Europe Daily News, 04 March 2024

• Commission clears acquisition of Adevinta by Permira and Blackstone (M.11385) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Eleda Group by Bain Capital (M.11437) - Midday Express
• Commission clears acquisition of Barentz by Cinven (M.11459) - Midday Express

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections - SA.107996; SA.112165; SA.110955; SA.109336 & SA.108251
• Request by the Swedish delegation for an AOB agenda item for the Competitiveness Council - Information by Swedish delegation on the need to discuss and reflect on EU state aid rules for long-term competitiveness
• Commission approves €350 million Portuguese State aid scheme to support investments in equipment necessary to foster the transition to a net-zero economy (SA.110254) - IP/24/962

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Meeting of EP INTA Committee - 07 March 2024
• Agenda for: Working Party on Customs Union - 05 March 2024
• Agenda for: Working Party on the United Kingdom - 05 March 2024
• Agenda for: Meeting of the 5th Customs Programme Committee - 14 March 2024
• Agenda for: 253rd Meeting of the Customs Code Committee - Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature (Section Combined Nomenclature) - 07 March 2024
• Agenda for: 254th Meeting of the Customs Code Committee - Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature (Sub-Section Agriculture / Chemistry) - 11 & 12 March 2024
• Minutes of the Anti-coercion Instrument Committee meeting - 07 February 2024
• Notice of the impending expiry of certain anti-dumping measures (Certain prepared or preserved sweetcorn in kernels; Thailand; Anti-dumping duty; Regulation (EU) 2019/1996; 03.12.2024)
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the accession of Tonga to the Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part & Annex
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/738 of 1 March 2024 withdrawing the acceptance of the undertaking for all exporting producers, amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/607 and repealing the Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/87 accepting the undertakings offered in connection with the anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of citric acid originating in the People’s Republic of China
• EU secures results at WTO Ministerial but important work remains to reform global trade rulebook - IP/24/1294; QaA & Closing statement by EVP Dombrovskis
• Council conclusions at the end of the 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization
• WTO - MC13 ends with decisions on dispute reform, development; commitment to continue ongoing talks
• WTO - South Africa formally accepts Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
• European Commission publishes impact study on trade and investment protection agreements with New Delhi
• Answer given by Mr Gentiloni to a MEP written question - Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - EU-Philippines trade relations
• On Chinese forced labor, Europe plays catch-up with the US - An EU ban on imported goods made using forced labor would be weaker than existing U.S. legislation — and risks turning the bloc into a “dumping ground,” campaigners warn. - Politico.eu

FINANCE

• ESMA publishes the results of the annual transparency calculations for equity and equity-like instruments

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Energy - 05 March 2024
• Agenda for: Meeting of the TTE Council (Energy) - 04 March 2024
  
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) No 1227/2011 and (EU) 2019/942 to improve the Union’s protection against market manipulation in the wholesale energy market - Outcome of the European Parliament's first reading (Strasbourg, 26 to 29 February 2024)
• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union and of Euratom in the Energy Charter Conference
• EU steps up renewable energy cooperation with Azerbaijan - Midday Express
• Strategic autonomy and the future of nuclear energy in the EU - See EPRS Briefing

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on shipments of waste and amending Regulations (EU) No 1257/2013 and (EU) No 2020/1056 - Outcome of the European Parliament's first reading (Strasbourg, 26 to 29 February 2024)
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on nature restoration - Outcome of the European Parliament's first reading (Strasbourg, 26 to 29 February 2024)
• Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning urban wastewater treatment (recast) - Letter to the Chair of the  EP ENVI Committee
• E-waste: Council adopts amendments to clarify who pays for management costs
• Many returned and unsold textiles end up destroyed in Europe - See EEA Briefing

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

SCHEER

• Draft agenda of the 7th plenary meeting, Luxembourg, 12 March 2024

EFSA

• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Assessment of the feed additive consisting of Bacillus velezensis ATCC PTA‐6737 (PB6) for turkeys for fattening and turkeys reared for breeding for the renewal of its authorisation and the modification of the conditions of the authorisation for other growing poultry species (Kemin Europe N.V)
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety of feed additives consisting of microcrystalline cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose for all animal species (International Cellulosics Association)
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Assessment of the feed additive consisting of Enterococcus lactis NCIMB 10415 (Cylactin®) for cats and dogs for the renewal of its authorisation (DSM Nutritional Products Ltd.)
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety assessment of the process CeltiPak, based on the Kreyenborg IR Clean+ technology, used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials
• EFSA - Scientific Opinion - Safety assessment of the process Lietpak, based on the EREMA MPR technology, used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Interoperable Europe act: Council adopts new law for more efficient digital public services across the EU
• Booking, ByteDance and X notified that they meet gatekeeper thresholds under Digital Markets Act - Midday Express
• Apple reverses course on plan to cut off ‘progressive web apps’ in EU - iPhone maker was set to be investigated over its changes to iOS software in order to comply with new regulations - Financial Times
• Elon Musk’s X could face EU antitrust crackdown under new DMA rules - Politico.eu

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Data Protection - 12 &13 March 2024
• Action brought on 8 January 2024 - Meta Platforms Ireland Vs. EDBP - Case T-8/24
  Re: annulment of the EDPB’s ‘Urgent Binding Decision 01/2023 requested by the Norwegian SA for the ordering of final measures regarding Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd (Art. 66(2) GDPR (1))’ adopted on 27 October 2023
• Commission to host first international high-level meeting on safe data flows - Midday Express
• ENISA publishes a study on ‘Best Practices for Cyber Crisis Management’ that assists in preparation for crisis management 

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Justice & Home Affairs Council - 04 & 05 March 2024
• Bulgaria and Romania strengthen cooperation on border and migration management - IP/24/1283
• Commission welcomes political agreement on "Advance Passenger Information" to facilitate border management and strengthen security - IP/24/1262

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Eurogroup statement on the updated draft budgetary plan of Slovakia for 2024
• ECB - Euro area bank interest rate statistics: January 2024
• What caused the euro area post-pandemic inflation? - ECB Occasional Paper Series No.343

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 06 & 08 March 2024
• Minutes of the Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 07,08 & 09 February 2024
• Taking stock of the results delivered by the von der Leyen Commission since it took office on 1 December 2019 - see the TimeLine

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Common Military List of the European Union adopted by the Council on dd mm 2024 (equipment covered by Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP defining common rules governing the control of exports of military technology and equipment) (updating and replacing the Common Military List of the European Union adopted by the Council on 20 February 2023) (CFSP)
• Sudan: Joint Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič on the ban on cross-border assistance from Chad
• Commission will proceed to paying EUR 50 million to UNRWA and increase emergency support to Palestinians by EUR 68 million in 2024 - IP/24/1285
• In February, the EU has organised 13 Humanitarian Air Bridges to Yemen to fight health emergency - IP/24/1246
• HRC55 - Item 2 - General debate on the oral update by the High Commissioner - EU Statement

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Appeal brought on 18 January 2024 by Dmitry Arkadievich Mazepin against the judgment of the General Court of 8 November 2023 in Case T-282/22, Mazepin Vs. Council - Case C-35/24 P
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/397 and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/396
• FAQs on sanctions against Russia and Belarus, with focus on the following provisions: Article 3p of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 - Restrictions on diamonds
• Consolidated version of the FAQs on sanctions against Russia and Belarus
• HRC55 - Joint statement on the death of Alexei Navalny and the situation of the political opposition and human rights defenders in Russia