EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

STATE AID

  • Commission approves €3.07 million Bulgarian scheme to support tour operators in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (SA.101306) - Midday Express
  • Commission approves six Dutch schemes and amendment of one scheme to support companies affected by the coronavirus pandemic (SA.101235) - Midday Express
  • Commission approves amendment to Irish scheme to support commercial venues, producers and promoters of live performances affected by coronavirus pandemic (SA.101267) - Midday Express

ECONOMY

  • EU Cohesion policy: Almost €385.5 million from the EU Solidarity Fund to 19 countries to tackle the coronavirus health emergency - IP/22/395
  • REACT-EU: €136 million to support six Polish regions in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and to support their digital and green transition - IP/22/366
  • The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on EU cohesion and EU cohesion policy - Study of the EP REGI Committee

COMPETITION

  • The General Court awards Deutsche Telekom compensation in the amount of approximately € 1.8 million for the harm which it suffered as a result of the European Commission’s refusal to pay it default interest on the amount of the fine which it had unduly paid for an infringement of competition rules (See CPR Nº 7/2022 - Judgment of the General Court in Case T-610/19, Deutsche Telekom Vs. Commission)
  • Agenda for: Working Party on Competition (Foreign Subsidies) of 20 January 2022
  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10552 - Brookfield / ACEK / Benjumea Family / Powen)
  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.9546 - Gategroup/LSG European Business)
  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10314 - Vinci / Energia Y Servicios Dinsa II) 
  • Commission clears acquisition of Hebei Mauri by ABF and Wilmar (M.10411) - Midday Express
  • Commission clears acquisition of joint control of Peel Ports by PG, GIP, APG and AS (M.10535) - Midday Express
  • Commission clears PAI Partners' acquisition of New Tiger, Pepsico's fruit juice business (M.10484) - Midday Express
  • UK - The CMA is investigating the anticipated acquisition by NortonLifeLock Inc. of Avast plc. - see the Commencement notice
  • Vestager: Metaverse poses new competition challenges - The EU’s digital czar says, ‘We should start thinking about it now’ when it comes to regulating new digital spaces - Politico.eu

STATE AID

  • Judgment of the General Court of 19 January 2022 in Case T-757/18, Koinopraxia Touristiki Loutrakiou Vs. Commission supported by Regency Entertainment Psychagogiki kai Touristiki AE, and Elliniko Kazino Parnithas AE,
    Re: State aid - Greek casinos - System providing for a levy of 80% on admission fees of different amounts - Differentiation between public and private casinos - Complaint - Decision declaring the aid incompatible with the internal market and unlawful and ordering its recovery - Annulment of the decision by a decision of the General Court - Decision finding no State aid - Action for annulment - Challengeable act - Admissibility - Rights of the defence
  • Commission approves €20 million Spanish scheme under Recovery and Resilience Facility to support deployment of intelligent transportation systems (SA.62986) - IP/22/421

TRADE & CUSTOMS

  • Agenda for: Meeting of the Trade Policy Committee (Deputies) of 21 January 2022
  • Agenda for: 22nd Customs Expert Group - Section Customs Status and Transit of 27 January 2022
  • Agenda for: 28th meeting of the Customs Expert Group - Section Special Procedures other than Transit of 21 January 2022
  • Minutes of 27th meeting of the Customs Expert group - Section Special Procedures other than Transit of 23 November 2021
  • Minutes of 44th meeting of the Customs Expert Group - Section General Customs Legislation of 26 January 2022
  • Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/72 of 18 January 2022 imposing definitive countervailing duties on imports of optical fibre cables originating in the People’s Republic of China and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2011 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of optical fibre cables originating in the People’s Republic of China
  • Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Huge-scale purchasing of European timber by Chinese firms
  • WTO - Committee on Regional Trade Agreements - Factual presentation - FTA between the United Kingdom and Singapore - Goods and services - Report by the Secretariat

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

  • Agenda for : REACH Committee of 02 February 2022
  • DigitalEurope comments on the proposed General Product Safety Regulation
  • ACEA Report – Vehicles in use, Europe 2022

FINANCIAL SERVICES

  • ESMA issues 2021 report on accepted market practices under MAR
  • AFME publishes recommendations for a successful EU Green Bond Standard
  • CSRD - Why we need to get improved corporate sustainability data by 2024 - EFAMA
  • EBF - Updated European Interbank Compensation and Liquidity Management Guidelines
  • EBF feedback to the European Commission’s proposed AML Package
  • EU should ban energy-intensive mode of crypto mining, regulator says - Esma vice-chair criticises method of minting bitcoin that is using more renewable energy - Financial Times

TAXATION

  • EU drive for corporate tax deal sparks divisions - French presidency plans to advance on one part of the OECD deal, with eye on elections - Financial Times

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

  • Setting the course for a sustainable blue planet, an update of the international ocean governance agenda - Joint communication - Feedback period: 18 January 2022 - 15 February 2022
  • Impacts of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on fisheries and aquaculture in the EU - Legal aspects - Briefing for the EP Committee on Fisheries
  • Minutes of the Meeting of the Expert Group for Horizontal Questions concerning the CAP of 12 January 2022

ENERGY

  • Agenda for: Working Party on Energy of 25 January 2021
  • Agenda for: Energy Efficiency Directive Committee (Directive 2012/27/EU) of 20 January 2022
  • Commission discusses security of gas supply with Member States at the Gas Coordination Group meeting - Midday Express
  • Public consultation to feed into new EU strategy on solar energy - Communication - Feedback and consultation period: 18 January 2022 - 12 April 2022
  • Public consultation launched on renewables permitting and power purchase agreements - Recommendation - Feedback & consultation period: 18 January 2022 - 12 April 2022
  • Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - Rising gas prices
  • Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - Clarification of the definition of ambient energy in Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources
  • Energy trilemma causes a headache for Germany’s new leaders - Ambitious climate transition plans cannot disguise coalition differences about the nation’s reliance on Russian gas - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

  • Presidency to host informal meeting on environmental and energy challenges - 20-22 January 2022
  • Zero pollution in drinking water: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals on new watch list of pollutants
  • 8th Round of Mutual Evaluations - 'The practical implementation and operation of European policies on preventing and combating Environmental Crime' Follow-up to the Report on Croatia 

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

  • New Pact on Migration and Asylum: new mandate, new start for the European Union Agency for Asylum - IP/22/414

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

  • Main results of Economic & Financial Affairs Council of 18 January 2022 - List of adopted “A Items”
    - 2022 European Semester: The Annual Sustainable Growth Survey 2022
    - Alert Mechanism Report 2022 - Council Conclusions
  • Opinion of the European Central Bank of 5 November 2021 on a proposal for a regulation on European green bonds (CON/2021/30)
  • Production in construction down by 0.2% in euro area, up by 0.2% in EU - Up by 0.5% and 1.3% compared with November 2022 - Stat/10/2022

FUTURE OF EUROPE

  • Future of Europe: Conference Plenary discusses Citizens' Panels' recommendations - 18 January 2022

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

  • Agenda for : Working Party on Development Cooperation and International Partnerships of 20 January 2022
  • Afghanistan: EU supports the education, health and livelihoods of the Afghan people with €268.3 million
  • Sudan: Statement by the High Representative/Vice President Josep Borrell on the latest situation
  • United Arab Emirates: Statement by the Spokesperson on attacks claimed by Ansar Allah
  • EU/GCC: High Representative Borrell met with Secretary General Al-Hajraf
  • Russia: Statement by the High Representative Josep Borrell on the anniversary of Alexei Navalny’s arrest and imprisonment
  • EU divided over sanctions trigger if Russia acts against Ukraine - Some member states remain wary of responding to ‘hybrid’ attacks such as cyber warfare - Financial Times
     




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