Europe Daily News, 25 February 2022

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES 

ECONOMY

• REACT-EU: €642 million to support economic recovery and digital and green transition in Belgium, Czech Republic, Poland and Romania - Midday Express
  

TRAVEL

• COVID-19 and rail transport: Council extends measures adopted in 2020

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10614 - PAI Partners / Uvesco)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10600 - EDFI / Mubadala/ Emerge JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10577 - FSN Capital VI / Optigroup / Hygas / BFG / TPC)
• Commission seeks feedback on commitments offered by Insurance Ireland concerning access to its data sharing platform (AT.40511) - IP/22/1389
  
• Commission clears the merger of Cargotec with Konecranes, subject to conditions (M.10078) - IP/22/1329
• Commission clears acquisition of SNTNL by ADT and Ford Next (M.10589) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of McAfee by Advent and Permira (M.10570) - Midday Express 
• Commission clears acquisition of Ethniki by CVC Capital Partners (M.10301) - Midday Express
• Commission clears the acquisition of BBH's investor services business by State Street (M.10499) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Kongsberg Automotive's interior comfort systems business by Lear (M.10512) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of a part of Zurich Investments Life SPA's life insurance business by GamaLife (M.10582) - Midday Express

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Notice of initiation of an expiry review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of certain heavy plate of non-alloy or other alloy steel originating in the People’s Republic of China
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/301 of 24 February 2022 extending the definitive countervailing duty imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/776 on imports of certain woven and/or stitched glass fibre fabrics (‘GFF’) originating in the People’s Republic of China (‘the PRC’) to imports of GFF consigned from Morocco, whether declared as originating in Morocco or not, and terminating the investigation concerning possible circumvention of the countervailing measures imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/776 on imports of GFF originating in Egypt by imports of GFF consigned from Morocco, whether declared as originating in Morocco or not
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/302 of 24 February 2022 extending the definitive anti-dumping duty imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/492, as amended by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/776, on imports of certain woven and/or stitched glass fibre fabrics (‘GFF’) originating in the People’s Republic of China (‘the PRC’) to imports of GFF consigned from Morocco, whether declared as originating in Morocco or not, and terminating the investigation concerning possible circumvention of the anti-dumping measures imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/492 on imports of GFF originating in Egypt by imports of GFF consigned from Morocco, whether declared as originating in Morocco or not
• WTO - Committee on Subsidies and - Countervailing Measures - Semi-annual report under article 25.11 of the Agreement - 1 July-31 December 2021 - Turkey
• WTO members initiate membership talks for Turkmenistan 
• WTO - Trade thoughts, from Geneva, by DDG Anabel González
• WTO members agree on mid-June dates for reconvening MC12

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth Group (Internal Market - DSA) of 01 March 2022
• Main results of the Competitiveness Council (Internal market & Industry) of 24 February 2022 - List adopted “A Items” 
• Council adopts its position on the corporate sustainability reporting directive (CSRD)
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/309 of 24 February 2022 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/583 to take into account certain eco-innovation CO2 savings for the calculation of the average specific CO2 emissions of Daimler AG and the Daimler AG pool

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• Draft Council Conclusions on the 2022 Annual Sustainable Growth Survey and Joint Employment Report 

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: International Environment Group (UNECE CPTLD) on 3 March 2022
• EU at UN Environment Assembly: seeking to secure launch of negotiations for global agreement on plastics - IP/22/1314
• Circular Alliance on Plastics: latest findings call for new EU standards for recycled plastic - Midday Express
• Biodiversity: 30 years of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas and the LIFE programme - Midday Express
• Baltic Sea conservation: new measures to protect critically endangered harbour porpoises from by-catch - Midday Express
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal with regard to certain amendments of Article 6(2) in that Convention

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Commission Regulation (EU) …/… of XXX amending the preamble of Annex V to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products
• Commission Regulation (EU) …/… of XXX amending Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the use of certain UV filters in cosmetic products
• World Rare Disease Day: Statement by Commissioner Stella Kyriakides
• Safety Gate: the EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products - Report-2022-8
• EMA recommends approval of Spikevax for children aged 6 to 11  
• EMA recommends authorisation of booster doses of Comirnaty from 12 years of age
• EFSA - Veterinary drug residues in food: compliance rates highest for a decade

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Decision No 2/2021 of the Community/Switzerland Inland Transport Committee of 17 December 2021 amending Annex 1 to the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on the Carriage of Goods and Passengers by Rail and Road and Decision No 2/2019 on transitory measures to maintain smooth rail traffic between Switzerland and the EU

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Data Act important for competition and consumer choice - See Beuc Statement

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Agenda for: Council of the European Union (Justice & Home Affairs) of 3 and 4 March 2022 - See the list of “A Items”
• Minutes: Expert group meeting on anti-SLAPP initiative of 16 February 2022 

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Verena Ross' Speech at Eurofi 2022 - The major challenges facing securities regulators
• Opening remarks by Paschal Donohoe at the Eurofi High Level Seminar, 24 February 2022
• Decision (EU) 2022/310 of the ECB of 17 February 2022 amending Decision (EU) 2019/1743 of the ECB on the remuneration of holdings of excess reserves and of certain deposits (ECB/2022/5)
• Guideline (EU) 2022/311 of the ECB of 17 February 2022 amending Guideline ECB/2012/27 on a Trans-European Automated Real-time Gross settlement Express Transfer system (TARGET2) (ECB/2022/4)
• ECB - Monetary developments in the euro area: January 2022 

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Agenda for: Working Party on the Western Balkans region of 28 February 2022
• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/299 of 24 February 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria
• Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2022/306 of 24 February 2022 implementing Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria
• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/300 of 24 February 2022 implementing Article 8a of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/307 of 24 February 2022 amending Decision 2012/642/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus 
• European Commission launches €3.2 billion investment package to advance sustainable connectivity in the Western Balkans - IP/22/1362

UKRAINE CRISIS

• Agenda for: Extraordinary meeting of the Council of the European Union (Foreign Affairs) of 25 February 2022 (Russian aggression against Ukraine - Exchange of views)
• Ukraine: Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol
• Statement by President von der Leyen at the joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg and President Michel
• G7 Leaders’ Statement on the invasion of Ukraine by armed forces of the Russian Federation
• Main Results of the Special meeting of the European Council of 24 February 2022 - Opening remarks by President von der Leyen with President Charles Michel and President Macron
• EU coordinates delivery of emergency assistance to Ukraine and stands ready to help neighbouring countries - Midday Express
• BusinessEurope statement on the invasion of Ukraine by Russia
• EU leaders agree more Russia sanctions, but save some for later - Disagreements persist on blacklisting Putin and cutting Russia off from Swift - Financial Times