Europe Daily News, 28 November 2022

COMPETITION

• Appeal brought on 30 September 2022 by Grail LLC against the judgment of the General Court of 13 July 2022 in Case T-227/21, Illumina Vs. Commission - Case C-625/22 P:
  Re: annulment of Commission Decision C(2021) 2847 of 19 April 2021 in Case COMP/M.10188 - Illumina/Grail; related Commission Decisions C(2021) 2848 final, C(2021) 2849 final, C(2021) 2851 final, C(2021) 2854 final and C(2021) 2855 final of 19 April 2021; and the related Commission Decision of 11 March 2021 which informed Illumina and GRAIL that the Commission had received a request for referral and had the legal consequence, pursuant to Article 22(4)§ 2 that Illumina and GRAIL were prohibited from implementing the concentration pursuant to Article 7 EU
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10786 - BNP Paribas / CACEIS / JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10980 - Tokyu / Marubeni / Orix/ Fujitsu / JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10918 - Petronas / Durio / Orim Holding)
• Commission clears ALD's acquisition of LeasePlan, subject to conditions (M.10638) - IP/22/7087
• Commission clears acquisition of Skyway Concession Company by Atlas Arteria and OTPP (M.10947) - Midday Express

STATE AID

• Commission approves €557 million German support to compensate Deutsche Bahn for damages suffered by its subsidiary DB Fernverkehr due to the coronavirus pandemic (SA.100323) - IP/22/7103
• Commission approves €100 million Cypriot scheme to support companies and self-employed persons affected by the coronavirus pandemic (SA.103624) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €50 million Latvian scheme to support the manufacturing industry in context of Russia's war against Ukraine (SA.104408) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €50 million Italian scheme to support companies in Marche in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine (SA.104509) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Council gives final approval to tackling distortive foreign subsidies on the internal market
• Speech by Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis at the Trade FAC meeting

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Council gives final green light to corporate sustainability reporting directive
• The 2022 SME Assembly gathers in Prague to address the state of Europe's SMEs - Midday Express

CHEMICAL

• Agenda for meeting of the REACH Committee of 13-14 December 2022

EDUCATION, YOUTH, CULTURE  & SPORT

• Council of the European Union (Education, Youth, Culture & Sport) - 28 and 29 November 2022
  - EU highlights the importance of well-being in digital education - The Council has approved conclusions on well-being in digital education
  - Council takes action to boost school success of children across the EU - The Council adopted a recommendation on pathways to school success
  - Youth Action Plan: Council involves young people in policy-making - The Council approved conclusions on the Youth Action Plan for engaging young people in EU external action

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• ESMA has updated the Questions and Answers on the Central Securities Depositories Regulation (CSDR) and the Market Abuse Regulation (MAR)
• Access to EU public registers ends: ‘We are going back to era of corporate secrecy’ - Campaigners say invalidation of member states’ databases will hinder efforts to tackle abuse of ownership rules - Financial Times

TAXATION

• Brussels to propose rise in cigarette taxes and first EU-wide vaping levy - Bloc’s push to cut smoking rates would increase minimum excise duty from €1.80 to €3.60 per pack of 20 - Financial Times

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Malta and The Netherlands will receive funding under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund for 2021-2027 - Midday Express

ENERGY

• EU in race to settle differences over level of cap on Russian oil price - Hawkish member states including Poland push for tougher ceiling to limit Moscow funding for war in Ukraine - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT CLIMATE CHANGE

• Disaster Risk Reduction: Council calls for EU’s proactive crisis response - The Council approved conclusions asking for a proactive and anticipatory crisis response
• Wildlife trade: EU helps adopt tougher trade rules for threatened species at CITES COP19

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Ebola: €5 million for clinical trials on vaccines and treatments in response to ongoing outbreak in Uganda - Midday Express
• Commission recommends recognising COVID-19 as occupational disease in certain sectors and during a pandemic - Midday Express

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2324 of 23 November 2022 amending Decision 2008/294/EC, to include additional access technologies and measures for the operation of mobile communications services on aircraft (MCA services) in the Union
• Joint Statement by President von der Leyen and President Yoon on the EU-Republic of Korea Digital Partnership

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Summary of the Opinion of the European Data Protection Supervisor on the Proposal for a Regulation on standards of quality and safety for substances of human origin intended for human application and repealing Directives 2002/98/EC and 2004/23/EC
• EU decides to strengthen cybersecurity and resilience across the Union: Council adopts new legislation
• EDPB response to MEP in't Veld on intergovernmental agreements implementing the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
• EDPB response to the Association of Accidental Americans on intergovernmental agreements implementing the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• InvestEU: European Commission and Council of Europe Development Bank sign agreement to mobilise €500 million in financing for social investments - IP/22/7165
• NextGenerationEU: The European Commission approved last Friday a positive preliminary assessment of Greece's second request for €3.6 billion in grants under the Recovery and Resilience Facility - IP/22/7150 & QaA
• Midday Express

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 30 November 2022 & 01 December 2022

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Action brought on 14 October 2022 - Yanukovych Vs. Council - Case T-642/22 & T-643/22
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1355 & Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/135 and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1354
• Action brought on 12 October 2022 - Fridman and Others Vs. Council - Case T-635/22
  Re: annul Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1273
• Action brought on 10 October 2022 - LAICO Vs. Council - Case T-629/22
  Re: annulment of Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2022/1315 & annul Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1308
• Council Regulation (EU) 2022/2309 of 25 November 2022 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Haiti
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2319 of 25 November 2022 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Haiti
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2321 of 25 November 2022 in support of the South-Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) for the implementation of the Regional Roadmap on combating illicit arms trafficking in the Western Balkans and in support of disarmament and arms control activities in South-East and East Europe
• Sanctions: Council adds the violation of restrictive measures to the list of EU crimes - This is the first of two steps to ensure a similar degree of sanctions enforcement throughout the EU

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Statement by President von der Leyen at the "Grain from Ukraine" Summit
• Statement by President von der Leyen following her phone call with President Zelenskyy