Europe Daily News, 30 August 2023

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11078 - Contargo / Ziegler / Schmid / JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11134 - Novofleet / Shareholders of Andamur / Road)
• Commission authorizes the acquisition of joint control of RNS Enerji by TotalEnergies and RNS Holding (M.11249) - Midday Express
• France - Fabrice Large is appointed Head of the Inspections Unit at the Autorité de la concurrence
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt - List of Notified Merger Projects
• The Netherlands - Blog of Martijn Snoep: More tools to combat market power, please
• Portugal - The Competition Authority has adopted a non-opposition decision in merger 42/2023 - Selena / Imperalum
• Romania - The Competition Council is analysing the takeover of some pharmacies by Mini-Pharmacies
• Romania - The Competition Council analyses the transaction by which Biovet Distribution SRL (Bucharest) intends to take over Montero Vet SRL, jud. Ilfov
• UK - Retail banking market investigation - The CMA investigated the supply of personal current accounts (PCAs) and of banking services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
• UK - The CMA has accepted undertakings in lieu of reference to a Phase 2 investigation offered by Bestway Panacea Holdings Limited in relation to its completed acquisition of Lexon UK Holdings Limited and Asurex Limited - See the Full text decision

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Draft Opinion by MEP Karsten LUCKE on the implementation of the EU-Southern African Development Community (SADC) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
  
• EU must focus on digital services with its main partners, says Institut Jacques Delors
• Korea International Trade Association: France’s version of IRA may violate Korea-EU FTA
• Mercosur reply on EU trade to be ready in September, Brazil minister tells farm caucus - Reuters
• EU imports record volumes of liquefied natural gas from Russia - Belgium and Spain are world’s second and third-biggest importers of Russian LNG this year - Financial Times
• Kosovo ends anti-dumping measure for Serbian animal feed products
• Protections on UK Hot Rolled Flat and Coil steel to be kept - Anti-dumping and countervailing measures on imports of Hot Rolled Flat and Coil steel will be kept until 2027, following the TRA's recommendation.

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Good Laboratory Practicies - Product-specific legal acts - Created by GROW.F.2 - Last update: 29/08/2023
• Commission Implementing Decision of 1.8.2023 granting an authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council to Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Products GmbH for five uses of OPE - Created by GROW.F.1 - Last update: 25/08/2023

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Commission Regulation (EU) …/… of XXX amending Regulation (EU) … [due to the current repeal and replacement exercise of the consolidated IFRS Regulation (EC) No 1126/2008 (ISC/2023/01135) the new number will be added once the new IFRS Regulation is adopted by the Commission]/2023 as regards International Accounting Standard 1

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Special Committee on Agriculture - 04 September 2023
• Agenda for: Working Party on Genetic Resources and Innovation in Agriculture (Innovation in Agriculture) - 11 & 12 September 2023

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Social Questions - 05 September 2023
  - Draft Council Conclusions on the transition of care systems throughout life towards holistic, person-centred and community-based models
• Agenda for: Meeting of the EP EMPL Committee - 07 September 2023

ENERGY

• Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - Compatibility of German electricity subsidies with European State aid law -
• Joint call for the Spanish Council Presidency to deliver an ambitious EU Building’s Directive

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Commission expert group on climate change policy - 01 September 2023
• Global Biodiversity Framework Fund: New Fund launched to deliver on Biodiversity COP15 Goals
• Von der Leyen proposes Dutch minister as climate commissioner - Wopke Hoekstra now faces a tough grilling in the European Parliament - Politico.eu
• Commission Decision (EU) 2023/1665 of 28 August 2023 correcting Decision (EU) 2023/1409 instructing the Central Administrator of the Union Registry to return to the Member States and the United Kingdom the Union surplus at the end of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol
• EU won’t ‘dilute’ ambition, says new climate chief - Maroš Šefčovič says he’ll defend the bloc’s efforts to slash emissions, but he won’t push the envelope - Politico.eu

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Appeal Committee on GMFF - 08 September 2023
• European Parliament draft report calls for stronger EU action against noncommunicable diseases and will discuss the draft report on mental health
• EU Cohesion Policy: €86 million for the expansion and upgrade of the Marbella public hospital - Midday Express
• Call for evidence: Pharmaceuticals – changes to marketing authorisations (review of EU rules) - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 29 August 2023 - 26 September 2023

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Decision of the EU/ICAO Joint Committee of 25 May 2023 on the amendment of the Working Arrangement between the European Union and the International Civil Aviation Organization regarding the cooperation in the area of accident and incident reporting in civil aviation

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: Audiovisual and Media Working Party (Att. & Exp.) - 06 September 2023
• Digital Services Act: Application of the Risk Management Framework to Russian disinformation campaigns - See the Study 

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Space: Commission and European Satellite Centre strengthen Copernicus services to support external and security actions - Midday Express 
• Call for evidence: Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) for 2021-2027 – mid-term evaluation - Evaluation - Feedback period: 28 August 2023 - 25 September 2023
• Call for evidence: Internal Security Fund – Borders and Visa (ISF BV) 2014-2020 – ex post evaluation - Evaluation - Feedback period: 28 August 2023 - 25 September 2023
• Call for evidence: Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for 2021-2027 – mid-term evaluation - Evaluation - Feedback period: 28 August 2023 - 25 September 2023
• Call for evidence: Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for 2014-2020 – ex post evaluation - Evaluation - Feedback period: 28 August 2023 - 25 September 2023
• Call for evidence: Internal Security Fund (ISF) Police 2014-2020 – ex post evaluation - Evaluation - Feedback period: 28 August 2023 - 25 September 2023
• Call for evidence: Internal Security Fund (ISF) for 2021-2027 – mid-term evaluation - Evaluation - Feedback period: 28 August 2023 - 25 September 2023

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, travels to Austria on 30 and 31 August
• ECB’s Fabio Panetta: Europe needs to think bigger to build its capital markets union 

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Informal Foreign Affairs Council (Defence): Press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell upon arrival
• EU Satellite Centre: Press remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the Ministerial Board meeting
• Guatemala: Statement by the High Representative Josep Borrell on developments after the Presidential elections
• European Diplomatic Academy (EUDA): EEAS launches the second phase of the pilot project - See the QaA
• Ethiopia: Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell on the situation in Amhara
• Zimbabwe: Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell on the elections
• 2030? Pffft! Balkan leaders slam Michel’s EU enlargement timeline - They accuse Brussels of shifting the goalposts and betraying its promises - Politico.eu

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Yes, the sanctions against Russia are working - HR/VP Borrell Blog
• Germany arrests alleged Russia drone supplier - Waldemar W is accused of providing components for Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles used by Russian forces in Ukraine - Financial Times