Europe Daily News, 18 March 2022

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

• Coronavirus response: monitoring of wastewater contributes to tracking coronavirus and variants across all EU countries
• Data for the maps in support of the Council Recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the EU/EEA - ECDC

STATE AID

• Commission approves Italian scheme to support companies active in road passenger transport affected by the coronavirus pandemic (SA.101935) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €30.7 million Bulgarian scheme to support air carriers affected by the coronavirus pandemic (SA.100321)  - Midday Express

ECONOMY

• REACT-EU: More than €171 million of additional resources for the recovery in Germany, Denmark and Spain  - Midday Express

COMPETITION

• Communication from the Commission - Approval of the content of a draft for a Communication from the Commission - Guidelines on the application of EU competition law to collective agreements regarding the working conditions of solo self-employed persons
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10600 - EDFI / Mubadala / Emerge JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10621 - Welput/ PSPIB / Alecta / 150 Vstreet JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10541 - Goldman Sachs / Grupo Visabeira / Constructel Visabeira)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10339 - KKR/Landal)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10657 - Samsung Biologics / Samsung Bioepis)
  
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10602 - Swiss Life International Holdings / Elips Life)
• France - TF1/M6: the Autorité de la concurrence opens an in-depth examination
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt - List of Notified Merger Projects
• Italy - AGCM: Information on fuel prices requested from major oil companies

STATE AID

• Commission Decision (EU) 2022/444 of 28 June 2021 on the state aid scheme SA.49414 (2020/C) (ex 2019/NN) implemented by France in favour of operators of natural gas storage infrastructure
• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections
• Commission approves €95 million Polish aid for expansion of LG Chem's electric vehicles battery plant - IP/22/1861
• Commission approves prolongation and modification of Finnish short-term export-credit insurance scheme (SA.101648) - Midday Express
• Commission approves amendment to 2022-2027 regional aid map for Italy (SA.101134) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union of 22 March 2022 
• Hearings - Trade-related aspects of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland - 22 March 2022
• FAQs on export-related restrictions in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine
• FAQs on export-related restrictions to Russia for dual-use items and "advanced technology" items (Articles 2, 2a and 2b of Regulation No 833/2014)
• Commission decision authorising the Republic of Italy to open formal negotiations to conclude a bilateral investment agreement with the Republic of Algeria
• Commission decision authorising the Republic of Italy to open formal negotiations to conclude a bilateral investment agreement with the Republic of Algeria
• Commission implementing decision of 17.02.2022 authorising the Republic of Italy to open formal negotiations to conclude a bilateral investment agreement with the Republic of Algeria 

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Chip production
• Answer given by Ms Gabriel to a MEP written question - Decline in upstream aeronautics research within Horizon Europe
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Sustained increase in the price of wood and construction materials in the EU
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Answer to a written question - Securing the supply of solar components to the EU market

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Judgment of the Court of 17 March 2022 in Case
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/439 of 20 October 2021 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to regulatory technical standards for the specification of the assessment methodology competent authorities are to follow when assessing the compliance of credit institutions and investment firms with the requirements to use the Internal Ratings Based Approach
• ESMA Chair, Verena Ross, delivered the keynote speech at the "European Association of Corporate Treasurers"(EACT) Summit
• Answer given by Ms McGuinness to a MEP written question - EU taxonomy: the danger of classifying natural gas and nuclear energy as ‘green’
• Answer given by Ms McGuinness to a MEP written question - Where do we stand on the integration of the mining sector into European taxonomy and the ecological risks brought about by the energy transition? 

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• Judgment of the Court of 17 March 2022 in Case C-232/20, NP Vs. Daimler AG, Mercedes-Benz Werk Berlin
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Social policy - Directive 2008/104/EC - Temporary agency work - Article 1(1) - Making available 'temporarily' - Meaning - Occupation of a post existing on a permanent basis - Article 5(5) - Successive assignments - Article 10 - Penalties - Article 11 - Derogation by the social partners from the maximum duration laid down by the national legislature

ENERGY

• Minutes of the Gas Coordination Group of 23 February 2022 and of of 11 March 2022
• Europe’s energy regulators stand with Ukraine in today’s power grid synchronisation with Continental Europe - Joint ACER/CEER Press Release
• Emergency measures can quickly cut global oil demand by 2.7 million barrels a day, reducing the risk of a damaging supply crunch - see IEA Statement

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on Environment of 21 March 2022 
• Main results of the Environment Council of 17 March 2022 - List of adopted "A Items"
  - Member States agree to reduce persistent organic pollutants in waste
  - Sustainable batteries: member states ready to start negotiations with Parliament - See the General approach
• Draft - Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) …/... of 17.3.2022 amending Annex II to Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1062/2014 on the work programme for the systematic examination of all existing active substances contained in biocidal products referred to in Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Joint Committee established by the Agreement between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation on the linking of their greenhouse gas emissions trading systems, as regards amending Annexes III and IV to the Agreement
• Biodiversity: Commission seeks views on strengthening actions to reverse the decline of pollinating insects

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• G7 Extraordinary Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting (March 11, 2022) - Information of the German delegation
• Alternatives to plant protection products for agricultural and non-agricultural use (the case of glyphosate)
• Situation on agricultural markets following the Russian invasion of Ukraine Member states' reaction to the Commission proposals
• Initiative to request an emergency special session of the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to consider the consequences of the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine on world food security and agriculture - Approval

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• EU Cohesion Policy: over €70 million to improve water quality and sanitation in Romania - Midday Express
• Minutes of the Meeting of the Clinical Trials Coordination and Advisory Group of 04 February 2022
• Safety Gate: the EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products - Report-2022-11 

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• 1st public workshop impact assessment for the initiative on Multimodal Digital Mobility Services

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Cour of Justice - Monthly Case-Law Digest - February 2022
• Decision of Europol's Management Board on the situation in Ukraine
• Europol supports Belgian authorities in shutting down an illegal cigarette factory
• Fight against drugs: Commission initiates ban on two harmful new drug substances  - Midday Express

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Minutes of the Meeting of the Coreper of 28 February, 2 and 4 March 2022
• Possible items for College agendas from 23 March - 27 July 2022

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Commission Decision (EU) 2022/445 of 15 March 2022 amending the Annex to the Monetary Agreement between the European Union and the Principality of Andorra
• Commission Decision (EU) 2022/446 of 15 March 2022 amending the Annex to the Monetary Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of San Marino
• Report by Markéta Gregorová on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on providing macro-financial assistance to the Republic of Moldova
• EU disburses around €300 million in emergency Macro-Financial Assistance to Ukraine and adopts €120 million in grant support - Midday Express
• EVP Dombrovskis in Riga to discuss the economic recovery and Ukraine - Midday Express
• Speech by President von der Leyen at the 8th Cohesion Forum

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Answer given by to a MEP written question - Historical background to Russia’s aggressive and revisionist policy

RUSSIA - UKRAINE WAR

• Ministerial Joint Statement on the Russian Elites, Proxies, and Oligarchs Task Force by the European Commission, the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom 
• Enforcing sanctions against listed Russian and Belarussian oligarchs: Commission's “Freeze and Seize” Task Force steps up work with international partners - IP/22/1828
• Moldova: Council adopts decision to sign agreement for Frontex operational support in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine - IP/22/1844
• Ukraine refugees: Operational guidelines to support Member States in applying the Temporary Protection Directive - IP/22/1727
• Providing protection to those fleeing the war in Ukraine: Commissioner Johansson in Estonia - Midday Express
• RenewEurope asks EU leaders to ban imports of fossil fuels and increase the financial and economic blockade of the Russian and Belarusian regimes - see the Letter
• Zelensky scolds Berlin for placing trade ties above Europe's security - Financial Times