Europe Daily News, 16 February 2022

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - COVID-19: duration of vaccine effectiveness
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Use of molnupiravir and remdesivir

STATE AID

• Commission approves €120 million Dutch scheme to support companies for their event organising activity affected by the coronavirus pandemic (SA.100781) - Midday Express

TRAVEL

• European digital COVID certificate: Commission adopts equivalence decision for Benin (Decision (EU) 2022/206) and Jordan (Decision (EU) 2022/207) - Midday Express
• How to regain consumer confidence in the tourism industry in the post-pandemic age – new BEUC position

ECONOMY

• Caution: do not cross! Capital buffers and lending in Covid-19 times - ECB Working Paper Series - No.2644
• Household spending and fiscal support during the COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a new consumer survey - ECB Working Paper Series - No.2643

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Small group of foreign ministers met to coordinate enhanced COVID-19 response - IP/22/1061

COMPETITION

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competition of 21 February 2022
• Summary of Commission Decision of 10 September 2021 establishing the specific measures to correct the anti-competitive effects of the infringement identified in the Commission Decision of 5 March 2008 on the granting or maintaining in force by the Hellenic Republic of rights in favour of Public Power Corporation S.A. for extraction of lignite (Infringement Procedure Nr. 2003/4428) (Case AT.38700 - Greek lignite and electricity markets)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10607 - Lone Star / SPX Flow)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10568 - IIF International Holding / G+E Getec Holding)
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control of Sigma by PBBE and Oxford Properties (M.10604) - Midday Express 

STATE AID

• ESA approves Iceland’s regional aid map for 2022-2027

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Committee on Dual-Use Group of 23 February 2022
• Agenda for: Ad hoc Group on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (MACF) of 21 February 2022
• WTO - Chair of fisheries subsidies negotiations reports on consultations with members

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda of the 94th meeting of the ‘Technical Committee - Motor vehicles’ (TCMV) of 3 March 2022
  
• Commission unveils significant actions to contribute to European Defence, boost innovation and address strategic dependencies - IP/22/924
  - Communication - Commission contribution to European Defence in the context of the Strategic Compass
  - Communication - Roadmap on critical technologies for security and defence
  - QaA & FactSheet on Strategic Compass
• Space: EU initiates a satellite-based connectivity system and boosts action on management of space traffic for a more digital and resilient Europe - IP/22/921, see the Communication & Proposal for a Regulation
  - QaA & FactSheet on Space Traffic Management
  - QaA & FactSheet on Secure Connectivity
• Space and defence press conference by Commissioner Breton
• Preparation of the Competitiveness Council (Internal Market, Industry, Research & Space) of 24 February 2022
  - Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on foreign subsidies distorting the internal market - Policy debate
  - Foreign Subsidies Regulation: cross-industry perspectives - See the Joint Position Paper
  - Position Paper of Confederation of Swedish Enterprise Regarding the INTA draft report on the proposal for a Regulation on Foreign Subsidies

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• ESMA proposes reforms to improve resilience of Money Market Funds

TAXATION

• European Parliament resolution of 15 February 2022 on the impact of national tax reforms on the EU economy

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Minutes of: Expert Group for sustainability and quality of agriculture and rural development of 10 February 2022
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Committee for Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets - Arable Crops of 24 February 2022
• Regulation on making available on the EU market and export of products associated with deforestation and forest degradation - Policy debate

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the CEG on Disability Platform of 18 February 2022
• Draft Council Conclusions on the 2022 Annual Growth Survey and Joint Employment Report
• Commissioner Schmit at informal meeting of Employment and Social Policy Ministers - Midday Express
• EU job-search aid worth €3.7 million for 297 dismissed Airbus workers in France - see the EP Statement
• Social partners have a key role to adapt labour markets to the twin digital and green transitions  - see the BusinessEurope Statement

ENERGY

• REDII Committee on the sustainability of biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels
  - Agenda of the 5th meeting of 17 February 2022
  - Minutes of the 4th meeting of 03 February 2022
• Boost offshore renewable energy sources to meet climate targets - see the EP Statement

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Minutes of the Ad hoc Meeting of the Mission Board on the Mission Adaptation to Climate Change, including Societal Transformation of 27 September 2021
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union at the second segment of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury as regards the adoption of a Decision establishing thresholds for mercury waste, in accordance with Article 11, paragraph 2, of that Convention
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) /... amending, for the purposes of its adaptation to technical and scientific progress, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• EMA has published an overview of its key recommendations of 2021 regarding the authorisation and safety monitoring of veterinary medicines
• EMA has published an overview of its key recommendations in 2021 regarding the authorisation and safety monitoring of human medicines

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Formal comments of the European Data Protection Supervisor on the proposal for a Council Directive on ensuring a global minimum level of taxation for multinational groups in the Union

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Honoring brave journalism: Applications for the 30th Lorenzo Natali Media Prize are open - IP/22/994 & Rules
• Measures for the protection of the Union budget: the Court of Justice, sitting as a full Court, dismisses the actions brought by Hungary and Poland against the conditionality mechanism which makes the receipt of financing from the Union budget subject to the respect by the Member States for the principles of the rule of law (See CPR Nº 28/2022 - Judgments of the Court of Justice in Cases C-156/21, Hungary Vs. Parliament and Council, C-157/21, Poland Vs. Parliament and Council) - See the EP Statement
• Statement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the judgments of the European Court of Justice on the General Conditionality Regulation
• MEPs call for a ban on ‘golden passports’ and EU rules for ‘golden visas’

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Owner-occupied housing and inflation measurement - ECB Economic Bulletin Issue 1, 2022
• Housing costs: survey-based perceptions and signals from price statistics - ECB Economic Bulletin Issue 1, 2022

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Possible items for College agendas 23 February – 27 July 2022

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Agenda for: 23rd Meeting of the NDICI-Global Europe Committee of 16 February 2022
• Minutes of the 22th Meeting of NDICI Committee of 27 January 2022
• Humanitarian aid: EU allocates €18 million in Algeria, Egypt and Libya - IP/22/1040
• Read-out of the call between President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida
• Speech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament Plenary on EU-Russia relations, European security and Russia's military threat against Ukraine

6th EU-AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT

• EU-Africa relations: Speech by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the EP plenary
• Joint article by Macky Sall, President of Senegal and Chairperson of the African Union, and Charles Michel, President of the European Council
• Statement by President von der Leyen at the ‘Vaccine Equity for Africa' launch event, co-organised by BioNTech SE and the kENUP Foundation
• Ahead of EU-AU Summit, African medicines regulators receive boost of more than 100 million euros from Team Europe and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - IP/22/993