Europe Daily News, 24 May 2023

COMPETITION

• The action brought by Meta Platforms Ireland (Facebook group) against a Commission request seeking disclosure of documents identified by means of search terms is dismissed (See CPR No.83/2023 - Judgment of the General Court in Case T-451/20, Meta Platforms Ireland Vs. Commission)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11127 - TA / Anacap / Managers 2 / MRH Trowe)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11070 - Chemours / BWT Fumatech Mobility / JV)
• ESA initiates investigation into possible anticompetitive conduct by Elkjøp in electronic goods
• Belgium - The Competition Authority approves the acquisition of the commercial activities of the Touring Club Royal de Belgique ASBL by AG Insurance
• Czech Republic - Investigation of five staple foods shows no distortion of competition - see the Report and Presentation
• Italy - Antitrust, investigation launched against the FIGC for alleged abuse of a dominant position
• Romania - Competition Council submits to public debate commitments submitted by RCS&RDS, Orange Romania and Orange Romania Communications SA
• UK - CMA provisionally finds 5 banks broke competition law on UK bonds

STATE AID

• The General Court annuls the Commission’s decision to approve an aid measure consisting in subsidies paid by Italy to Italian airlines in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (See CPR No.85/23 - Judgment of the General Court in Case T-268/21, Ryanair/Commission (Italy - aid scheme - COVID-19))
• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - De minimis rules for companies processing and selling fisheries products

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: 245th meeting of the Customs Code Committee - Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature Section (Sub-Section Mec/Misc/Tex) from 12th to 14th June 2023
• Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2021/2283 opening and providing for the management of autonomous tariff quotas of the Union for certain agricultural and industrial products
• Decision No.4/2023 of the Trade Committee of 26 April 2023 regarding its Rules of Procedure
• United States, Europe still working toward Green Steel, Aluminum Agreement
• Answer given by given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Imports of seafood from Russia
• Answer given by given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Reaction to China’s ban on exports of strategic technologies in the renewable energy sector
• Big drop in German exports to China raises fears over EU’s economic powerhouse - Decrease in demand from Asia’s largest economy sparks concern over how Berlin can fix industrial malaise - Financial Times
  

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for setting ecodesign requirements for sustainable products and repealing Directive 2009/125/EC - General approach
• Commissioners Ferreira and Schmit address the conference on supporting skills development through reforms - Midday Express
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - EU response to the US Inflation Reduction Act

CHEMICAL

• ECHA - New OECD QSAR Toolbox version available
• ECHA - Weekly Newsletter - 24 May 20236

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

• The term ‘emmentaler’ cannot be protected as a European Union trade mark for cheeses Intellectual and industrial property (See CPR No.84/23 - Judgment of the General Court in Case T-2/21, Emmentaler Switzerland Vs. EUIPO (EMMENTALER))

FINANCIAL SERVICEs

• Capital Markets Union: Commission proposes new rules to protect and empower retail investors in the EU - IP/23/2868, QaA, FactSheet, Remarks by EVP Dombrovskis and Commissioner McGuinness and Legal Texts
• Capital Markets Union: Commission welcomes political agreement on improved access to corporate information for investors - Midday Express
• The Joint Committee of the European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA and ESMA - ESAs) has published its 2022 Annual Report
• EBA publishes corrigendum of Guidelines on DGS contributions, amending the Guidelines on available financial means of DGS
• ESMA seeks input on rules for long term investment funds
• EU sticks with post-Brexit clearing trade deadline despite objections - Brussels insists on wresting lucrative business from London as derivatives houses fear threat to stability - Financial Times

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Market situation in particular following the invasion of Ukraine - Information from the Commission and the Member States - Exchange of views 

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Council Decision (EU) 2023/1006 of 25 April 2023 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants as regards the proposals for amendment of Annex A to that Convention
• Executive Vice-President Timmermans in India and Maldives for COP28 preparations - Midday Express

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Tobacco-free generation
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Tobacco traceability and conflicts of interest
• Revision of the EU's general pharmaceutical legislation - See EPRS Briefing - May 2023

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Commission Recommendation (EU) 2023/1018 of 4 May 2023 on combating online piracy of sports and other live events
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Digital Services Act
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Google, Tripadvisor and Trustpilot
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Rotterdam ‘fraud prediction’ algorithms automating injustice: Dutch Government violating fundamental rights and the rule of law

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Police cooperation, EP’s Committee on Civil Liberties excludes driving licences from automated data exchange - see the Compromise Amendments
• Statement ahead of the 5th anniversary of the General Data Protection Regulation

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• The Council calls for a European approach on space traffic management
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) /... amending Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 as regards helicopter emergency medical service operations
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 as regards minimum requirements on minimum breaks and daily and weekly rest periods in the occasional passenger transport sector
• Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure: Fit for 55 package - EPRS Briefing- May 2023
• Sustainable maritime fuels - 'Fit for 55' package: the FuelEU Maritime proposal - EPRS Briefing - May 2023

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Proposal for a Council Directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation - Progress Report
• MEPs vote to speed up the freezing and confiscation of criminal assets
  

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Policy guidance under the European Semester: Sustaining reforms and investments to secure the EU's long-term prosperity, competitiveness, fairness and resilience - IP/23/2872, QaAs & Remarks by EVP Dombrovskis
  - Spring Package Communication, Country Specific & Commission Recommendations
• ECB - Euro area investment fund statistics: first quarter of 2023
• ECB - Euro area financial vehicle corporation statistics: first quarter of 2023
• Interview with Fabio Panetta, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, conducted by Karl de Meyer
• Are preferential agreements beneficial to EU trade? New evidence from the EU-South Korea treaty - ECB Working Paper Series - No.2822
• ECB's Christine Lagarde: 25 years of euro unity
  
• ECB - Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 19 May 2023
• The impact of global warming on inflation: averages, seasonality and extremes - ECB Working Paper Series - No.2821
• Environmental regulation and productivity growth in the euro area: testing the Porter hypothesis - ECB Working Paper Series - No.2820
• Rising shadow bank risks expose ‘insufficient’ EU rules, warns ECB - Lighter regime for hedge funds and asset managers increases ‘scope for contagion’, says central bank’s vice-president - Financial Times

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Possible items for College agendas from 31 May to 12 September 2023

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Horn of Africa: Commissioner Lenarčič participates in high-level pledging conference - Midday Express
• MEPs call on EU to act on UN Sustainable Development Goals - see the Compromise Amendments
• Answer given by HR/VP Borrell to a MEP written question - Intelligence service activities of the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability directorate

EU INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Judgment of the General Court 24 May 2023 in Case T-556/21, Sviatlana Lyubetskaya Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures taken because of the situation in Belarus - Freezing of funds - Restriction on admission to the territory of the Member States - Inclusion of the applicant's name on the lists of persons, entities and bodies concerned - Obligation to state reasons - Error of assessment - Proportionality
• Judgment of the General Court 24 May 2023 in Case T-557/21, Aleksandr Omeliyanyuk Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures taken on account of the situation in Belarus - Freezing of funds - Restriction on admission to the territory of the Member States - Inclusion of the applicant's name on the lists of persons, entities and bodies concerned - Obligation to state reasons - Error of assessment - Proportionality
• Judgment of the General Court 24 May 2023 in Case T-579/21, Siarhei Gusachenka Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures taken on account of the situation in Belarus - Freezing of funds - Restriction on admission to the territory of the Member States - Inclusion of the applicant's name on the lists of persons, entities and bodies concerned - Error of assessment - Proportionality - Freedom of expression
• Judgment of the General Court 24 May 2023 in Case T-580/21, Aleh Haidukevich Vs. Council of the European Union
  Re: Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures taken on account of the situation in Belarus - Freezing of funds - Restriction on admission to the territory of the Member States - Inclusion of the applicant's name on the lists of persons, entities and bodies concerned - Error of assessment - Proportionality - Freedom of expression

EU/UK RELATIONS

• Council Decision on the position to be adopted on behalf of the European Union within the Specialised Committee on Social Security Coordination established by 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, as regards the designation of the financial institution to serve as reference to determine the interest rate for late payments and the exchange rate for currency conversions, as well as the date to be taken into consideration for determining the rates of currency conversion - See the Draft Decision
• Starmer must wait before breaking the Brexit omertà - Voters know they made a mistake. That doesn’t mean they are ready to be told so - Financial Times