Europe Daily News, 25 July 2022

COMPETITION

• Action brought on 30 May 2022 - Unsa Énergie Vs. Commission (Case T-322/22)
  Re: annulment of the letter of the European Commission COMP B.2/NP/mm *comp(2022)2975325 of 8 April 2022, by which the Commission rejects the complaint as inadmissible
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10818 - TotlaEnergies / GIP / Clearway Energy Group / Sunpower Group)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10828 - CVC / Nordic Capital / Cary Group)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10804 - KKR / Contourgobal)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10801 - Infrafibre / DG Fibre / DGN)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10718 - Kingspan / Ondura)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10780 - Waterland / KidsFoundation / Partou)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10378 - VUB / Slovenska Sporitena / Tatra Banaka / 365.Bank / CSOB / JV )
• Summary of Commission Decision of 18 February 2021 ordering measures to restore the situation prior to the concentration pursuant to Article 8(4)(b) of Council Regulation No 139/2004 (Case M.9076 - Novelis/Aleris)
  - Opinion of the Advisory Committee on mergers at its meeting of 9 February 2021 
  - Final Report of the Hearing Officer
• Commission clears acquisition of Covetrus by CD&R and TPG (M.10809) - Midday Express
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by Hartree, CATL and CFC (M.10742) - Midday Express

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objection
• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objection
• State aid - Czechia - State aid SA.64153 (2022/C) (ex 2021/N) - Aid for terrestrial television parallel broadcasting in DVB-T2/HEVC - Invitation to submit comments pursuant to Article 108(2) of the TFEU
• Communication from the Commission - Amendment to the Temporary Crisis Framework for State Aid measures to support the economy following the aggression against Ukraine by Russia
• EFTA Surveillance Authority Decision No 051/22/COL of 16 February 2022 on the Icelandic regional aid map 2022–2027 (Iceland)
• Commission clears financing of Czech Post's universal service obligation (SA.55208) - IP/22/4703
• Commission approves €36 million Belgian scheme to support videogame production (SA.54817) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €2.5 million Czech scheme to encourage inland waterway freight transport (SA.101952) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €1 million Irish scheme to support fisheries cooperatives in the context of Brexit (SA.102241) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €313 million German measure to support rail passenger operators affected by the coronavirus pandemic (SA.103381)  - Midday Express
• Commission approves €2.1 million Slovenian scheme to support the agricultural sector in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine (SA.103664) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Notice of the impending expiry of certain anti-dumping measures
• Revision of the Union Customs Code - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period: 20 July 2022 - 14 September 2022
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1292 of 22 July 2022 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1976 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty and definitively collecting the provisional duty imposed on imports of mono ethylene glycol originating in the United States of America and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Council Decision (EU) 2022/1293 of 17 June 2022 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization
  Regulation (EU) 2022/1279 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2022 on temporary trade-liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to products from the Republic of Moldova under the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part
• Decision No 1/2022 of the EU-Georgia Association Council of 8 June 2022 on the granting of reciprocal market access for supplies for central government authorities in accordance with Annex XVI-B to the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part
• Commission steps up work on global supply chain resilience together with the US and other global partners - See the Joint Statement
• WTO - Members urged to find new ways to rejuvenate agriculture negotiations
• WTO - Tunisia launches safeguard investigation on iron or non-alloy steel wires for the manufacture of furniture springs

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Financial services: Commission extends equivalence and adequacy of US audit competent authorities - see  Decision (EU) 2022/1297 & Decision (EU) 2022/1298   

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) – recording data on farm economics (updated list of regions) - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 22 July 2022 - 19 August 2022
• Agriculture: Commission approves a new geographical indication from Cyprus ( ‘Makaronia tis Smilas / Makaronia tou Sklinitziou') - Midday Express
• Commission proposes a temporary short-term derogation from certain agricultural policy rules to increase the production of cereals - IP/22/4668
• Fisheries and aquaculture: Emergency amendment to unlock support needed due to Russian invasion of Ukraine to enter into force tomorrow - See  Regulation (EU) 2022/1278 - Midday Express
• European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 2021-2027: Commission adopts €6.7 million programme for Austria

ENERGY

• Security of energy supply in the EU and further measures ahead of next winter - Exchange of views
• Proposal for a power market design in order to decouple electricity prices from soaring gas prices - Information from the Greek delegation

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on the Environment - 25&26 July 2022
• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (Biodiversity) - 28 July 2022
• Chemicals classification and labelling – assignment of notes to certain substances - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 22 July 2022 - 19 August 2022
• EU solidarity with Slovenia in combating wildfires - IP/22/4642 

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Regulation (EU) 2022/1280 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2022 laying down specific and temporary measures, in view of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, concerning driver documents issued by Ukraine in accordance with its legislation

DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET

• Final evaluation of the ‘Active and Assisted Living Joint Research and Development Programme’ - Report - Feedback period 22 July 2022 - 02 September 2022

DATA PRIVACY CYBERSECURITY

• First report on application and functioning of the Data Protection Law Enforcement Directive (EU) 2016/680 (‘LED’) - Midday Express

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• The representatives of the governments of the member states appointed four judges of the General Court. 

EURO, ECB & ECONOMY

• REACT-EU: Additional €274.9 million to boost the social and economic recovery of Spanish regions - IP/22/4632
• REACT-EU: Over €125 million for Estonia, Lithuania and Poland to support people fleeing Russia's aggression against Ukraine
• EU Cohesion Policy: €31.5 billion for Romania's economic, social and territorial cohesion, competitiveness and green and digital transition in 2021-2027 - IP/22/4662
• Monetary policy & anchored expectations: an endogenous gain learning model - ECB Working Paper Series - No.2685
• E pluribus plures: shock dependency of the USD pass-through to real and financial variables - ECB Working Paper Series - No.2684
• Job polarisation and household borrowing - ECB Working Paper Series - No.2683
• Targeted monetary policy, dual rates and bank risk taking - ECB Working Paper Series - No. 2682
• The ECB Survey of Monetary Analysts (SMA), July 2022, Aggregate Results
• Letter from the ECB President to Mr Paul Tang, MEP, on climate change
• The ECB Survey of Professional Forecasters - Third quarter of 2022

BREXIT

• Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: Commission launches four new infringement procedures against the UK - IP/22/4663 & QaA

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community: €33.4 million for the Action Programme 2022 - IP/22/4666
• Sri Lanka: Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on recent developments
• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1275 of 21 July 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria
• Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2022/1277 of 21 July 2022 implementing Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Russia’s aggression against Ukraine: the EU targets additional 54 individuals and 10 entities
  - Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1269 of 21 July 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine
  Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1270 of 21 July 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
  - Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1271 of 21 July 2022 amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine
  - Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1272 of 21 July 2022 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
  - Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1273 of 21 July 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
  - Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1274 of 21 July 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
  - Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1276 of 21 July 2022 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
• Q&A: “maintenance and alignment” package of restrictive measures against Russia
• Russia: Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the expansion of the list of so-called “unfriendly States”
• Ukraine: Commission proposes flexibilities allowing to continue European Neighbourhood cross border and Interreg transnational cooperation programmes  - Midday Express
• FAST-CARE: Council adopts negotiating mandate on further help for refugees from Ukraine and on addressing the consequences of Russia’s aggression 
• European Peace Facility: EU support to Ukraine increased to €2.5 billion - see Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1284
• Remarks by President Michel at the Second Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen on Ukraine and the World