Europe Daily News, 25 March 2022

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/483 of 21 March 2022 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1073 laying down technical specifications and rules for the implementation of the trust framework for the EU Digital COVID Certificate established by Regulation (EU) 2021/953 of the European Parliament and of the Council 

STATE AID

• Commission approves €50 million Irish scheme to support the beef sector affected by the coronavirus pandemic (SA.102196) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €200 million Italian scheme to support the retail trade sector in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (SA.102012) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €13.9 million Croatian scheme to support fishery and aquaculture sector in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (SA.102126)  - Midday Express

COMPETITION

• Summary of Commission Decision of 3 May 2021 imposing fines under Article 14(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Case M.8181 – Merck/Sigma-Aldricht (ART. 14.1)) 
  - Final Report of the Hearing Officer 
  - Opinion of the Advisory Committee on mergers
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10584 - Lufthansa / VW / JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10531 - Santander/Mapfre/JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10594 - Securitas / Stanley Security)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10583 - CPP Investments / Votorantim / JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10678 - AIP / Macquarie / Aberdeen / Onivia)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10378 - VUB / Slovenska Sporitelna / Tatra Banka / 365.Bank / CSOB / JV)
• Croatia - The Competition Agency (CCA) cleared in phase I the concentration between Studenac and Lonia
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt: No objections to joint negotiation of the “free brewers”
• Portugal - The Captrain Holding notifies the acquisition of sole control over Takargo
• Romania - The Competition Council examines the takeover of Gifarm SRL. by Marcos Provit SA
• Romania - The Competition Council debates the commitments proposed by Policlinica de diagnostic Rapid SA to takeover Onco Card SRL and Onco Card Invest
  
• Romania - The Competition Council approved the transaction through which Unilink SA becomes a shareholder of Safety Broker de Asigurare SA.
• Spain - CNMC analyses future rules on procurement and compulsory declarations in the dairy sector
• UK - Competition and data protection in digital markets: a joint statement between the CMA and the ICO 2021 (CMA, ICO)
• UK - CMA has cleared the completed acquisition by Boparan Private Office, via Amber REI Holdings Limited, of Banham Poultry (2018) Limited

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections
• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections
• State Aid - Spain - State aid SA.36228 (2020/C) (ex 2015/NN-2) - Alleged State aid to Fred Olsen at Puerto de las Nieves - Invitation to submit comments pursuant to Article 108(2) of the TFEU
• State Aid - France - State aid SA.51268 (2021/C) (ex 2018/FC) - Alleged State aid to Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives - Invitation to submit comments pursuant to Article 108(2) of the TFEU
• Judgment of the Court of 24 March 2022 in Case C-656/20 P, Hermann Albers and Others Vs. European Commission, Federal Republic of Germany, Land Niedersachsen (Germany)
  Re: Appeal - State aid - Concept of 'aid' - Public passenger transport - Compensation for costs inherent in public service obligations - Transfer of financial resources between public authorities - Obligation on municipal transport authorities to guarantee reduced fares for students and apprentices - No advantage granted by the State to an undertaking - Notification obligation
• Judgment of the Court of 24 March 2022 in Case C-666/20 P, Gesamtverband Verkehrsgewerbe Niedersachsen e.V. (GVN), Vs. European Commission, Federal Republic of Germany, Land Niedersachsen (Germany)
  Re: Appeal - State aid - Concept of 'aid' - Public passenger transport - Compensation for costs inherent in public service obligations - Transfer of financial resources between public authorities - Obligation on municipal transport authorities to establish reduced fares for students and apprentices - No advantage granted by the State to an undertaking - Concept of 'undertaking'

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Report from the Commission on the implementation and application of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1 January – 31 December 2021
• Annual Review by the Commission of Member States' Annual Activity Reports on Export Credits in the sense of Regulation (EU) No 1233/2011 - See the Annex
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) …/... of XXX amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/761 as regards the volume of the tariff rate quota for high-quality beef from Paraguay
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) …/... of XXX amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 75/2013 as regards the additional import duties in the sugar sector
• Council Decision (EU) 2022/481 of 22 March 2022 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 Products
• Decision No 1/2022 of the Specialised Committee on Fisheries established by Article 8(1)(q) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part, of 3 March 2022 as regards the establishment of a Working Group on Fisheries

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) …/... of 16.2.2022 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 - Intention not to raise objections to a delegated act (ST 6328/22 + Annex) 
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/477 of 24 March 2022 amending Annexes VI to X to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) 

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• ESMA extends UK CCPS' recognition decisions

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Commissioner Wojciechowski and European partner organisations launch the applications for the first EU organic awards - Midday Express

ENERGY

• Joint Statement between the European Commission and the United States on European Energy Security - Financial Times 

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Digital Markets Act: Commission welcomes political agreement on rules to ensure fair and open digital markets – IP/22/1978
• Digital Markets Act (DMA): agreement between the Council and the European Parliament 

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• EU Statement on the occasion of the 65th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (Vienna, 14-18 March 2022)
  - Agenda item 5(b): Challenges and future work of the CND, the WHO and the INCB in the review of substances for possible scheduling recommendations 
  - Agenda item 5(c): International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) 
  - Agenda Item 5(d): International cooperation to ensure the availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes while preventing their diversion 
  - Agenda item 6: Follow-up on the implementation at the national, regional and international levels of all commitments, as reflected in the Ministerial declaration of 2019, to address and counter the world drug problem 
  - Agenda item 7: Inter-agency cooperation and coordination of efforts in addressing and countering the world drug problem 

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Recommendation of the European Systemic Risk Board of 2 December 2021 on a pan-European systemic cyber incident coordination framework for relevant authorities (ESRB/2021/17)
• ECB - Monetary developments in the euro area: February 2022

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Gulf: High Representative/Vice-President Borrell travels to Qatar and Kuwait to discuss bilateral ties and global security  - Midday Express

RUSSIA - UKRAINE WAR

• Joint readout by the European Council and the United States
• European Council conclusions on the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, 24 March 2022 
• FAQs on customs related matters concerning sanctions adopted following Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine