Europe Daily News, 07 February 2022

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES 

STATE AID

• Commission approves €300 million Austrian scheme for package travel organisers and facilitators of linked travel services in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (SA.101114) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €10 million Italian scheme to support breweries in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (SA.101535) - Midday Express
• COVID-19 pandemic: ESA approves amendments to Icelandic support scheme for businesses

EMPLOYMENT

• Coronavirus: €4 million from European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to support dismissed Selecta workers in France - IP/22/732, see the Proposal

COMPETITION

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competition of 10 February 2022
• Appeal brought on 9 December 2021 by Nichicon Corporation against the judgment of the General Court of 29 September 2021 in Case T-342/18, Nichicon Corporation Vs. Commission - Case C-757/21 P
  Re: set aside the judgment under appeal and annul the Commission decision C(2018) 1768 final of 21 March 2018 relating to proceedings under Article 101 TFEU and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case AT.40136 Capacitors, ‘decision at issue’) insofar as it concerns the Appellant;
• Appeal brought on 10 December 2021 by Nippon Chemi-Con Corporation against the judgment of the General Court of 29 September 2021 in Case T-363/18, Nippon Chemi-Con Corporation Vs. Commission - Case C-759/21 P
  Re: set aside the judgment under appeal and annul the European Commission's decision of 21 March 2018 relating to a proceeding under Art. 101 of the TFEU and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (AT.40136 - Capacitors) in so far as the Appellant is concerned;
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10622 - Genstar Capital / MDP / Lightspeed)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10562 - Carlyle / Warburg Pincus / Duravant)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10480 - GoldmanSachs / NN Investment Partners Holding)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10509 - MIRA / OTPP / PGGM / BCI / Omers / Aimco / Puget)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10563 - Engie Spain / Predica / Eolia)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10539 - South32 / KGHM / Sierra Gorda)
• Commission invites interested parties to provide comments on proposed guidance about information exchange in dual distribution relationships 
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control of a new joint venture by ECDC and HPIL (M.10540) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control of CyrusOne by KKR and GIP (M.10569) - Midday Express
• Commission authorises the acquisition of joint control of Veonet by PAI Partners and OTPP (M.10590) - Midday Express
• Germany - Takeover of SCHUFA - Bundeskartellamt clears merger plans in bidding competition
• The Nethrlands - House-search platform Funda sees end of Dutch dominance-abuse probe

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections
• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections
• State aid - Poland - State aid SA.37489 (2013/FC) - Alleged unlawful State aid to Sferia S.A. - Poland - Invitation to submit comments pursuant to Article 108(2) of the TFEU
• Commission approves a French measure of €18.1 million for the construction of a terminal dedicated to combined rail-road transport in the communes of Grans and Miramas (SA.64434) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Trade Policy Committee (Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)) of 09 February 2022
• Agenda for: 31th meeting of the Customs Expert Group - Data Integration & Harmonization section of 24 February and 01 March 2022
  Agenda for: 42nd meeting of the Customs Expert group Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature - Section HS/WCO Coordination Sector of 07 / 28 February 2022
• Agenda for: 23rd Meeting Customs 2027 Programme - Prohibitions & Restrictions Experts Group of 11 February 2022
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Trade Questions Committee of 8 February 2022
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Finanzgericht Bremen (Germany)of 15 October 2021 - LB GmbH Vs. Hauptzollamt D - Case C-635/21
  Re: Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 - ‘air loungers’ - subheading 9401 80 00
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Tribunalul Cluj (Romania) of 19 October 2021 - SC Zes Zollner Electronic SRL Vs. Direcția Regională Vamală Cluj - Biroul Vamal de Frontieră Aeroport Cluj Napoca - Case C-640/21
  Re: Article 173 or Article 174 of Regulation No 952/2013 - consignation of the goods reports a quantity in excess of that stated in the original customs declaration - expression ‘goods other than those which [the customs declaration] originally covered 
• Notice of the impending expiry of certain anti-dumping measures (Certain open mesh fabrics of glass fibres - The People’s Republic of China; India; Indonesia; Malaysia; Taiwan; Thailand - 8.11.2022)
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/161 of 3 February 2022 terminating the examination procedure concerning obstacles to trade within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2015/1843 applied by the United Mexican States consisting of measures affecting the import of Tequila
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/150 of 17 November 2021 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 32/2000 as regards the volume of herring that may be imported under tariff quota 09.0006
• Food safety: EU and US resume trade of bivalve molluscs - IP/22/2022
• Impacts of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on fisheries and aquaculture in the EU - Trade aspects - Briefing & Study for the EP Committee on Fisheries 
• WTO - Exports of intermediate goods continue to grow in third quarter of 2021

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Committee of Competitiveness & Growth (Industry) of 10 February 2022
• EU Industry Days: Putting EU industrial ecosystems on the path to the green and digital transitions - Midday Express
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Concession and extension of A22 motorway by the Italian Government
• EU grants €25 million to bring frontier research closer to the market - See the recent survey 
• Speech by Commissioner Gabriel at the Paris Open Science European Conference

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• ESMA Newsletter December 2021 & January 2022
• Answer given by Ms McGuinness to a MEP written question - EU Taxonomy Regulation
• EU lawmakers plan last-ditch effort to reject Brussels’ green investment rules - EP must vote on measures labelling nuclear energy and natural gas as sustainable – Financial Times 

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Regulation on making available on the EU market and export of products associated with deforestation and forest degradation - Policy debate -  AgriFish Council on 21 February

ENERGY

• The 8th Ministerial Meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council - see Remarks by Commissioner Simson 
• HR/VP Borrell and Commissioner Simson participate in the EU-US Energy Council in Washington DC - Financial Times 

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/162 of 4 February 2022 laying down rules for the application of Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the calculation, verification and reporting on the reduction in the consumption of certain single-use plastic products and the measures taken by Member States to achieve such reduction
• Commission Decision of 5 November 2021 instructing the Central Administrator of the European Union Transaction Log to enter changes to the national allocation tables of Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, France, Croatia, Cyprus, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden into the European Union Transaction Log
• Economic losses from weather and climate-related extremes in Europe reached around half a trillion euros over past 40 years – See EEA Briefing

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• EFSA - Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for the active substance propyzamide in light of confirmatory data submitted
• EFSA - SCAN‐Clim: a tool to support pest climate suitability analysis based on climate classification

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Commission Notice on well-functioning and sustainable local passenger transport-on-demand (taxis and PHV)

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Safer Internet Day 2022: together for a better internet - Midday Express 
• Vice-President Věra Jourová in Paris for talks on media freedom and Europe's digital sovereignty - Midday Express

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Group on Cyber Issues of 8 February 2022
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Amtsgericht Hagen (Germany) of 16 November 2021 - BL Vs. Saturn Electro-Handelsgesellschaft mbH Hagen - Case C-687/21
  Re: Article 82 of the General Data Protection Regulation
• Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on improving working conditions in platform work - EDPS formal comments
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Invasion of privacy by camera-based security systems
• Minutes of the 7th meeting of the Multistakeholder expert group to support the application of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 29 October 2021
• Hellenic DPA: Fines imposed to telecommunications companies due to personal data breach and illegal data processing
• AEPD fine of EUR 3,000,000 to Caixabank Payments & Consumer EFC, EP, S.A.U. for lack of specific and informed consent regarding profiling for commercial purposes

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Commissioner Johansson travels to Ireland - Midday Express
• Joint Statement ahead of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, travels to Spain
• Economic Dialogue with the European Commission on EU Fiscal Surveillance - 7 February 2022 - In-Depth Analysis - EP ECON Committee

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) of 09 & 11 February 2022
• Conference on the Future of Europe: Citizens finalise their deliberations on the EU in the world and on migration.  See the third interim report. 

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Mali: EU adopts targeted sanctions against five individuals - See Regulation (EU) 2022/156 & Decision (CFSP) 2022/157
• EU's response to terrorism: Council renews terrorist list - See Regulation (EU) 2022/147 & Decision (CFSP) 2022/152
• Council Regulation (EU) 2022/148 of 3 February 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 753/2011 concerning restrictive measures directed against certain individuals, groups, undertakings and entities in view of the situation in Afghanistan
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/153 of 3 February 2022 amending Decision 2011/486/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain individuals, groups, undertakings and entities in view of the situation in Afghanistan
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/151 of 3 February 2022 on a European Union action to support the evacuation of certain particularly vulnerable persons from Afghanistan
• Council Regulation (EU) 2022/149 of 3 February 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 101/2011 concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Tunisia
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/154 of 3 February 2022 amending Decision 2011/72/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Tunisia
• Statement of European Council President Charles Michel and French President Emmanuel Macron following the meeting with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell to a MEP written question - Adverse effect of US extraterritorial sanctions on EU workers and consumers
• Ukraine: EU wrestles with how to inflict sanctions ‘pain’ on Russia - Brussels wants to target the banking and energy sectors to hurt Moscow while minimising damage to European economies – Financial Times