EU RESPONSES TO COVID-19

STATE AID

  • Commission approves €800,000 Portuguese scheme to further support the passenger transport sector in Azores in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (SA.102334) - Midday Express
  • COVID-19 pandemic: ESA approves amendment to loan scheme for Icelandic package-travel tour operators - Decision No 071/22/COL

COMPETITION

  • Opinion of Advocate General Mr. Maciej Szpunar of 7 April 2022 in Case C‑163/21, AD and Others against Paccar Inc, DAF Trucks NV, DAF Trucks Deutschland GmbH
    Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Rules governing actions for damages under national law for infringements of the competition law provisions of the Member States and of the European Union - Collusive arrangements on the fixing of prices and the increase in the gross prices of trucks in the European Economic Area - Ex novo creation of relevant evidence to quantify the artificial price increase and the damage suffered
  • Opinion of Advocate General Ms Tamara Capeta of 7 April 2022 in Case C‑721/20, DB Station & Service AG Vs. ODEG Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn GmbH
    Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Rail transport - Article 102 TFEU - Abuse of a dominant position - Directive 2001/14/EC - Article 30 - Railway regulatory body - Review of charges under competition law - Link between the powers of the civil courts and those of the inspection body
  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10586 - MGL / MSP / O’Connor / McLaren Racing)
  • Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10610 - Archer Daniels Midland Singapore / Clyde Investments)
  • Commission clears creation of a joint venture by subsidiaries of Lufthansa and Volkswagen (M.10584) - Midday Express
  • Belgium - The Belgian Competition Authority approves the acquisition of control of Recticel PLC by Baltisse PLC
  • Cyprus - Notification of a concentration in relation to the acquisition by The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. of part of the share capital of Xempus AG
  • Romania - The Competition Council analyses the impact of tax consultancy and financial audit on competition

STATE AID

  • Judgment of the General Court  of 6 April 2022 in Case T-508/19, Mead Johnson Nutrition (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd and Others Vs. European Commission
    Re: State aid - Aid scheme implemented by the Government of Gibraltar concerning corporation tax - Tax exemption for interest income and royalties - Advance tax rulings benefiting multinationals - Commission decision declaring the aid incompatible with the internal market - Obligation to state reasons - Manifest error of assessment - Selective advantage - Right to submit comments
  • Judgment of the Court of 7 April 2022 in Case C‑429/20 P, Solar Ileias Bompaina AE, Vs. European Commission
    Re: Appeal - State aid - Market for electricity generated from renewable energy sources - National legislation which allegedly has the effect of conferring an unlawful advantage on electricity suppliers - Complaint to the European Commission - Rejection decision without initiating the formal investigation procedure - Action for annulment - Regulation (EU) 2015/1589 - Article 1(h) - Concept of ‘interested party’ - Inadmissibility
  • Opinion of Advocate General of Mr Giovanni Pitruzzella of 7 April 2022 in Case C-211/20 P, European Commission Vs. Valencia Club de Fútbol Vs. Commission
    Re: Appeal - State aid - State aid granted to certain professional football clubs - Article 107(1) TFEU - Concept of advantage - State guarantees - Notice on guarantees - Market-oriented price of the guarantee - Burden of proof - Commission's duty of care
  • Opinion of Advocate General of MsTamara Ćapeta of 7 April 2022 in Joined Cases C‑331/20 P and C‑343/20 P, Volotea, SA (C‑331/20 P), easyJet Airline Company Ltd (C‑343/20 P) Vs. European Commission
    Re: Appeal - Action for annulment - State aid - Imputability - Indirect beneficiaries - Applicability and application of the market economy operator test
  • ESA approves amendments to two Norwegian tax incentives for zero-emission vehicles - Decision No 068/22/COL

TRADE & CUSTOMS

  • Agenda for: Working Party on Dual-Use - 13 April 2022
  • Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Generalised System of Preferences System (GSP)) - 11 April 2022
  • Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/556 of 1 April 2022 concerning the classification of certain goods in the Combined Nomenclature (CN: 3006 40 00)
  • Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/557 of 1 April 2022 concerning the classification of certain goods in the Combined Nomenclature (CN: 2309 90 31 & 2309 90 51)
  • Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/558 of 6 April 2022 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty and definitively collecting the provisional duty imposed on imports of certain graphite electrode systems originating in the People’s Republic of China
  • Judgment of the Court of 7 April 2022 in Case C-489/20: UB Vs. Kauno teritorinė muitinė in the presence of : Muitinės departamentas prie Lietuvos Respublikos Finansų ministerijos
    Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Customs Code of the Union - Extinction of the customs debt - Goods unlawfully brought into the customs territory of the Union - Seizure and confiscation - Directive 2008/118/EC - Excise duties - Directive 2006/112/EC - VAT - Chargeable event - Enforceability
  • Judgment of the Court of 7 April 2022 in Case C-668/20, Y GmbH Vs. Hauptzollamt
    Re: Preliminary reference - Common Customs Tariff - Combined Nomenclature - Classification of goods - Headings 1302, 3301 and 3302 - Extracted vanilla oleoresin - Excise duties - Directive 92/83/EEC - Exemptions - Article 27(1)(e) - Concept of 'flavouring' - Directive 92/12/EEC - Committee on Excise Duties of the European Commission - Powers

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

  • New European Bauhaus: Commission launches ‘NEB LAB' with new projects and call for Friends - IP/22/2285
  • European Construction Sector Observatory - January 2022 - see the Country fact sheet: United Kingdom; Germany; Romania & Spain
  • Minutes of the meeting of the Commission’s Expert Group on Social Economy and Social Enterprises - 25 January 2022
  • CSR - REACH Authorisation decisions - OPnEO - BioMérieux - Uses 2-3,  Merck KGaA & Vetter Pharma
  • Group assessment of bisphenols identifies need for restriction - ECHA/NR/22/07
  • 45th Session of the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT) (Geneva, 28-30 March 2022) - Final EU/Member States
  • Contract by electronic means: in order to be validly bound by such a contract, consumers must clearly understand on the basis only of the words appearing on the ordering button that as soon they click on that button they will be under an obligation to pay (See CPR Nº 60/2022 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-249/21 - Fuhrmann-2)
  • Slot machines: According to Advocate General Rantos, the fight against the risks associated with gambling addiction may justify a reduction in the commission and fees payable to licence holders (See CPR Nº 62/2022 - Opinions of the Advocate General in joined cases C-475/20 - Admiral Gaming Network, C-476/20 - Cirsa Italia, C-477/20 - Codere Network, C-478/20 - Gamenet, C-479/20 - NTS Network)
  • Commission Implementing Decision (EU) / amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1326 as regards the harmonised standards for electromagnetic compatibility of electricity metering equipment and circuit breakers for household and similar uses

FINANCIAL SERVICES

TAXATION

ENERGY

  • Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 12 April 2022
  • Agenda for: Committee on Ecodesign and Energy Labelling of Energy - related Products - 03 May 2022
  • European Commission partners with EIT InnoEnergy’s European Green Hydrogen Acceleration Center to accelerate and de-risk green hydrogen projects
  • Green Deal: EP backs updated guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure
  • Public consultation - Review of ecodesign and information requirements for external power supplies (EPS) - Regulation - Feedback period: 06 April 2022 - 04 May 2022
  • ‘There is nothing else out there’: why Europe is hooked on Russian gas - Region faces ‘impossible’ task replacing supplies on which it has depended for decades - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

  • Joint Statement by Executive Vice-President Timmermans and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Kerry following the 6th EU-US High-Level Climate Action Group
  • European Parliament resolution of 5 April 2022 on measures against water pollution caused by nitrates, including improvements in the different nitrate measuring systems in Member States

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET

  • Draft opinion by MEP Eva Maydell - Harmonised rules on Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act) and amending certain Union Legislative Acts - Amendments 127-381 & 382 - 663
  • EVP Margrethe Vestager in Washington, DC, to discuss about EU's efforts to create a safer digital space and to establish a level playing field for businesses - Midday Express

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

  • Commissioner Thierry Breton in Washington, DC, to deepen cooperation with the US on cybersecurity - Midday Express
  • Data governance: Parliament approves new rules boosting intra-EU data sharing - see the EP resolution 
  • Irish SA: inquiry into Bank of Ireland Group
  • UK - IRSG Report - The future of international data transfers
  • Privacy concerns should not block EU’s attempts to curb big tech power - While there are details to come about combining security and competition in the Digital Markets Act, it is not mission impossible - Financial Times

AREA OF FREEDOM, VALUES, SECURITY & JUSTICE

  • According to Advocate General Pitruzzella, a request for de-referencing on the basis of information alleged to be false requires the operator of the search engine to carry out the checks which fall within its specific capacities (See CPR Nº 61/2022 - Opinion of the Advocate General in the case C-460/20 Google (Déréférencement d’un contenu prétendument inexact)
  • International Roma Day: Statement by Vice-President Jourová, Commissioners Dalli and Várhelyi

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

FUTURE OF EUROPE

  • EP - Mid-Term Activity Report - Developments and Trends of the Ordinary Legislative Procedure - 1 July 2019 - 31 December 2021 (9th parliamentary term)

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

  • Agenda for: Working Party on the Western Balkans region - 7 April 2022
  • Report by President Charles Michel to the European Parliament plenary session
  • Statement of European Council President Charles Michel following the Second Trilateral Meeting with President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan

EU RESPONSES TO RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

  • Commissioner Johansson in Czechia to discuss the current situation of people fleeing the war in Ukraine and priorities of the upcoming Czech Presidency - Midday Express
  • Ukraine: Council approves immediate disbursement of €3.5 billion to EU countries welcoming refugees - See the EP Statement
  • #EUSpace4Ukraine: EU space tool at the service of the Ukrainian people - Midday Express
  • MEPs call for more support for Ukraine and further sanctions against Russia

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