Europe Daily News, 09 November 2021

EU CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES

HEALTH

• Fourth Meeting of the European expert group on SARS-CoV-2 variants of 22 October 2021
• COVID-19: EMA and Heads of Medicines Agencies update on molnupiravir

STATE AID

• Commission approves €51 million Bulgarian wage compensation scheme to support companies and self-employed persons affected by the coronavirus outbreak (SA.100320) - Midday Express
• Commission approves amendment to Dutch scheme to support companies offering special transport services in the context of coronavirus outbreak (SA.100306) - Midday Express
• EU at COP26: Executive Vice-President Timmermans in Glasgow - Midday Express 

TRAVEL

• COVID-19: Council removes Singapore and Ukraine from the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10249 - Derichebourg Environment / Groupe Ecore Holding)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10447 - NN / Metlife Greece / Metlife Poland)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10432 - PTTGC / Allnex)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9969 - Veolia / Suez)
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control of a newly created joint venture by PSPIB and ADIC (M.10500) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of joint control of Infrareal by Gelsenwasser and Swiss Life (M.10446) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of ITP by Bain Capital (M.10516) - Midday Express
• Croatia - CCA fined SPAR Hrvatska d.o.o. HRK 1.3 million for serious infringement of the Croatian Act on the prohibition of unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food supply chain
• Croatia - CCA opened ex-officio proceeding against the Croatian forestry and woodland management company Hrvatske šume d.o.o.
• France - Video surveillance manufacturer Mobotix and its wholesalers fined for anticompetitive agreements
• UK - CMA served an initial enforcement order on IAA, Inc., IAA International Holdings Ltd and Synetiq Holdings Ltd in relation to the completed acquisition by IAA, Inc. of Synetiq Holdings Ltd.

STATE AID

• Answer given by EVP Vestager to a MEP written question - European Commission’s approval of the Belgian subsidy mechanism allowing new gas-fired power stations to be built 

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: 4/2021 Meeting on Union status of goods of 29 November 2021
• Agenda for: 6th Meeting of the Customs Expert Group - TARIC subsection of 25 November 2021
• Agenda for: 11th Meeting of the Customs Expert Group - Tariff Measures Section of 26 November 2021
• Recommendation on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Commonwealth of Australia pursuant to Article XXVIII of the GATT 1994 relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff-rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/1928 of 31 August 2021 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/760 as regards the management and quantities of certain tariff quotas for Argentina and correcting that Regulation as regards its transitional provisions
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1929 of 8 November 2021 amending Regulation (EU) No 142/2011 as regards conditions for exports of certain organic fertilisers and soil improvers containing Category 2 materials
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1930 of 8 November 2021 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty and definitively collecting the provisional duty imposed on imports of birch plywood originating in Russia
• Decision No 1/2021 of the EU-Norway Joint Committee of 1 June 2021 amending the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Kingdom of Norway by replacing Protocol No 3 thereto concerning the definition of the concept of 'originating products' and methods of administrative cooperation [2021/1905]
• Decision No 1/2021 of the EC/Denmark- Faroe Islands Joint Committee of 23 June 2021 amending the Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Government of Denmark and the Home Government of the Faroe Islands, of the other part, by replacing Protocol 3 thereto concerning the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation (2021/1906)
• Trade MEPs end successful visit to the United States
• WTO launches improved quantitative restrictions database
• WTO - Revised fisheries subsidies text kicks off intensified negotiations ahead of MC12 - see the Revised Text & Amendment
• EU agrees on cooperation with Taipei - Taipei Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Eurobarometer: Despite the pandemic, Europeans consider the quality of life and situation of the economy in European regions have slightly improved - See the Report - Midday Express
• Public consultation - In-service monitoring of non-road mobile machinery engines with power of less than 56 kW or more than 560 kW - Feedback period 09 November 2021 - 07 December 2021
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Exclusion of companies in tax havens from public procurement 

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• EBA publishes final draft technical standards on individual portfolio management by crowdfunding service providers

TAXATION

• Agenda for: 25th Administrative cooperation in the field of direct taxation - AEOI Sub-Group Meeting 9 November 2021
• EU rules force more tax transparency on multinationals - See the EP Statement
• EU’s looming carbon tax nudged Turkey toward Paris climate accord, envoy says - Ankara’s COP26 negotiator says the planned levy was a ‘very big threat’ and was ‘one of the reasons’ for the decision - Politico.eu 

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Committee on the Sustainability of Biofuels, Bioliquids and Biomass fuels of 18 November 2021
• Minutes of the 2nd meeting of the Committee on the Sustainability of Biofuels, Bioliquids and Biomass fuels of 21st October 2021
• Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - Compliance of the drafted evaluation criteria for awarding offshore wind location licences in Poland with EU energy and State aid law 
• Answer given by Mr Schmit to a MEP written question - Increase in energy prices

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Minutes of the Expert group on Access and benefit sharing (ABS) under the Nagoya Protocol of 30 September 2021
• Report from the General Secretariat - Fit for 55 - Guidance for further work
  - Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, and repealing Directive 2014/94/EU
  - Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on ensuring a level playing field for sustainable air transport
  - Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the use of renewable and low-carbon fuels in maritime transport
• Public consultation - Persistent organic pollutants - setting limit values in Annex I (update) - Feedback period : 08 November 2021 - 06 December 2021
• MEPs to push for high ambitions at COP26 in Glasgow
• EIB and AllianzGI support climate action projects in emerging and developing countries

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• EUDAMED UDI/Devices registration module - Relevant documents and information
• Annual report 2019: implementation of the Health Programme in 2019 - Staff Working Document
• Summary of the 2020 annual reporting of serious adverse reactions and events for blood and blood components & tissues and cells
  
• EMA - Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) 3-4 November 2021
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of:
  - endo‐1,4‐β‐xylanase  produced by Bacillus subtilis LMG S‐27588 (Beltherm MP/ML) for laying hens, minor poultry species and all avian species (Puratos NV)
  - Bacillus velezensis DSM 15544 (Calsporin®) for piglets (suckling and weaned), pigs for fattening, sows in order to have benefit in piglets, ornamental fish, dogs and all avian species (Asahi Biocycle Co.)
  - Levilactobacillus brevis (formerly Lactobacillus brevis) DSM 12835 EU for all animal species for the renewal of its authorisation (Lactosan GmbH & Co KG)
  - Lacticaseibacillus paracasei (formerly Lactobacillus paracasei) DSM 16245 for all animal species for the renewal of its authorisation (Lactosan GmbH & Co KG)
  - Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (formerly Lactobacillus rhamnosus) NCIMB 30121 for all animal species for the renewal of its authorisation (Lactosan GmbH & Co. KG)
  - an aqueous extract of Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck (lemon extract) for use in all animal species (Nor‐Feed SAS)
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Opinion on the re‐evaluation of mono‐ and diglycerides of fatty acids (E 471) as food additive in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age and follow‐up of their re‐evaluation as food additives for uses in foods for all population groups
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Assessment of the feed additive consisting of sodium benzoate (Protural®) for weaned piglets for the renewal of its authorisation and the extension of use to other growing Suidae (Taminco Finland Oy)
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Pest categorisation of Leucinodes pseudorbonalis and of Retithrips syriacus

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda of: Working Party on Telecommunications & Information Society of 15 November 2021
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - The effect of amending the quantitative thresholds and qualitative criteria in the Digital Markets Act on the list of companies that would fall within scope
• Frances Haugen to MEPs: EU digital rules can be a game changer for the world
• 5 takeaways from Facebook whistleblower’s EU Parliament testimony - The EP could set a ‘global gold standard’ for content regulation, says Frances Haugen - Politico.eu

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Transport: Commission seeks views on the Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuels Value Chain Industrial Alliance - Midday Express
• Eurovignette road charging reform adopted by Council

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Statement by President von der Leyen on the situation at the border between Poland and Belarus
• Belarus: Council suspends visa facilitation provisions for officials of the Belarus regime
• The Common European Asylum System does not, in principle, preclude a Member State from automatically extending, as a derived right and for the purposes of maintaining family unity, refugee status to the minor child of a parent who has been granted that status (See CPR Nº 195/2021 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-91/20 - Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Maintien de l’unité familiale))
• Advocate General Kokott: The provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement and of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which provide for the continuation of the European arrest warrant regime in respect of the United Kingdom, are binding on Ireland (See CPR Nº 196/2021 - Opinion of the Advocate General in the Case C-479/21 - PPU Governor of Cloverhill Prison and Others)

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Main results of the Eurogroup of 8 November 2021, Remarks by Paschal Donohoe & by Commissioner Gentiloni
• Macroeconomic dialogue at political level on 8 November 2021
• The ECB's New Definition of Price Stability: Better but Short of Specifics - In-Depth Analysis - EP ECON Committee
• The Implementation and Rationale of the ECB's New Inflation Target - In-Depth Analysis - EP ECON Committee
• The ECB's Revised Inflation Target - In-Depth Analysis - EP ECON Committee
• Presentation by Fabio Panetta: Digital currencies around the world – what are the policy implications?

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Aqenda for: Council of the European Union - General Affairs of 23 November 2021
• Revised Agenda for: Meeting of Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) of 10 & 12 November 2021  

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures against ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda and persons, groups, undertakings and entities associated with them
• Agenda for: Working Party on Development cooperation and international partnerships of 11 November 2021