Europe Daily News, 28 June 2022

COMPETITION

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competition - 1 July 2022
• Initiation of proceedings (Case M.10438 - MOL / OMV Slovenija)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10733 - CMA CGM / Gefco)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10799 - Reggeborgh / Ellaktor)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10653 - Estavayer Lait / Givaudan / Bühler / JV)
• Commission clears acquisition of sole control of BPEA by EQT (M.10732) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control of IFS by EQT Fund Management, HgCapital and TA Associates (M.10741) - Midday Express
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt - Stellantis has obtained merger approval for its acquisition of carsharing provider Share Now
• Greece - HCC clears the acquisition by «Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited» («Fairfax») of sole control over «Grivalia Hospitality SA» («Grivalia»)
• The Netherlands – ACM - Shell, TotalEnergies can cooperate in CO2 storage in depleted North Sea gas fields
• Slovak Republic - PMÚ SR initiated administrative proceedings in the case of concentration of ORLEN Unipetrol a.s. and OLIVA group s.r.o.

STATE AID

• Commission approves €16 million Dutch scheme to support the fireworks sector in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (SA.101802) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €40 million Italian scheme to support cabotage and other maritime services in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (SA.102926) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €12 million Maltese aid measure to compensate Malta International Airport for the damage suffered due to the coronavirus pandemic (SA.102240) - Midday Express
• Slovak Republic - PMÚ SR issued an opinion on the Scheme of minimum aid for employment support as amended by Amendment No. 11 

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Deputy Members) - 1 July 2022
• Notice of the expiry of certain anti-subsidy measures (Certain stainless steel bars and rods - India - 29.06.2022)
• Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1008 of 17 June 2022 amending Regulation (EU) 2021/2278 suspending the Common Customs Tariff duties referred to in Article 56(2), point (c), of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 on certain agricultural and industrial products
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1013 of 27 June 2022 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of certain ring binder mechanisms originating in the People’s Republic of China and as extended to Vietnam and Lao People’s Democratic Republic following an expiry review pursuant to Article 11(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Joint outcome statement: Round four of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between the Republic of India and the United Kingdom. 

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• EBA observed an increasing encumbrance ratio in 2021 albeit with some signs of stabilization
• ESMA publishes results (letter) of its Call for Evidence on ESG rating

TAXATION

• Annual Report on Taxation 2022 - With crises still looming, the EU should prepare a tax framework fit for the future

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• Removing barriers for persons with disabilities: European Accessibility Act must be in national law from today - Midday Express
• Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to attend signature of social dialogue work programme 2022-2024 - See ETUC Statement

ENERGY

• Main results - TTE Council (Energy) - 27 June 2022 
  - "Fit for 55": Council agrees on higher targets for renewables and energy efficiency 
  - Opening remarks by Commissioner Simson at the Energy Council
• Joint Statement by President von der Leyen and President Biden on European Energy Security
• Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Counci amending Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the promotion of energy from renewable sources, and repealing Council Directive (EU) 2015/652
  - Statement by Spain  
  - Joint Statement by Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia 
  - Opinion of the Italian Chamber of deputies on the application of the Principles of Subsidiarity and Proportionality
• Statement by Commissioner Simson on the start of electricity trade between Ukraine and the EU

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• France: The EIB, with the support of the European Commission, is co-financing the construction of three floating offshore wind farms for a total of €210 million - IP/22/4155
• Fit for 55: Transport MEPs set ambitious targets for greener aviation fuels
• Application of EU health and environmental standards to imported agri-food products - Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - See the Presentation
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevicius to a MEP written question - Timeline for implementation of green transformation plans
• UN Environment Programme and EIB join forces to reduce pollution in the marine and coastal environment
• EIB provided over €96 billion for urban development projects between 2017 and 2021
• Exposure to pollution causes 10% of all cancer cases in Europe - See EEA Statement & Report
• How can the European Union adapt to climate change? - A stronger adaptation governance framework would benefit adaptation efforts - See Bruegel Policy Contribution - Issue n˚11/22

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• European Health Union: Start of delivery of vaccines in response to the monkeypox outbreak - IP/22/4146
• Call for Evidence - Importing organic food – list of recognised control bodies (correction) - Implementing regulation - Feedback period 27 June 2022 - 25 July 2022
• SCHEER - Preliminary Opinion open for comments on "Draft Environmental Quality Standards for Priority Substances under the Water Framework Directive" - Cypermethrin
• SCHEER - Request for a scientific opinion in support of a targeted revision of Annexes III and IV of Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific
• SCHEER - Minutes of the 2nd plenary meeting, Luxembourg, 15-16 June 2022
• EFSA - Assessment of new sequencing information for GM cotton DAS‐24236‐5 × DAS‐21Ø23‐5
• EFSA - Safety assessment of the process EREMA, based on EREMA MPR + DS technology, used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials
• EFSA - Safety assessment of the processes EREMA based on EREMA MPR and EREMA Basic technologies used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials 

EU COVID-19 RESPONSES

• COVID-19: Council extends the regulation establishing the EU digital COVID certificate

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Council Decision (EU) 2022/1014 of 17 June 2022 on the position to be taken on behalf of the Union vis-à-vis the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding the determination under Article 540(2) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union 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 the date from which personal data relating to DNA profiles and dactyloscopic data as referred to in Articles 530, 531, 534 and 536 of that Agreement may be supplied by Member States to the United Kingdom
• Data Protection Commission welcomes outcome of prosecution proceedings taken against Vodafone Ireland Limited
• Luxembourg becomes the first country to introduce a certification mechanism according to the GDPR criteria

DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET

• Agenda for: 79th meeting of the Radio Spectrum Committee - 07 July 2022
• Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act) and amending certain Union Legislative Acts - See the Opinion from the EP ITRE, ENVI Committee & CULT Committee
• Ensure effective enforcement of the Digital Markets Act - See the NGOs Letter
• Call for Evidence - World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 - EU position - Proposal for a decision - Feedback period 28 June 2022 - 26 July 2022

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Europol: Commission welcomes entry into force of the new mandate - Midday Express
• European Commission adopted its evaluation of the Victims’ Rights Directive (see also COM/2020/258 final) - Midday Express
• What we know about the dirty business of environmental crime in the age of climate change - Europol publishes new threat assessment on environmental crime in the EU

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• VP Šuica announces disbursement of first payment of €700 million to Croatia under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, bringing total amount of disbursements to over €100 billion
• The shifts and the shocks: bank risk, leverage, and the macroeconomy - ECB Working Paper Series No.2672
• A model of system-wide stress simulation: market-based finance and the Covid-19 event - ECB Working Paper Series No.2671
• ECB - Governing Council statement on the treatment of the European banking union in the assessment methodology for global systemically important banks

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.2) - 29 June 2022

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1019 of 27 June 2022 amending Decision 2010/413/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Iran
• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1010 of 27 June 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 concerning restrictive measures against Iran
• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1009 of 27 June 2022 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1183/2005 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2022/1020 of 27 June 2022 implementing Decision 2010/788/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Council Decision (EU) 2022/1007 of 20 June 2022 on the conclusion on behalf of the Union of the Partnership Agreement on Relations and Cooperation between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and New Zealand, of the other part
• G7 Leaders’ Communiqué - Executive summary

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• G7 statement on support for Ukraine
• Answer given by Ms McGuinness to a MEP written question - Additional information on the methodology of Russian propaganda in Greece