Europe Daily News, 30 May 2023

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.10859 - Trafigura / Ecobat Resources Stolberg)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11056 - ONE / Macquarie / Trapac)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11094 - CD&R / Stone Point / Focus)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11126 - Towerbrook / Lov Group / Elocga / The Independents)
• Action brought on 13 March 2023 - Swenters Vs. Commission (Case T-142/23)
  Re: Article 101 TFEU and Article 102 TFEU, Case AT.40683 - Belgian Sand, decision of the Commission of 13 January 2023, rejecting of complaint, hardcore restrictions, anti-competitive practices
  
• Commission clears acquisition of PT. Patimban by Toyofuji, NYK, Kamigumi and TTC (M.11059) - Midday Express
• Management plan of the Directorate-General for Competition, describing the department's actions and priorities - May 2023
• Publication of the Text of the Commission decision in Case M.10941 – ENI / Sonatrach / Equinor / In Salah JV
• Austria - Merger between ORF and RIG Radio Innovations GmbH made subject to conditions
• Germany - Abuse control relating to energy price relief measures: proceedings to examine district heating sector initiated
• Germany - Bundeskartellamt - List of Notified Merger Projects
• Ireland - CCPC issues assessment to parties in relation to Q-Park / Tazbell Services
• Portugal - AdC investigates resale price fixing of food supplements and health food products
• Romania - The Competition Authority investigates Video Game distribution market for playstation consoles
• The UK’s competition watchdog risks undermining business dynamism - A decision by the CMA to block the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard merger has provoked debate about its role - Financial Times
• Illumina accused by Brussels of ‘delay tactics’ on Grail divestiture - World’s biggest gene sequencing company rejects EU’s fast- track application - Financial Times

STATE AID

• Commission approves €4.5 million Belgian scheme to support fishery sector in the context of Brexit (SA.104984) - Midday Express
• Commission approves €125 million Italian scheme to support intermodal freight transport (SA.104156) - Midday Express
• Commission adopts Communication on mid-term review of regional aid maps - Midday Express
• Full Text of Commission decision in State Aid Cases now published:
  - SA.103180: Greece, Compensation for indirect ETS costs in Greece for the period 2021-2030
  - SA.106526: Denmark, Prolongation of the second re-introduction of winding-up scheme for small banks
  - SA.106960: Belgium, TCTF: Reintroduction of the scheme SA.103842 (2022/N) “TCF: Walloon schemes of limited amounts of aid, guarantees and subsidised loans”

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Deputy Members) - 02 June 2023
• Agenda for: 46th meeting of the Customs Expert Group - Origin - 13 June 2023
• Agenda for: 53rd meeting of the Customs Expert Group - Tariff Measures subsection - 02 June 2023
• Information on imports of products from Ukraine into the EU subject to trade liberalisation measures, in line with the requirements under Article 6 of Regulation(EU) 2022/870 - Ukraine monitoring March 2022 - March 2023
• Management plan of the Directorate-General for Trade, describing the department's actions and priorities – May 2023
• Management plan of the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union, describing the department's actions and priorities – May 2023
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Hof van beroep Antwerpen (Belgium) lodged on 24 November 2022 - Openbaar Ministerie, Federale Overheidsdienst Financiën Vs. Profit Europe NV, Gosselin Forwarding Services NV (Case C-719/22, Openbaar Ministerie and Federale Overheidsdienst Financiën)
  Re: Regulation (EU) No 1071/2012 and Regulation (EU) No 430/2013, Articles 1, 5, 6 and 9 of Basic Regulation 1225/2009; anti-dumping duties; imports of threaded tube or pipe cast fittings, of spheroidal graphite cast iron; no evidence of dumping, injury
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesfinanzhof (Germany) lodged on 22 February 2023 - A GmbH & Co. KG Vs. Hauptzollamt B (Case C-104/23, A GmbH & Co. KG)
  Re: Combined Nomenclature heading 9406, prefabricated building, Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87
• Council Decision (EU) 2023/1043 of 22 May 2023 establishing the position to be adopted on behalf of the European Union within the Committee on Trade in Civil Aircraft on the accession of Brazil to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft
• Decision No 2536/2023 of the Joint Sectoral Committee established under Article 14 of the United States – European Union amended Sectoral Annex for pharmaceutical good manufacturing practices (GMPs) (the ‘Annex’) on including veterinary products within the product coverage of the Annex of 11 May 2023
• EU-US Trade and Technology Council: Fourth ministerial meeting to be held in Luleå, Sweden - Midday Express
• WTO - Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - European Union - Measure airborne noise emitted by equipment for use outdoors - 26 May 2023
• Europe’s green transition impossible without China, says Dutch minister - EU seeks to untangle some of its dependence on Asian powerhouse but remains more cautious than US - Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness & Growth (Industry) - 01 June 2023
• Public consultation - Extension of the date of applicability of the RED delegated act on cybersecurity, privacy and protection from fraud - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 24 May 2023 - 21 June 2023
• Management plan of the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, describing the department's actions and priorities - May 2023
• UK failure to create post-Brexit chemical regulations risks ‘irreparable damage’- Government attempts to replicate EU system threatens innovation, warns industry - Financial Times

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Brussels proposes tough targets for live trading database operators - Commission has suggested minimum turnover for companies running consolidated tape service - Financial Times

TAXATION

• Agenda for: Working Party on Tax Questions (High Level) - 01 June 2023

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Standing Forestry Committee - 06 June 2023
• Agenda for: CEG for Agricultural Markets - “Review of the EU Plant Proteins Policy” - 05 June 2023

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• EPSCO Council on 12 June 2023
  - Directive on equal treatment (Article 19) - Policy debate
• Speech by Commissioner Schmit at the Porto Social Forum 2023

ENERGY

• Agenda for: Working Party on the Energy - 30 May 2023
• Ukraine war and Biden’s IRA force EU to accelerate energy transition - But business leaders warn that high electricity prices and a barrage of regulation could discourage investment - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Svea hovrätt (Mark- och miljööverdomstolen) (Sweden) lodged on 17 March 2023 - Naturvårdsverket Vs. Nouryon Functional Chemicals AB (Case C-166/23, Nouryon Functional Chemicals)
  Re: incineration of hazardous waste in clause 5 of Annex I to the Emission Allowance Trading Directive, Directive 2003/87/EC, exemption, Commission Guidance
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Habitats Committee - 31 May 2023
• Agenda for: Working Party on the Environment - 30 May & 02 June 2023
• EU calls for global agreement to end plastic wast, see the High Ambition Coalition Joint Ministerial Statement INC-2
• European Green Deal: EU steps up dialogue with Malaysia and Indonesia on EU deforestation rules - Midday Express
• Answer by Mr Sinkevicius to a MEP written question - Proposal for a regulation on packaging and packaging waste (COM(2022)677)
• Answer by Mr Sinkevicius to a MEP written question - Biodiversity

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• EPSCO (Health) Council on 13 June 2023
  - Proposal for a Regulation on the European Health Data Space - Progress report
  - Information from the Presidency on the progress achieved in the examination of the proposal for a Regulation on standards of quality and safety for substances of human origin intended for human application
• Statement by Commissioner Kyriakides on World No Tobacco Day
• MSCA Doctoral Networks: Commission launches €434.8 million call to train doctoral candidates - Midday Express
• Answer given by Ms Kyriakides to a MEP written question - Change in regulations on tricyclazole in imported rice 

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Agenda for: JHA Counsellors (COPEN - Environmental Crime) - 31 May 2023
• Agenda for: Working Party on Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters (COPEN - E-evidence) - 05 June 2023
• Visa policy: Strengthening monitoring of the EU's visa free regimes - IP/23/291 & Communication
• Commission hosts meeting of European ministers meet to discuss chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear preparedness - Midday Express

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Minutes of the Council of the European Union (Economic & Financial Affairs) -16 May 2023
• Council nearly doubles the EU’s financial assistance to Moldova to a total of €295 million
• ECB - Gauging the interplay between market liquidity and funding liquidity
• ECB - Key linkages between banks and the non-bank financial sector
• ECB - Monetary developments in the euro area: April 2023
• ECB - Survey of Monetary Analysts (SMA), June 2023
• Decisions taken by the Governing Council of the ECB
• ECB - Card fraud in Europe declines significantly

FUTUR OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 31 May 2023

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the European Political Community - 01 June 2023
• Action brought on 13 April 2023 - MegaFon Vs. Council (Case T-193/23)
  Re: annulment of Council Regulation (EU) No 2023/427, of Council Decision 2023/434/CFSP of 25 February 2023, of Annex IV of Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 of 31 July 2014 and of Annex IV of Decision 2014/512/CFSP of 31 July 2014 as regards MegaFon
• Action brought on 17 April 2023 - CRA Vs. Council (Case T-201/23)
  Re: annulment of Implementing Regulation 2023/152 of 23 January 2023, as being contrary to EU law, in the part which included the applicant in Annex I to Regulation No 359/2011
• Agreement between the EU and Montenegro on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in Montenegro - see Council Decision (EU) 2023/1040
• Commissioner Urpilainen meets UN Secretary-General Guterres and reaffirms EU strong partnership with the UN to deliver on Sustainable Development Goals - Midday Express
• Türkiye: Joint-Statement by HiR/VP Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi on the second round of presidential elections
• Montenegro’s young guard aims to speed up EU accession - New leadership seeks to pass reforms and capitalise on fresh focus on Balkan region amid Ukraine war - Financial Times

EU INVASION OF UKRAINE

• A European People’s Bond could support Ukraine’s reconstruction - Canada has shown the way in connecting public support for Kyiv with investment opportunities - Financial Times

UK/EU RELATIONS

• Agenda for: Working Party on the United Kingdom - 31 May 2023
• EU-UK relations: EU takes further steps to implement the Windsor Framework