Europe Daily News, 11 May 2022

EU COVID-19 RESPONSE

HEALTH

• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/724 of 10 May 2022 establishing the equivalence, for the purpose of facilitating the right of free movement within the Union, of COVID-19 certificates issued by the Republic of Seychelles to the certificates issued in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/953 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/725 of 10 May 2022 establishing the equivalence, for the purpose of facilitating the right of free movement within the Union, of COVID-19 certificates issued by the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to the certificates issued in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/953 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/726 of 10 May 2022 establishing the equivalence, for the purpose of facilitating the right of free movement within the Union, of COVID-19 certificates issued by the Republic of Indonesia to the certificates issued in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/953 of the European Parliament and of the Council

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10666 - Brookfield / Telia Company / Telia Towers Sweden)
• Communication from the Commission - Approval of the content of a draft for a Communication from the Commission Communication pursuant to Articles 3(2), 13(3), 20, and 22 of Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/… of … 2023 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings
• Communication from the Commission - Approval of the content of a draft for a Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/… of … 2023 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings
• Communication from the Commission - Approval of the content of a draft for a Commission notice on a simplified treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/720 of 10 May 2022 on the application of Article 101(3) of the TFEU to categories of vertical agreements and concerted practices
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt: Handgun and ammunition acquisition: clearance of the Beretta / Ammotec merger
• Greece - HCC clears the acquisition by “Diamantis Masoutis S.A. - Supermarkets” (“Masoutis”) of control over “Syn.Ka Crete” (“Synka”), and in particular Synka’s wholesale and retail supply of consumer goods (supermarket sector)
• Ireland - CCPC to carry out a Phase 2 investigation of Permanent TSB’s proposed acquisition of certain assets of Ulster Bank
• Romania - The Competition Council has cleared the transaction by which Viceroy Private Capital LLC, U.S.A., acquires Dayco LLC, U.S.A., through the vehicle company Dragon Acquisition Corp LLC, U.S.A.
• Vertical rules - adapted for an omnichannel future, but some uncertainty remains - see EuroCommerce Statement

STATE AID

• Commission notice on current State aid recovery interest rates and reference/discount rates applicable as from 1 May 2022
• Commission approves €125 million Spanish scheme to support gas intensive sectors in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine (SA.102613) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Customs Programme - CLEN discussion meeting of the participants in the CLEN Ring Test on Cannabinoids of 06 July 2022
• The General Court upholds in part the Czech Republic’s action based on the unjust enrichment of the Commission in so far as it concerns the repayment of an amount equivalent to approximately € 726 000 that that Member State had to pay to that institution in the context of the recovery of anti-dumping duties (See CPR Nº 81/2022 - Judgment of the General Court in Case T-151/20, Czech Republic Vs. Commission)

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Expert Group on the Internal Market for Products of 15 June 2022
• Minutes of the Meeting of the REACH Committee of 27-28 April 2022
• Discussion paper: Skills for EU supply chains' resilience 

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Agenda for: Meeting of the EU Financial Intelligence Units’ Platform of 03 June 2022
• Digital Finance: Commission welcomes political agreement on the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) - Midday Express
• ESAs call for improvements in product descriptions intended for retail investors
• Joint ESA Supervisory Statement on expectations regarding the ‘What is this product?’ section of the PRIIPS KID
• Response form for the Joint Consultation Paper concerning sustainable disclosures for STS securitisations - ESMA

TAXATION

• Corporate taxation: Commission proposes tax incentive for equity to help companies grow, become stronger and more resilient - IP/22/2884, QaA & Proposal  

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Committee on Organic Production of 16 & 17 May 2022
• Agenda for: Expert Group Sugar Market Observatory of 12 May 2022
• Agenda for: Expert Group for Agricultural Markets - Animal Products of 19 May 2022
• Minutes of the Expert group EU Meat Market Observatory of 23 February 2022
• Information notice - Public consultation - Geographical Indications from Ecuador to be protected as Geographical Indications in the European Union
• Commissioner Wojciechowski in Turkey for the first High-Level Dialogue on Agriculture
• Drought threatens hopes French wheat could ease Ukraine shortfall - France has seen near record-low levels of rain, triggering warnings of a hit to output - Financial Times

ENERGY

• Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - A joint gas purchasing platform for the EU
• ACER to decide on the alternative bidding zone configurations
• EU considers looser green standards as it seeks to replace Russian fossil fuels - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Minutes of the 7th meeting of CL5 Climate, Energy and Mobility of 27 April 2022
• Minutes for: Expert Group for RoHS 2 adaptation and enforcement of 06 April 2022
• Speech by EVP Frans Timmermans at the World Hydrogen Summit, 10 May 2022
• Biodiversity: Three billion more trees by 2030 - the MapMyTree application is open to all citizens who wish to register the trees they have planted - Midday Express

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda - Joint Meeting of the Sub-group on Healthier Together - EU NCD Initiative and Sub-group on Cancer (19 May 2022)
• Agenda - Steering Group on Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases (12 May 2022)
• Reminder - Submit your proposal for a best practice on non-communicable diseases (open until 15 May 2022)
• SCHEER - Preliminary Opinion open for comments on "Draft Environmental Quality Standards for Priority Substances under the Water Framework Directive"
  - Chlorpyrifos (Deadline: 10 June 2022)
  - Diclofenac (Deadline: 10 June 2022)
• SCCS - Final Opinion on 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC)

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement between the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the European Union and its Member States 
• Council Decision authorising the opening of negotiations with the Republic of Moldova for an Agreement on the carriage of goods by road
• Council Decision authorising the opening of negotiations with Ukraine for an Agreement on the carriage of goods by road

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Council Decision (EU) 2022/722 of 5 April 2022 authorising Member States to sign, in the interest of the European Union, the Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime on enhanced co-operation and disclosure of electronic evidence
• Cybersecurity of 5G networks: EU publishes report on the security of Open RAN - IP/22/2881

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Minutes of the Expert group meeting on anti-SLAPP initiative Meeting of 16 February 2022
• Fighting child sexual abuse: Commission proposes new rules to protect children - IP/22/2825, QaA, FactSheet & Compendium of relevant BIK+ legislation and policy
• New EU strategy to protect and empower children in the online world - IP/22/2976, QaA, FactSheet & Proposal for a Regulation
• Answer given by VP Jourova to a MEP written question - Criminal proceedings against former prosecutor and assistant prosecutors responsible for investigating the Novartis corruption scandal
• Speech by VP Jourová on the occasion of 2022 Václav Havel European Dialogues

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• The General Court upholds the decision by which the ECB refused to authorise Silvo Berlusconi’s acquisition of a qualifying holding in Banca Mediolanum (See CPR Nº 80/2022 - Judgment of the General Court in Case T-913/16, Fininvest and Berlusconi Vs. ECB)
• Speech by Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, at the international conference to mark the 30th anniversary of Banka Slovenije

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.2) of 11 & 13 May 2022

BREXIT

• Statement by VP Šefčovič on the Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland following the Queen's Speech and accompanying background briefing notes
• EU leaders warn Johnson ‘not to touch’ Northern Ireland protocol - UK gamble could not come at a worse moment for Europe - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Notice for the attention of certain persons and entities subject to the restrictive measures provided for in Council Decision 2010/413/CFSP and Council Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 concerning restrictive measures against Iran
• Syria and the region: close to €6.4 billion mobilised during the 6th Brussels Conference - IP/22/2962 & Main Results of the Ministerial meeting
• Sri Lanka: Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the latest developments
• President von der Leyen in Japan for the EU-Japan Summit

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Port State Control Committee of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State control as regards the Russian Federation’s membership of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding
• Trafficking in human Beings: a Common Plan to address the risks for people fleeing the war in Ukraine - Midday Express
• Implementation of sanctions: Commission publishes consolidated list of travel bans - Midday Express
• Answer given by Ms McGuinness to a MEP written question - Enforcement of sanctions against listed Russian and Belarusian oligarchs
• Answer given by Mr Wojciechowski to a MEP written question - War in Ukraine, drought and an agricultural sector on its knees
• Answer given by Mr Várhelyi to a MEP written question - Combating corruption in Ukraine