Europe Daily News, 05 March 2024

STATE AID

• Communication from the Commission correcting the Guidelines for State aid in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas
• State Aid - Sweden - State Aid SA.56908 (2023/C) (ex 2020/N) - Prolongation and modification of biogas scheme for motor fuel in Sweden - State Aid SA.56125 (2023/C) (ex 2020/N) - Prolongation and modification of scheme SA.49893 (2018/N) Tax exemption for non-food based biogas and bio-propane in heat generation - Invitation to submit comments pursuant to Article 108(2) of the TFEU

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for:  Meeting of the ACP Working Party - 05 March 2024
• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Deputy Members) - 08 March 2024
• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Experts - Services & Investment) - 06 March 2024
• Joint Minutes of the fifth meeting EU-Armenia Partnership Committee in Trade configuration - 17 October 2023
• Minutes of the fifteenth meeting of the EU-Canada Dialogue on Biotech Market Access Issues (“Biotech Dialogue”) - 11 October 2023
• Report of the first round of negotiations on a digital trade agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea - 13 to 15 December 2023
• Report of the second round of negotiations on a digital trade agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea - 20 to 22 February 2024
• Joint Minutes of the Fourth Meeting of the Working Group on Motor Vehicles and Parts under the Agreement between the EU and Japan for an Economic Partnership - 12 October 2023
• Annex to the Commission Implementing Decision amending Implementing Decision C(2023) 725 as regards the work programme for 2023, 2024, and 2025 for the Customs Programme
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/770 of 4 March 2024 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of certain cast iron articles originating in the People’s Republic of China following an expiry review pursuant to Article 11(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• EU-Angola: Council gives final greenlight to the EU’s first sustainable investment facilitation agreement
• Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis to a MEP written question - Soy production subsidies in Brazil
• Answer given by Mr Gentiloni to a MEP written question - Modification of the ceiling for the Community system of reliefs for private consignments

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

FORCED LABOUR

• Council and Parliament strike a deal to ban products made with forced labour
• Commission welcomes political agreement to ban products made with forced labour from the Union market - Midday Express
• EU set to ban forced-labour products with China in its sights - Provisional deal empowers Brussels to investigate and destroy products and could raise trade tensions with Beijing - Financial Times

DEFENCE

• First ever defence industrial strategy and a new defence industry programme to enhance Europe's readiness and security - IP/24/1321 & QaA
• EU states wary of funding Brussels defence ‘power grab’ - European Commission preparing ambitious plans to boost common procurement - Financial Times

FINANCE

• State of play of legislative proposals in the field of financial services
• Progress report on the strategy on supervisory data in EU financial services

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Need for rapid and structural responses to the current crisis situation in the agricultural sector – Presidency note
• Answer given by Mr Wojciechowski to a MEP written question - Rising food prices and the potential of EU trade with neighbouring countries

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• EPSCO Council on 11 March 2024
  - Social Partner's Summit (Val Duchesse, 31 January 2024)
  - Tripartite Social Summit - Information from the Presidency and the Commission
  - Social investments and reforms for resilient economies - Investing in people to boost productivity and growth prospects

ENERGY

• Main results - TTE Energy Council (Energy) - 04 March 2024 - Remarks by Ms Simson
  - Security of gas supply: Member states agree on recommendation to continue voluntary demand reduction measures
• InvestEU backs €100 million European Investment Bank loan for renewable hydrogen in Germany - IP/24/1323
• Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - biodiesel scandal in the EU
• Answer given by Ms Simson to a MEP written question - European solar manufacturing industry

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Standing Committee on Biocidal Products - 13 March 2024
• Agenda for: Ad Hoc Working Party on One Substance One Assessment - 08 March 2024
• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (WPIEI Desertification) - 15 March 2024
• Packaging: Council and Parliament strike a deal to make packaging more sustainable and reduce packaging waste in the EU - Financial Times
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius to a MEP written question - Replacing PVC pipes that have leached vinyl chloride monomer
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius to a MEP written question - Plastic pellet pollution

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Commission proposes to prolong road transport agreements with Ukraine and Moldova and introduces updates to the agreement with Ukraine - IP/24/1305
• Answer given by Mr Breton to a MEP written question - Failure to clean up asbestos at the former Materit plant in Ferrandina

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Will Big Tech agree to play by Europe’s rules? - This week is the deadline for large online platforms to comply with new EU regulations on competition. Too little too late, say some - Financial Times

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 06 March 2024

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• The European Union continues to implement the Memorandum of Understanding with Tunisia, disbursing €150 million in financial support - IP/24/1301

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/827 of 4 March 2024 implementing Regulation (EU) No 208/2014 concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Ukraine
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/828 of 4 March 2024 amending Decision 2014/119/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Ukraine
• Statement by the HR/VP Borrell on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/740 concerning restrictive measures in view of actions destabilising the Republic of Moldova
• Statement by the HR/VP Borrell on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/633 concerning restrictive measures in response to the illegal recognition, occupation or annexation by the Russian Federation of certain non-government controlled areas of Ukraine
• Statement by the HR/VP Borrell on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/628 on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the escalation of hostilities in the eastern part of the country