Europe Daily News, 30 March 2022

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE

HEALTH

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/503 of 29 March 2022 amending Regulation (EU) 2021/953 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards exempting minors from the acceptance period of vaccination certificates issued in the EU Digital COVID Certificate format
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Openness and transparency in COVID-19 vaccine contracts
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question -  Austria’s wrongful decision not to comply with Regulation (EU) 953/2021 by making vaccination compulsory

STATE AID

• Commission authorises the extension of a French scheme to support businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic (SA.101947) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €280 million Hungarian investment support scheme towards a sustainable recovery in the tourism sector (SA.101821) - Midday Express 

COMPETITION

• Cartel on the airfreight market: the General Court rules on actions brought by multiple airlines (see CPR No. 53/2022 - Judgments of the General Court in Cases T-323/17 Martinair Holland v Commission T 324/17 SAS Cargo Group and Others v Commission, T 325/17 Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij v Commission, T 326/17 Air Canada v Commission, T 334/17 Cargolux Airlines v Commission, T 337/17 Air France-KLM v Commission, T 338/17 Air France v Commission, T 340/17 Japan Airlines v Commission, T 341/17 British Airways v Commission, T 342/17 Deutsche Lufthansa and Others v Commission, T 343/17, Cathay Pacific Airways v Commission, T 344/17 Latam Airlines Group and Lan Cargo v Commission, T 350/17 Singapore Airlines and Singapore Airlines Cargo v Commission)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10679 - Telefonica / Pontegadea / Telxius)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10630 - Blackstone / Vista / Campuslogic Holdings)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10522 - Hapag-Lloyd / Eurogate / Eurogate  Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven)
• Commission clears acquisition of Senator International by APMM (M.10559) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control of R1 and Cloudmed by TCP and NMC (M.10644) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of McLaren Racing by McLaren Group Limited, MSP Racing and O'Connor (M.10586) - Midday Express
• Lithuania - Following amendment of service contract with customers by Toksika, Konkurencijos Taryba terminates investigation into suspected abuse of dominance

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: 67th meeting of the Customs Code Committee - Data Integration & Harmonization section - joint with Trade Contact Group (CCC/DIH/67) of 31 March 2022, 1 & 5 April 2022
• Agenda for: 23rd meeting of the Customs Expert Group, section Customs Status & Transit of 01 April 2022
• Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Special Committee on Customs and Trade Facilitation established by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the SADC EPA States, of the other part, as regards the adoption of the rules of procedure of the Special Committee on Customs and Trade Facilitation - see the Annex
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/505 of 23 March 2022 concerning exemptions from the extended anti-dumping duty on certain bicycle parts originating in the People’s Republic of China pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 88/97
• WTO members review UK-Turkey, UK-Singapore and China-Mauritius trade agreements
• UK explores fourth delay to imposing checks on EU imports - Warnings from industry of supply chain disaster if full post-Brexit border controls are imposed on July 1 - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Single Market Programme - Competitiveness and Sustainability of SMEs (SMP/COSME) Committee of 25 April 2022
• New European Bauhaus: support to cities and citizens for local initiatives - IP/22/2141
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - De facto protectionism in the EU

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Commissioner McGuinness in Italy to meet high-level officials and discuss sanctions against Russia, Basel III, Banking Union, the Capital Markets Union, digital and sustainable finance  - Midday Express
• Answer given by Ms McGuinness to a MEP written question - Cooperation with non‑EU countries in the field of anti‑money laundering and anti‑terrorist financing: the issue of cryptocurrencies
• ESMA makes recommendations for DRSP Management Bodies

TAXATION

• Agenda for: Committee on Excise Duty of 07 April 2022
• Council Directive amending Directives 2006/112/EC and (EU) 2020/285 as regards rates of value added tax
• Opinion by MEP Evin Incir on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism (COM(2021)0564 – C9-0328/2021 – 2021/0214(COD))
  

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Council conclusions on the European Commission's Communication on sustainable carbon cycles in agriculture and forestry agriculture and forestry - Statement by the German delegation

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Green Deal: New proposals to make sustainable products the norm and boost Europe's resource independence - IP/22/2013
  - QaA on Sustainable Products Initiative
  - QaA on Revision of the Construction Products Regulation
  - QaA on EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles
• Commissioner Gabriel in Le Mans to promote the importance of hydrogen for the EU recovery plan and the European Green Deal - Midday Express
• Executive Vice-President Timmermans in Sweden for climate meetings and site visits  - Midday Express
  
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Collection of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) 

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Commission seeks views on possible measures on access to in-vehicle data - Midday Express
• Dutch SA fines DPG Media Magazines for unnecessarily requesting copies of identity documents
• Greek SA: fine imposed on employer for failure to satisfy the right to object and unlawful processing of employee’s personal data

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime on enhanced co-operation and disclosure of electronic evidence
• Major operation against call centre fraud: 108 persons detained in Latvia and Lithuania - See Eurojust Statement
• Action against money laundering freezes EUR 120 million worth of Lebanese assets, seizing bank accounts - See Eurojust Statement
• Eurojust supports joint investigation team into alleged core international crimes in Ukraine

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Commission Decision (EU) 2022/506 of 29 March 2022 updating Annex A to the Monetary Agreement between the European Union and the Principality of Monaco
• Interview with Philip R. Lane, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, conducted by Johanna Treeck and Suzanne Lynch on 28 March 2022

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Judgment of the General Court of 30 March 2022 in Case T‑291/20, Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych, Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: CFSP – Restrictive measures taken having regard to the situation in Ukraine – Freezing of funds – List of the persons, entities and bodies covered by the freezing of funds and economic resources – Maintenance of the applicant’s name on the list – Council’s obligation to verify that the decision of an authority of a third State was taken in accordance with the rights of the defence and the right to effective judicial protection
• Judgment of the General Court of 30 March 2022 in Case T‑292/20, Oleksandr Viktorovych Yanukovych, Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: CFSP – Restrictive measures taken having regard to the situation in Ukraine – Freezing of funds – List of the persons, entities and bodies covered by the freezing of funds and economic resources – Maintenance of the applicant’s name on the list – Council’s obligation to verify that the decision of an authority of a third State was taken in accordance with the rights of the defence and the right to effective judicial protection
• The European Commission appoints a new Head of Representation in Denmark - IP/22/2153