Europe Daily News, 27 April 2022

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10679 - Telefonica / Pontegadea / Telxius)
  
• Commission clears acquisition of sole control of WarnerMedia by Discovery (M.10343) - Midday Express
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Breach of EU competition law
• Belgium - Notification MEDE-CC-22/0009: Kiwa NV / Vinçotte Inter NV
• UK - The CMA’s Annual Concurrency Report shows how competition authorities have helped deliver benefits to households in 2021 to 2022 in the regulated sectors
• UK - CMA helps NHS secure price and supply commitment for cancer drugs
• UK - CMA to investigate ESS’s move to three-year contracts for schools

STATE AID

• Judgment of the General Court of 27 April 2022 in Case T-392/20, Flašker Vs. European Commission
  Re: State aid - Measures granted by Slovenia to a municipal network of dispensing pharmacies - Preliminary examination phase - Decision of the Commission finding no State aid and, possibly, that there is existing aid - Decision adopted without initiating the formal investigation procedure under Article 108(2) TFEU - Serious difficulties
• Commission approves €130 million Lithuanian scheme to support companies affected by discriminatory trade restrictions (SA.102002) - IP/22/2665

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Trade Policy Committee (Services & Investment) of 27 April 2022
• Agenda for: 43rd Customs Expert Group, Tariff & Statistical Nomenclature Section, HS/WCO Coordination Sector from 25th April to 13th May 2022
• Minutes of the 14th Customs Expert Group, Section “Import and Export Formalities” of 16 March 2022
• Judgment of the General Court of 27 April 2022 in Case T-242/19, Giant Electric Vehicle Kunshan Vs. European Commission
  Re: Dumping - Imports of cycles, with pedal assistance, with an auxiliary electric motor, originating in China - Definitive anti-dumping duties - Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/73 - Determination of injury - Article 3(2), (3) and (6) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 - Price undercutting calculation - Causal link
• Judgment of the General Court of 27 April 2022 in Case T-243/19, Giant Electric Vehicle Kunshan Vs. European Commission
  Re: Subsidies - Imports of cycles, with pedal assistance, with an auxiliary electric motor, originating in China - Definitive countervailing duties - Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/72 - Determination of injury - Article 8(1), (2) and (5) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1037 - Price undercutting calculation - Causal link
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the World Customs Organization Council in relation to the adoption of a draft amendment to the Rules of Procedure of the Harmonized System (HS) Committee
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on temporary trade liberalisation supplementing trade concessions applicable to Ukrainian products under the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part
• WTO - Speech by DG Okonjo-Iweala: Trade has central role in addressing food security challenges

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Group on Competitiveness and Growth (Internal Market) of 29 April 2022
• Agenda for: Group on Competitiveness and Growth (Internal Market - DSA) of 29 April 2022
• Belgian regional legislation requiring providers of property intermediation services and, in particular, operators of an electronic accommodation platform to transmit to the tax authorities certain particulars of tourist accommodation transactions is not contrary to EU law (See CPR Nº 66/2022 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-674/20, Airbnb Ireland)
• Electronic identification schemes notified pursuant to Article 9(1) of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• EU Taxonomy: Commission begins expert consultations on Complementary Delegated Act covering certain nuclear and gas activities - Midday Express

TAXATION

• Agenda for: Code of Conduct (Business Taxation): Group on internal and external issues of 05 May 2022 
• Commissioner Gentiloni issues guidance in the area of energy taxation to EU Member States

ENERGY

• Statement by Commission President von der Leyen following the announcement by Gazprom on the disruption of gas deliveries to certain EU Member States - Statement/22/2682
• CEER Reflection Paper on regulation of long-term energy storage from a sector-coupling perspective
• Ukraine war derails eastern Europe’s growth prospects - Think-tank says energy embargo would push most of region into recession (see the wiiw Policy Notes & Reports 59 - April 2022) - Financial Times
• European gas prices soar after Gazprom halts supplies to Poland and Bulgaria - Russian group says it has not received payment in roubles, as decreed under new law - Financial Times
• Europe faces critical shortage of metals needed for clean energy - Supply challenges come as EU seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian imports - See the Eurometaux Report, its Summary & Presentation - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/679 of 19 January 2022 establishing a watch list of substances and compounds of concern for water intended for human consumption as provided for in Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the Council

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• COVID certificate and access to the buildings of the European Parliament: the General Court of the European Union dismisses the action of certain Members of the European Parliament (See CPR Nº 67/2022 - Judgment of the General Court in joined cases T-710/21 Roos e.a./Parlement, T-722/21 D'Amato e.a./Parlement , T-723/21 Rooken e.a./Parlement) 
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/678 of 26 April 2022 amending Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 as regards the entries for Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States in the lists of third countries authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of poultry, germinal products of poultry and fresh meat of poultry and game birds
• EFSA - Horizon scanning exercise on preparedness for future risk assessment requirements and possible challenges in regulatory science
• EFSA - Modification of the existing maximum residue levels for sulfoxaflor in various crops
• SCHEER - Minutes of the Working Group meeting on Cobalt in toys of 21 March 2022

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Minutes of the 6th Meeting of the Commission Expert Group on Inland Waterway Transport (NAIADES II Implementation Group) of 21 March 2022
• Update of common rules for the allocation of slots at European Union airports - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period/ 26 April 2022 - 24 May 202
• Public consultation: Commercial vehicles – weights and dimensions (evaluation) - Proposal for a directive - Feedback period: 26 April 2022 - 19 July 2022

DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET

• Digital contracts: EU rules on digital content and sale of goods enter into application - Midday Express

AREA OF FREDDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Commission proposes visa-free travel to the EU for Qatar and Kuwait nationals - IP/22/2506, QaA, see the Proposal for a Regulation & Working Document
• Visa Digitalisation: Visa travel to the EU becomes easier - IP/22/2582, QaA, Factsheet & Communication
• Legal migration: Attracting skills and talent to the EU - IP/22/2654, QaA & Factsheet
  - Communication: Attracting Skills and Talent to the EU
  - Revised Long Term Residents Directive
  - Revised Single Permit Directive
• Commission decides to register new European Citizens' Initiative (‘End The Slaughter Age') - IP/22/2668

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• NextGenerationEU: Commission receives payment request from Italy for €21 billion payment under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express
• Economic inequality and public trust in the European Central Bank - Economic Bulletin Issue 3, 2022
• Speech by Philip R. Lane: Statistical implications of the ECB’s monetary policy strategy review 

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Judgment of the Court of 27 April 2022 in Case
  - T-103/21, Évariste Boshab Vs. Council of the European Union
  - T-104/21, Kande Mupompa Vs. Council of the European Union
  - T-105/21, Kanyama Vs. Council of the European Union
  - T-106/21, Kazembe Musonda Vs. Council of the European Union
  - T-107/21, Amisi Kumba Vs. Council of the European Union
  - T-108/21, Ilunga Luyoyo Vs. Council of the European Union
  - T-109/21, Mutondo Vs. Council of the European Union
  - T-110/21, Kampete Vs. Council of the European Union
  - T-112/21, Numbi Vs. Council of the European Union
  - T‑119/21, Ramazani Shadary Vs. Council of the European Union
  - T‑120/21, Éric Ruhorimbere Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: CFSP - Restrictive measures taken with regard to the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo - Freezing of funds - Restriction on admission to the territories of the Member States - Maintenance of the applicant's name on the lists of persons concerned - Right to be heard - Proof of the validity of the inclusion and maintenance on the lists - Manifest error of assessment - Perpetuation of the factual and legal circumstances which led to the adoption of the restrictive measures
  
• Latin America: HR/VP Borrell travels to Chile and Panama
• Philippines and EU renew ties in the Second Joint Committee Meeting
• Turkey: Statement by the High Representative on the conviction of Mr. Osman Kavala

EU RESPONSES TO RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• FAQs on intellectual property rights concerning sanctions adopted in view of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and Belarus' involvement in it
• FAQs on central securities depositories concerning sanctions adopted following Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine
• FAQs on maritime safety concerning sanctions adopted following Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine
• Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in response to the recognition of the non-government controlled areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine and the ordering of Russian armed forces into those areas
• Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
• Answer given by Mc Guinness to a MEP written question - Road transit through EU territory as a means of evading sanctions against Russia and Belarus
• Answer given by Mc Guinness to a MEP written question - Extent of the cut-off of the Russian banking sector from the SWIFT system
• EU debates tapping sanctions-hit Russian assets to pay for rebuilding Ukraine - Seizing oligarchs’ property or central bank funds would be complex but Italian anti-mafia laws may offer model – Financial Times