Europe Daily News, 02 December 2022

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10543 - Biscuit Holding / Continental Bakeries Holding)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10947 - Atlas Arteria  / OTPP / Skyway Concession Company)
• Commission clears acquisition of several entities belonging to the Sappi group by Aurelius (M.10956) - Midday Express
• Germany - ALDI may acquire Altmühltaler Mineralbrunnen - Schwarz Group may take over Erfurter Teigwaren
• Lithuania -The Vilnius Regional Administrative Court (VACC) upheld the request of the Competition Council to impose personal liability on the head of the company Naujininkų ūkis, which had entered into a cartel in public procurement
• Sweden - Sanerings Companiet and Sopkärlstvätt have been found guilty and fined for sharing the market for sanitation and cleaning services as well as for washing waste bins

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections
• Commission approves prolongation of German scheme to green commercial vehicle fleets (SA.103346) - Midday Express
• Commission approves amendments to Maltese aid measure to support fast ferry passenger transport between Malta and Gozo in context of Russia's war against Ukraine (SA.104983) - Midday Express 

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Notice of Initiation concerning a review of the safeguard measure applicable to imports of certain steel products
• Public Consultation - Geographical indications from the People’s Republic of China
• Commission publishes latest Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List
• Council Decision on the position to be adopted on behalf of the EU within the Committee on Customs established under the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and the Republic of Singapore, as regards the amendment of Protocol 1 concerning the definition of “originating products” and methods of administrative cooperation - Adoption Statement by the Commission
• Executive Vice-Presidents Vestager and Dombrovskis at the third EU-US Trade and Technology Council on 5 December 2022 in the United States
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell i Fontelles to a MEP written question - Reconsideration of the EU’s strategy towards Cambodia after two years of declining economic relations
• The Europeans are coming - CSIS Paper - December 1, 2022
• Macron says US climate law risks ‘fragmenting the west’ - French leader’s criticism on first day of state visit to America shows growing row over Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act - Financial Times
• Von der Leyen tempers optimism about Northern Ireland deal - Irish ministers have been talking up chances for post-Brexit deal - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• The Council adopted a general approach on the proposed regulation establishing the European defence industry reinforcement through common procurement act
• The Council adopts its negotiating position on the Chips Act - see the Presidency text
• The Council adopts conclusions on a European Agenda for Tourism 2030
• The Council approves conclusions on the New innovation Agenda
• The Council approves conclusions on Research Infrastructures
• Commission welcomes the affiliation of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to the European standardisation system - Midday Express

CHEMICAL

• List of authorisation decisions adopted on the basis of Article 64(8) of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) - 30 November 2022
• CSR - REACH Authorisation decisions - CT - Chrom-Mueller - Uses 1-3; ST S.r.l.;  KaVo Dental - Created by GROW.F.1 – 30 November 2022

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• EU looks to exclude banks and funds from sustainability rules - MEPs and campaigners say ‘incomprehensible’ carve-out for financial sector weakens Brussels’ ESG goals - Financial Times

TAXATION

• Agenda for: Meeting of the 40th Group on the Future of VAT - 09 December 2022

EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION & SOCIAL POLICY

• Opinion of advocate General Emiliou of 1 December 2022 Case C‑660/20, MK Vs. Lufthansa CityLine GmbH
  Re: Reference for preliminary ruling - Social policy - Principle of non-discrimination of part-time workers - Pilots - Principle of pro rata temporis - Higher level of remuneration for additional flying duty hours beyond a monthly threshold - Threshold that is identical for full-time and part-time pilots
• EPSCO (Health) Council on 9 December 2022
  - 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 - Progress report

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Special Committee on Agriculture - 5 December 2022
  - Organic production: negotiations with third countries on equivalence recognition - Presentation by the Commission - Exchange of views
• Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027: strategic plans of Cyprus and Italy worth €26.9 billion approved  - Midday Express
• Portugal and Slovenia will receive substantial funds under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund for 2021-2027(EMFAF)

ENERGY

• Minutes of the Gas Coordination Group - 10 November 2022
• Minutes of the 2nd Meeting of the EU Energy Platform Industry Advisory Group - 18 November 2022
• EU and Japan step up cooperation on hydrogen - See MoU of Cooperation - IP/22/7322
• Answer given by the Council to a MEP written question - Tariffs on Russian energy imports
• Brussels seeks deal on $60 global price cap for Russian oil - EU tries to get agreement over line after months of talks, in effort to curb Kremlin fuel revenues - Financial Times
• Why has Europe struggled to agree on an energy price cap? EU divisions over how to tame high gas and electricity costs caused by Russian export cuts have yet to be resolved - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environmental Issues (Climate Change) - 12 December 2022
• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (UNECE Espoo) - 7 December 2022
• EU Cohesion Policy: €623 million for a just transition to climate neutrality in the Netherlands - IP/22/7372
• Methane emissions on a downward trend, but accelerated cuts needed to meet EU climate targets - See EEA Briefing and Report

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Joint European Commission and World Health Organisation press release on extending strategic cooperation to deliver better health for all - IP/22/7375

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• CCAM (Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility) States Representatives Group Meeting (Prague, 29 November 2022): Outcome & Information from the Presidency 
• Meeting of “Electronic Freight Transport Information (eFTI) Delegated Acts” expert group - Sub-group 3 to the Digital Transport and Logistics Forum - 3rd meeting - 12 October 2022 - Presentation

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Att. & Exp. Horizontal on cyber issues - 2 December 2022
• Answer given by Ms Johansson to a MEP written question - What are providers saying about their processing of personal data under Regulation (EU) 2021/1232?

AREA OF FREEDOM, CONSUMER, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Judgment of the Court of 1 December 2022 in Case C‑595/21, LSI – Germany GmbH Vs. Freistaat Bayern
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Consumer protection - Provision of food information to consumers - Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 - Article 17 and point 4 of Part A of Annex VI - ‘Name of the food’ - ‘Name of the product’ - Mandatory particulars in food labelling - Component or ingredient used for the partial or whole substitution of the component or ingredient which consumers expect to see normally used or present in a food
• Judgment of the Court of 1 December 2022 in Case C‑419/21, X sp. z o.o. sp.k. Vs. Z
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Directive 2011/7/EU - Combating late payment in commercial transactions - Article 2(1) - Concept of ‘commercial transactions’ - Compensation for recovery costs incurred by the creditor due to late payment by the debtor - Article 6 - Fixed minimum sum of EUR 40 - Several late payments for supplies of goods or services under a single contract
• The Council and European Parliament agree on the consumer credit directive - see the EP Statement
• Council Decision (EU) 2022/2349 of 21 November 2022 authorising the opening of negotiations on behalf of the European Union for a Council of Europe convention on artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy and the rule of law 

EURO, ECB & ECONOMY

• Eurobarometer: survey shows strong public support for the euro, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and SURE - Midday Express
• EU Cohesion Policy: over €530 million for territorial cooperation including Ukraine and Moldova in 2021-2027 - IP/22/7320
• ECB - Euro area bank interest rate statistics: October 2022

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Statement by the HR/VP on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2232 of 14 November 2022 amending Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons
• Statement by the HR/VP on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1944 of 13 October 2022 amending Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons
• Declaration by the HR/VP on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2022/2235 of 14 November 2022 implementing Decision 2011/235/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Iran
• Declaration by the HR/VP on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2022/2234 of 14 November 2022 implementing Decision 2011/235/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Iran
• Statement by the HR/VP on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2201 of 10 November 2022 amending Decision (CFSP) 2017/2074 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Venezuela
• Statement by the HR/VP on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2178 of 8 November 2022 amending Decision 2013/184/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Myanmar/Burma
• The Council adopted five assistance measures under the European Peace Facility (EPF) in support of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Lebanon, Mauritania and in support to the deployment of the Rwanda Defence Force in Mozambique
• Remarks by President Charles Michel following the meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Ukraine: Commission proposes to criminalise the violation of EU sanctions - IP/22/7371, QaA, the Proposal
• The ECJ’s gift to oligarchs under sanctions - A ruling that limits access to corporate registries is a blow in the fight against Putin - Financial Times