Europe Daily News, 25 May 2023

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11105 - Goldman Sachs / Platinum Spring / Daiwa Resort)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11030 - Aware Super / ABP / DV4 / Omers/ Real Estate JV)
• Keynote speech by EVP Vestager at the International Forum of the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht: "Recent Developments in EU merger control"
• Germany - More competition elements to be included in animal welfare initiative “Initiative Tierwohl” – Bundeskartellamt achieves abolishment of compulsory premium

STATE AID

• Opinion of Advocate General Pikamae of 25 May 2023 in Case C‑831/21 P, Fachverband Spielhallen eV, LM Vs. European Commission
  Re: Appeal - State aid - Concept of aid - Advantage - Selectivity - Tax treatment of operators of public casinos in Germany - Rejection of a complaint by the Commission
• EFTA Surveillance Authority Decision No 230/22/COL of 15 December 2022 amending the substantive rules in the field of State aid by introducing new Guidelines on State aid for research, development and innovation
• Commission approves €179.5 million Croatian measure under Recovery and Resilience Facility to support innovative urban mobility solutions (SA.101759) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Judgment of the Court of 25 May 2023 in Case C-368/22, Skatteministeriet Vs. Danish Fluid System Technologies A/S
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 - Customs union - Common Customs Tariff - Tariff classification - Combined Nomenclature - Heading 7307 - Tube and pipe fittings - Subheading 7307 22 10 - Sleeves
• Agenda for: Project Group UCC DA/IA Data Annexes - Revision for Harmonisation of Customs Data Requirements (ex C2020 CPG/176) - 12 &13 June 2023
• Notice of the impending expiry of certain anti-subsidy measure 
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) /... amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1080 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of solar glass originating in the People's Republic of China and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1081 imposing definitive countervailing duties on imports of solar glass originating in the People's Republic of China 
• Ukraine: Council adopts renewal of temporary trade liberalisation and other trade concessions
• WTO: Council approves an agreement on fisheries subsidies to boost environmental sustainability
• Answer given by Mr Gentiloni to a MEP written question - Origin fraud in honey and the Union Customs Code
• WTO - The first review of the trade policies and practices of Liberia takes place on 24 and 26 May 2023

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Technical Harmonisation (Vehicles) - 30 May 2023

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Agenda for: Financial Counsellors Working Party Meeting - 26 May & 30 May 2023
• Capital Markets Union: Commission proposes new rules to protect and empower retail investors in the EU - IP/23/2868, QaA, FactSheet and Remarks by EVP Dombrovskis and Commissioner McGuinness
  - Proposal for an Omnibus Directive as regards the Union retail investor protection rules & Annexes
  - Proposal for a Regulation amending PRIIPS Regulation
• ESMA highlights risks arising from investment firms providing unregulated products and services
• ESMA reports points out improvements needed in supervision of asset valuation
• ESMA publishes Opinion on Market Outages

TAXATION

• Judgment of the Court of 25 May 2023 in Case C-114/22, Dyrektor Izby Administracji Skarbowej w Warszawie Vs. W. sp. z o.o.
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Taxation - VAT - Directive 2006/112/EC - Right to deduct VAT - Refusal - Refusal based on the nullity of the transaction under national civil law
• Opinion of Advocate General Maciej Szpunar of 25 May 2023 in Case C-249/22, BM Vs. Gebühren Info Service GmbH (GIS), with the participation of : Bundesministerium der Finanzen, sterreichischerRundfunk,
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Common system of VAT - Directive 2006/112/EC - Article 2(1)(c) - Supply of services for consideration - Concept - Activities of a public service broadcaster financed by a compulsory licence fee paid by the holders of a radio and television receiver in the terrestrial broadcasting area - Article 378, Article 378(1) and Annex X, Part A, point 2 - Act of Accession of Austria - Article 151(1) and Annex XV, Part IX, point 2(h) - Derogation - Scope

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• Decision (EU) 2023/1022 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers following an application from Spain – EGF/2022/003 ES/Alu Ibérica
• Commissioner Schmit to attend the Porto Social Forum - Midday Express
• Speech by President von der Leyen at the 15th Congress of the European Trade Union Confederation

ENERGY

• Clean energy investment is extending its lead over fossil fuels, boosted by energy security strengths - IEA Statement & Report

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• The requirement to carry out an environmental impact assessment for an urban development project cannot be dependent exclusively on the size of that project (See CPR Nº 87/2023 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-575/21, WertInvest Hotelbetrieb)
• Agenda for: Second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution (Paris, France, 29 May - 2 June 2023) - First EU coordination - 28 May 2023
• Waste shipments: Council ready to start talks with Parliament
• Pollution: MEPs support stricter rules to reduce industrial emissions
• In EP ENVI Committee, draft report on a carbon certification framework does not meet with unanimity
• MEPs back revision of Industrial Emissions Directive to reduce pollution - See the rapporteur’s initial draft report and the compromise amendments voted

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Judgment of the Court of 25 May 2023 in Case C-141/22, TLL The Longevity Labs GmbH Vs. Optimize Health Solutions mi GmbH, BM
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Safety of foodstuffs - Novel foods - Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 - Sprouted buckwheat flour, rich in spermidine - Sprouting of buckwheat seeds in a nutrient solution with spermidine
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion Pest categorisation of coconut cadang‐cadang viroid and of Coleosporium eupatorii
• EFSA - Statement Review of the residue definitions for risk assessment of pyrethroids forming common metabolites
• EFSA - Plant Health Newsletter on Horizon Scanning – April 2023
• EFSA - Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance metrafenone
• EFSA - External Scientific - Report Preparatory work for the update of the tolerable upper intake levels for folic acid/folate
• EFSA - Technical Report - Protocol for the descriptive epidemiological analysis on African swine fever
• EFSA - Scientific Report - Epidemiological analysis of African swine fever in the European Union during 2022

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: Audiovisual and Media Working Party - 30 May 2023
• Cross-border satellite retransmission of programmes: the broadcasting Member State principle also applies to the satellite package provider (See CPR Nº 86/2023 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-290/21, AKM (Fourniture de bouquets satellitaires en Autriche))

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Commission launches €107 million calls for proposals to strengthen Europe's cyber security - Midday Express
• The 3rd ENISA Telecom & Digital Infrastructure Security Forum organised today addressed emerging technologies and the evolving threat landscape including challenges from sub-sea cables to satellites

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Transport - Intermodal Questions and Networks - 26 May 2023
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1020 of 24 May 2023 amending Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 as regards helicopter emergency medical service operations

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Remarks by President Charles Michel and Speech by President von der Leyen on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the European Central Bank
• Report prepared in accordance with Article 126(3) of the TFEU - Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Estonia, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Hungary, Malta, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland
• InvestEU: European Investment Fund and Lithuanian SME Bank support businesses in the Baltics, Finland and the Netherlands - IP/23/2925
  
• InvestEU: European Investment Fund commits €60 million to new German space fund "Alpine Space Ventures - Midday Express
• EU Cohesion Policy: Inauguration of the largest geothermal heating system in the EU, in Szeged, Hungary - Midday Express

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Eurostat report shows EU's progress on Sustainable Development Goals - IP/23/2887
• Myanmar and Bangladesh: EU releases €2.5 million to support those affected by devastating cyclone Mocha - Midday Express

EU INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Political and Security Committee Decision (CFSP) 2023/1024 of 16 May 2023 on the appointment of the Head of Mission of the European Union Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine) (EUAM Ukraine/1/2023)