Europe Daily News, 09 November 2022

COMPETITION

• The General Court confirms the penalties ranging from EUR 2.2 million to EUR 5.1 million imposed by the Commission on four undertakings for their participation in a cartel on the Italian market for concrete reinforcing bars (See CPR No.180/2022, Judgments of the Court of First Instance in Cases T-655/19, Ferriera Valsabbia and Valsabbia Investimenti Vs. Commission, T-656/19, Alfa Acciai Vs. Commission, T-657/19 Feralpi Vs. Commission, and T-667/19 Ferriere Nord Vs. Commission)
• Agenda for: Working Party on Competition - 14 November 2022
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10950 - OTPP / Mahindra / MSPL)
• Commission opens in-depth investigation into the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft (M.10646) - IP/22/6578
• EU and Korea meet during 4th Competition Week to reinforce cooperation on competition policy - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of DCLI by GIC, KIA and Omers (M.10854) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Benvic by Vynova (M.10928) - Midday Express
• France - The Autorité hands out fines to Essilor International SAS and its parent company EssilorLuxottica SA for discriminatory trade practices

STATE AID

• Judgment of the Court of 9 November 2022 in Case T‑111/21, Ryanair DAC, Vs. European Commission, supported by Republic of Croatia
  Re: State aid - Croatian air transport market - Aid granted by Croatia to an airline in the context of the COVID‑19 pandemic - Direct grant - Decision not to raise any objections - Action for annulment - Individual concern - Admissibility - Serious difficulties - Aid intended to make good the damage caused by an exceptional occurrence - Equal treatment - Freedom of establishment - Free provision of services - Assessment of the damage - Obligation to state reasons
• Communication from the Commission Temporary Crisis Framework for State Aid measures to support the economy following the aggression against Ukraine by Russia 2022/C 426/01

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Judgment of the General Court of in Case T‑246/19, Kingdom of Cambodia, Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), Vs. European Commission
  Re: Action for annulment - Imports of Indica rice originating in Cambodia and Myanmar/Burma - Safeguard measures - Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/67 - Locus standi - Interest in bringing proceedings - Rejection of the plea of inadmissibility
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Customs Union Performance Expert Group - 18 November 2022
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Protocol Amending the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization
  
• DG Okonjo-Iweala: World “cannot afford to leave trade and WTO behind” in climate actions
• WTO - DG joins world leaders in call to mobilize USD 12.5 billion for climate action in Africa

INTERNAL MARKET INDUSTRY

• Minutes of: Commission expert group on Mutual Recognition of Goods - 11 October 2022
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Third-country tenderers participating in EU public procurement procedures

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Agenda for: Working Party on Financial Services and Banking Union (attaché+experts) - (MiFIR) - 17 November & 21 November 2022
• Answer given by Ms McGuinness to a MEP written question - Unjustified blocking of a transfer between accounts belonging to the same holder in banks in two different Member States
• EBA reasserts its commitment to contribute to a more resilient and sustainable financial system

TAXATION

• Council conclusions on the reform of the Code of Conduct for Business Taxation

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 10 November 2022
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Gas Storage Committee - 10 November 2022
• Minutes of: EU Energy Platform Industry Advisory Group - 26 October 2022
• REPowerEU: Commission steps up green transition away from Russian gas by accelerating renewables permitting - IP/22/6657, QaA & see the Proposal for a Council Regulation
• President von der Leyen and Commissioner Simson visit Moldova to offer support with energy challenges - Midday Express
• Brussels must do more to tackle EU energy crisis, says Czech minister - Jozef Síkela warns lack of action risks economic damage that would undermine support for Ukraine - Financial Times
• US beats EU as magnet for green investment, says Iberdrola - Spanish utility’s boss Ignacio Galán laments European response to energy crisis - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the EU Ecolabel Regulatory Committee - 18 November 2022
• Minutes of: 11th Meeting of the “Multi-Stakeholder Platform on Protecting and Restoring the World’s Forests, including the EUTR/FLEGT” - 28 September 2022
• European Green Deal: EU reaches agreement on national emission reductions from transport, buildings, waste and agriculture - IP/22/6724
• ‘Fit for 55’: EU strengthens emission reduction targets for member states
• Commissioner Sinkevičius visits Japan to strengthen EU-Japan relations in environmental matters - Midday Express
• Revision of the EU action plan against wildlife trafficking - Communication & Working Document

COP27

• Statement by President von der Leyen at the COP27 plenary meeting
• Speech by President Charles Michel at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt (French)
• Statement by President von der Leyen at the high-level roundtable on ‘investing in future of energy' organised by the government of Egypt

HEALTH FOOD PRODUCT SAFETY

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2182 of 30 August 2022 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/1798 as regards the lipid and magnesium requirements for total diet replacement for weight control
• COVID-19 vaccines: Commission reaches agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer to help Member States better manage their vaccine supply and delivery needs - Midday Express
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Assessment of the feed additive consisting of endo‐1,4‐β‐xylanase produced by Trichoderma reesei CBS 143953 and endo‐1,3(4)‐β‐glucanase produced by T. reesei CBS 143945 (Axtra® XB 201 TPT/L) for poultry and pigs for renewal of its authorisation (Danisco (UK) Ltd)
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety assessment of the process Polyfab Plastics, based on Starlinger deCON technology, used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety of cellobiose as a novel food pursuant to regulation (EU) 2015/2283
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of 3‐phytase produced by Komagataella phaffii (CECT 13171) (FSF10000/FLF1000) for poultry species, pigs for fattening and minor porcine species (FERTINAGRO BIOTECH S.L.)
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Evaluation of a multi‐step catalytic co‐processing hydrotreatment for the production of renewable fuels using Category 3 animal fat and used cooking oils
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety and efficacy of feed additives prepared from Piper nigrum L.: black pepper oil and black pepper oleoresin for use in all animal species and a supercritical extract for use in dogs and cats (FEFANA asbl)
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of 6‐phytase produced by Trichoderma reesei CBS 146250 (Axtra® PHY GOLD 30L, Axtra® PHY GOLD 30T, Axtra® PHY GOLD 65G) for all poultry species and all pigs (Danisco (UK) ltd)
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Pest risk assessment of Amyelois transitella for the European Union

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Summary of the Opinion of the EDPS on the Recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the opening of negotiations for the inclusion of provisions on cross-border data flows in the Agreement between the European Union and Japan for an Economic Partnership
• Safety of property can be a legitimate interest for GPS tracking, but the measure must be appropriate and necessary - Slovenia
• European News Media Forum: news media professionals to discuss innovation and collaboration - Midday Express

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the 83rd Single Sky Committee - 16 November 2022
• Minutes - 3rd Meeting of the Digital Transport and Trade Facilitation Committee (DTTF) - 13 September 2022

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• The General Court confirms the Commission communication refusing to take the action requested in the European citizens’ initiative ‘Minority SafePack - one million signatures for diversity in Europe’ (See Nº 179/2022 - Judgment of the General Court in Case T-158/21, Minority SafePack - one million signatures for diversity in Europe Vs. Commission)
• Commissioner Johannsson announces comprehensive migration dialogues with Bangladesh and Pakistan and gives €3 million for Rohingya Refugees - Midday Express

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Main Results of the Council of the European Union (Economic & Financial Affairs) - 8 November 2022, see Remarks by EVP Dombrovskis
  - Council adopted conclusions on statistics
• The European Commission has today adopted a Communication setting out orientations for a reformed EU economic governance framework - IP/22/6562 & QaA
• NextGenerationEU: Commission disburses €21 billion to Italy under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - Midday Express
• ECB Consumer Expectations Survey results - September 2022
• ECB - Turning down the heat: how the green transition supports price stability
• The impact of the recent rise in inflation on low-income households - Economic Bulletin Issue 7, 2022
• A closer look at consumers' inflation expectations – evidence from the ECB’s Consumer Expectations Survey - Economic Bulletin Issue 7, 2022
• Why reforming EU’s fiscal rules is fraught with difficulties Premium content - Germany has already expressed deep scepticism about the entire concept of the commission’s proposal - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Myanmar/Burma: EU imposes further restrictive measures on 19 individuals and one entity - See Regulation (EU) 2022/2177 & Decision (CFSP) 2022/2178 and Notice 1 & 2
• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2179 of 8 November 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1770 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Mali
• Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2022/2187 of 8 November 2022 implementing Decision (CFSP) 2017/1775 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Mali
• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2180 of 8 November 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1509 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
• Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2022/2188 of 8 November 2022 implementing Decision (CFSP) 2016/849 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2184 of 8 November 2022 amending Decision (CFSP) 2019/1296 in support of strengthening biological safety and security in Ukraine in line with the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2185 of 8 November 2022 amending Decision (CFSP) 2018/1939 on Union support for the universalisation and effective implementation of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear terrorism
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2186 of 8 November 2022 amending Decision (CFSP) 2019/1894 concerning restrictive measures in view of Turkey’s unauthorised drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, see the Notice
• Uzbekistan lobbies EU to lift sanctions on Alisher Usmanov - Tashkent backs Uzbek-Russian oligarch in challenging punitive measures imposed after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine - Financial Times