EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE

HEALTH

ECONOMY

  • NextGenerationEU: Commission receives payment request from Croatia for €700 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express
  • Pandemic crisis and economic trends: the tourism sector in European and EFTA countries

COMPETITION

  • Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10529 - Heidelbergcement / Thoma Bravo / Command Alkon)
  • Commission approves acquisition of MGM by Amazon (M.10349) - IP/22/1762
  • Commission carries out unannounced inspections in the automotive sector - IP/22/1765
  • Commission publishes decision in the NN’s buyout of MetLife’s Greek, Polish businesses (M.10447)
  • Commission issues clearance decision in the Orange, Telekom Romania Communications deal (M.10153)
  • Spain - CNMC examines La Liga's proposals to market 1st and 2nd division audiovisual rights in Malta, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands
  • UK - The CMA is investigating the anticipated acquisition by NortonLifeLock Inc. of Avast plc.

STATE AID

  • Commission approves €1.4 billion Czech scheme to compensate energy-intensive companies for indirect emission costs (SA.100159) - IP/22/1782
  • Commission approves €2.9 billion Spanish scheme to compensate energy-intensive companies for indirect emission costs (SA.100004) - IP/22/1781
  • Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI)

TRADE & CUSTOMS

  • Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization as regards the adoption of a decision on the review of the Understanding on Tariff Rate Quota Administration Provisions of Agricultural Product
  • Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/434 of 15 March 2022 amending Regulation (EU) 2019/159 imposing a definitive safeguard measure against imports of certain steel products
  • EU counters steel subsidies resulting from export restrictions on raw materials and transnational subsidies from China - IP/22/1774, see Regulation (EU) 2022/433
  • Export of COVID-19 vaccines from the EU - Last update on 11 March 2022
  • EFTA and Thailand Heads of delegation continue to discuss the resumption of free trade agreement negotiations
  • WCO builds IPR enforcement capacity for Customs administrations in the Balkan Region
  • WCO Deputy Secretary General presents future trends and current challenges for Customs
  • WTO - General Council - Joint statement on aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine with the support of Belarus - Communication from Albania; Australia; Canada; European Union; Iceland; Japan; Republic of Korea; Republic of Moldova; Montenegro; New Zealand; North Macedonia; Norway; United Kingdom and United States
  • Brussels to bring in powers to handicap foreign bids for state contracts - Legislation aimed at unfair competition from countries such as China - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

  • Statement by President von der Leyen on Intel's announcement of its investment plans in the EU
  • Right to repair: MEPs set out their demands ahead of Commission’s proposal
  • Companies to be more accountable for their social and environmental impact - See EP Statement

FINANCIAL SERVICES

  • Freedom of the press: the disclosure by a journalist of inside information relating to the forthcoming publication of an article reporting rumours concerning companies listed on the stock exchange is lawful where it is necessary for the purpose of carrying out a journalistic activity and respects the principle of proportionality (see CPR Nº 45/2022, Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-302/20, Autorité des marchés financiers)
  • European Union - Consolidated Financial Sanctions List updated on 15 March 2022
  • Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) …/... of 11.3.2022 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2033 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to regulatory technical standards for public disclosure of investment policy by investment firms - Annex 1 & 2
  • Capital Markets Union: Commission proposes simpler rules to make settlement in EU financial markets safer and more efficient - IP/22/1729, QaA & Legal Texts

TAXATION

  • Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/432 of 15 March 2022 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 282/2011 as regards the VAT and/or excise duty exemption certificate
  • Minutes of the Expert group on the implementation of the legislative package to transmit and exchange payment data in order to combat VAT fraud of 15 September 2021
  • The Council reached a general approach on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) - See the General Approach
  • Excluding indirect emissions from CBAM? That doesn’t add up - See Eurelectric Statement

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

ENERGY

  • The General Court declares inapplicable the provisions of Regulation 2017/459 relating to the process for the creation of incremental capacity for gas transmission (See CPR Nº 46/2022 - Judgment of the General Court in joined cases T-684/19, T-704/19, MEKH Vs. ACER)
  • Judgment of the Court of 16 March 2022 in Case T-113/20, Bromine Science Environnemental Forum (BSEF) Vs. European Commission
    Re: Energy - Directive 2009/125/EC - Ecodesign requirements for electronic displays - Regulation (EU) 2019/2021 - Ban on halogenated flame retardants in the enclosure and stand of electronic displays - Competence of the author of the act - Manifest error of assessment - Legal certainty - Proportionality - Equal treatment

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

  • Agenda for: CEG/Multi-Stakeholder Platform on Protecting and Restoring the World’s Forests, including the EU Timber Regulation and the FLEGT Regulation of 16 March 2022
  • Public consultation - Chemicals – making best use of EU agencies to streamline scientific assessments - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 15 March 2022 - 12 April 2022
  • Public consultation - Environmental protection – LIFE Programme 2014-2020 (evaluation) - Evaluation - Feedback period: 16 March 2022 - 13 April 2022
  • ‘Fur Free Europe': Commission decides to register new European Citizens' Initiative on banning fur in the EU - IP/22/1753
  • Manifesto for a green, just and democratic European economy by EEB
  • ‘Don’t discriminate with biofuels when it comes to taxation’ - See ePure Statement

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

  • SCHEER - Agenda of the 1st plenary meeting of 25 March 2022
  • SCCS - Minutes of the Working Group meeting on Methodologies of 4 March 2022
  • Agenda for: Meeting of the PAFF Committee, section Plant Health of 17 and 18 March 2022
  • Main Results of the Informal Meeting of Health Ministers, see remarks by Commissioner Kyriakides 
  • EFSA - Assessment of listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) No 2016/429): antimicrobial‐resistant Brachyspira hyodysenteriae in swine
  • EFSA - Outcome of the public consultation on the draft scientific guidance on soil photo‐transformation products in groundwater – consideration, parameterisation and simulation in the exposure assessment of plant protections products
  • EFSA - Scientific guidance on soil photo-transformation products in groundwater – consideration, parameterisation and simulation in the exposure assessment of plant protection products
  • EFSA - Safety assessment of 2‐methyloxolane as a food extraction solvent

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

  • Commission invites citizens and organisations to share their views on the European Cyber Resilience Act - Midday Express
  • Public consultation - European chips act package – Regulation - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 14 March 2022 - 09 May 2022 
  • Public consultation - Data Act & amended rules on the legal protection of databases - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 14 March 2022 - 11 May 2022

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

  • Judgment of the Court of 16 March 2022 in Case T-249/20, Abdelkader Sabra Vs. Council of the European Union
    Re: Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures adopted against Syria - Freezing of funds - Errors of assessment - Criterion of a leading businessperson operating in Syria - Presumption of a link with the Syrian regime - Rebuttal of the presumption

RUSSIA - UKRAINE WAR

  • Fourth package of sanctions in view of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine: 15 additional individuals and 9 entities subject to EU restrictive measures - see the QaA
    - Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/427 & Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/429 - see the Notices
    - Council Regulation (EU) 2022/428 & Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/430 - see the Notices
  • Declaration by the HR on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine
  • Declaration by the HR on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
  • Declaration by the HR on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine
        

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