACT EU): for better clinical trials that address patients’ needs
  • EMA welcomes EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

  • Agenda for: Working Party on Telecommunications & Information Society of 18 January 2022
  • EDPB - During its December plenary, the following documents have been adopted:
    - EDPB contribution to the evaluation of the Law Enforcement Directive
    - EDPB response to MEP István Ujhelyi on the alleged use of the Pegasus spyware
    - Guidelines on examples regarding data breach notifications (following public consultation)
    - Opinion 39/2021 on whether Article 58(2)(g) GDPR could serve as a legal basis for a supervisory authority to order ex officio the erasure of personal data, in a situation where such request was not submitted by the data subject
  • ENISA issues an analysis of the interoperability potential of cybersecurity risk management frameworks and methodologies to improve decision-making

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

  • Road transport - EU standards for safe and secure parking areas for trucks - Delegated regulation - Feedback period : 13 January 2022 - 10 February 2022
  • Eurovignette: Transport MEPs clear way for plenary vote

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

  • Drugs and drug addiction – expanding the mandate of the European monitoring centre - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 14 January 2022 - 11 March 2022
  • Formal sitting - Entry into office of 3 new Members of the General Court of the EU - Damjan Kukovec; Suzanne Kingston & Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos (See CPR No 4/2022)
  • Romania joins challenges to EU law supremacy Premium content - Justice commissioner threatens legal action if Bucharest does not comply with EU top court rulings - Financial Times
  • Brussels ready to recoup unpaid fines from Poland as rule of law rift widens - Warsaw is racking up €1m daily penalties after failing to comply with European court measures - Financial Times

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

FUTURE OF EUROPE

  • Remarks by President Charles Michel following his meeting with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala
  • Weekly Calendar from Monday 17 January to Sunday 23 January 2022

BREXIT

  • Joint statement between the UK and EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol and EU-UK relations
  • Closing the transatlantic corporate divide - The EU and UK must find the right balance to encourage sustainable growth - Financial Times 

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

  • Brazil: EU releases €1 million in emergency funds to support people affected by floods  - Midday Express
  • Russia: EU renews economic sanctions over the situation in Ukraine for further six months - See Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/52  
  • Declaration by the HR/VP on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Mali
  • Declaration by the HR/VP on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures against the Republic of Guinea

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