Europe Daily News, 23 February 2022

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

• ECDC - Data on COVID-19 vaccination in the EU/EEA
• ECDC - Data on the daily number of new reported COVID-19 cases and deaths by EU/EEA country
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/256 of 22 February 2022 amending Regulation (EU) 2021/953 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the issuance of certificates of recovery based on rapid antigen tests 

TRAVEL

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/255 of 15 December 2021 amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 95/93 as regards the extension of measures for temporary relief from the slot utilisation rules due to the COVID-19 crisis
• Council Recommendation amending Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/1632 as regards a coordinated approach to facilitate safe travel during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Schengen area notification from Switzerland 

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10603 - Carlyle / Altadia)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10325 - Kronospan / Pfleiderer Polska)
• Commission finds that Hungary's veto over the acquisition of AEGON's Hungarian subsidiaries by VIG breached Article 21 of the EU Merger Regulation (M.10494) - IP/221258
• Commission clears acquisition of Caldic by Advent (M.10574) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Neste base oil business by Chevron (M.10526) - Midday Express
• Commission approves acquisition of Lightspeed by Genstar Capital and MDP (M.10622) - Midday Express
  
• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - Follow-up on the Google Shopping decision
• Speech by Ms Vestager: "Shared objectives for framing the tech economy"
• OECD Competition Trends 2022 - Third Edition - Competition authority resources, cartel enforcement, abuse of dominance cases, merger review and advocacy
• The General Court dismisses two actions for damages brought by UPS and ASL Aviation Holdings (See CPR Nº 34/2022 - Judgments of the General Court in Cases T-834/17, T-540/18, United Parcel Service Vs. Commission, ASL Aviation Holdings, ASL Airlines (Ireland)/Commission) 

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Commission Expert Group on Trade and Sustainable Development of 04 March 2022
• Notice of initiation of an expiry review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of high tenacity yarns of polyesters (CN: 5402 20 00) originating in the People’s Republic of China
• Commission sets out strategy to promote decent work worldwide and prepares instrument for ban on forced labour products - IP/22/1187 & Communication 
• Minutes of the Customs 2027 Programme - 2nd Proficiency Test on Completely Denatured Alcohol of 13 January 2022
• State of play - Economic Partnership Agreements - Regular update of the FTAs for the six ACP regions - February 2022
• Ongoing bilateral and regional negotiations - State of play of the Free Trade Agreements and other agreements - February 2022
• Revised request for consultations by the EU - WT/DS608 - Russian Federation - Measures Concerning the Exportation of Wood Products
• Trade MEPs in Mexico to discuss EU-Mexico trade and pending trade agreement from 22 to 24 February 2022
• Draft report by MEP Christophe Hansen: "Foreign subsidies distorting the internal market" - Amendments 296 - 533
  
• Answer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Russia stopping log exports to China and the situation in the EU and France
• Answer given by Vice-President Šefčovič to a MEP written question - ‘Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland impact statement’ for regulations that affect goods covered by the protocol

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Judgment of the General Court of 23 February 2022 in Case T 636/19, Chemours Netherlands BV Vs. European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), supported by Kingdom of the Netherlands, and by ClientEarth AISBL, ClientEarth, CHEM Trust Europe eV
  Re: REACH - Substances of very high concern - Establishment of a candidate list of substances for eventual inclusion in Annex XIV to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 - Decision identifying 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(heptafluoropropoxy)propionic acid, its salts and its acyl halides as a substance fulfilling the criteria laid down for inclusion in the list - Article 57 of Regulation No 1907/2006 - Manifest error of assessment - Proportionality
  
• Commission presents an updated in-depth review of Europe's strategic dependencies - IP/22/1124 & 2nd stage of in-depth reviews
• Agenda for: Competitiveness Council - Internal market & industry of 24 February 2022 - See Background Brief
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Commission Expert Group on Fertilising Products on 15 March 2022
• Annual Single Market Report 2022
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Silicon – towards a shortage of an abundant metalloid

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• ESMA launches Call for Evidence on climate risk stress testing for CCPs
• ESMA -Minutes of the  EFIF meeting of January 2022 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

• The General Court confirms that the figurative sign ANDORRA cannot be registered as an EU trade mark for several goods and services (See CPR Nº 35/2022 - Judgment of the General Court in Case T-806/19 Govern d'Andorra Vs. EUIPO (Andorra)) 

TAXATION

• Agenda for: Ad hoc Group on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (MACF) of 2 March 2022

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council and the Council amending Directive 2004/37/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work. - Outcome of the European Parliament's first reading (Strasbourg, 14-17 February 2022)
• Work Programme of the Social Protection Committee 2022 (EPSCO Council on 14 March 2022)
• Work Programme of the Employment Committee for 2022 (EPSCO Council on 14 March 2022)

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Meeting of the CAP Committee of 4 March 2022
• Minutes of the Standing Forestry Committee of 03 March 2022
• EU organic awards - Information from the Commission (Special Committee on Agriculture on 7 March 2022)
• 'Fit for 55' package: Revising the Regulation on land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) - Briefing for the EP AGRI & ENVI Committee

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Energy of 01 March and of 03 March 2022
• The EIB and Solas Capital join forces to invest in energy efficiency in buildings across the European Union - IP/22/1266
• Commissioner Kadri Simson travels to Spain for official visit
• Can Europe survive without Russian gas? - Gas-rich Azerbaijan and Qatar pour cold water on EU’s contingency plans - Financial Times
• Scholz takes heat off Germany with decision to freeze Nord Stream 2 project - Chancellor surprises political observers by suspending approval for contentious gas pipeline - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Minutes of the Meeting of the RoHS Expert Group for Delegated Acts of 11 October 2021
• 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 Czech Republic 
• European Green Deal: EU and Norway to enhance their dialogue and cooperation on climate, energy and industrial transformation - See the Statement
• Answer given by EVP Timmermans to a MEP written question - EU climate action after the Glasgow Climate Pact
• Answer given Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Carbon storage products and the Biocidal Products Regulation

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Standing Committee on Cosmetics Products of 1 March 2022
• Farm to Fork: Innovative feed additive will reduce methane emissions from dairy cows in the EU - Midday Express
• Answer given Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Strategy to protect European citizens from the cumulative effects and cocktail effects of pesticides
• SCCS - Request for a scientific opinion on Citral (CAS No. 5392-40-5, EC No. 226-394-6) on sensitisation endpoint
• SCCS - Opinion on Prostaglandins and prostaglandin-analogues used in cosmetic products, final version of 3 February 2022, SCCS/1635/21
• SCHEER - Preliminary Opinion open for comments on "Draft EQS for Priority Substances under the Water Framework Directive" - Carbamazepine (deadline: 22 March 2022)
• EFSA - Update of model for wild ruminant abundance based on occurrence and first models based on hunting yield at European scale
• EFSA - Update on the development of an app (adaptation of iMammalia) for early reporting of wild boar carcasses by a warning system
• EFSA - Safety assessment of the substance fatty acid‐coated nano precipitated calcium carbonate for use in plastic food contact materials
• EFSA - Assessment of listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) No 2016/429): antimicrobial‐resistant Enterococcus faecalis in poultry
• EFSA - Software tool for calculating the predicted environmental concentrations (PEC) of plant protection products (PPP) in soil for permanent and annual crops: Bug fixing & update report

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the European ITS Committee of 10 March 2022
• EU cohesion policy: €80 million for modernisation of a railway line between Szajol and Debrecen in Hungary - Midday Express
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union at the 57th session of the Committee of Experts for the Carriage of Dangerous Goods of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail as regards certain amendments to Appendix C to the Convention concerning International Carriage by rail

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Data Act: Commission proposes measures for a fair and innovative data economy - Data Act - IP/22/1113, QaA, Factsheet, Speech by EVP Vestager & Legal Text
• Recent Studies on Artificial Intelligence - Briefing for the Special AIDA Committee

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Council Implementing Decision setting out a recommendation on addressing the deficiencies identified in the 2019 evaluation of Poland, of Liechtenstein and of Ireland on fulfilling conditions necessary for the application of the Schengen acquis on the application of the Schengen acquis in the field of data protection

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Speech by ECB' Frank Elderson: "Prudential pathways to Paris" 

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Main results of the General Affairs Council of 22 February 2022
• Possible items for College agendas from 2 March - 27 July 2022

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism
• Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Nicaragua
• Common Military List of the European Union adopted by the Council on 21 February 2022 - (CFSP) 
• Niger: EU announces €43 million in humanitarian aid as Commissioner Lenarčič visits the country - IP/22/1259
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Turkey’s non-compliance with its commitments under the EU-Turkey agreement 

UKRAINE CRISIS

• The decision of Russia’s President is a serious violation of international law - See the EP Statement
• Press statement by President von der Leyen on the EU's response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine
• Statement by the Presidents of the European Council and European Commission on Russian aggression against Ukraine
• Ukraine: Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the decisions of the Russian Federation further undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity