Europe Daily News, 26 May 2023

COMPETITION

• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11092 - Blackstone / CDPQ / Invenergy / AEP Renewables / AEP Wind Holdings / Trent Wind Farm / Desert Sky Wind Farm)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11006 - ONE / Macquarie / YTI)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11016 - Air Liquide / ADP / JV)
• Commission approves the merger between Credit Suisse and UBS (M.11111) - IP/23/2889
• Commission clears Viasat's acquisition of Inmarsat (M.10807) - IP/23/2915
• Commission clears acquisition of Meltwater by Altor and Marlin (M.11058) - Midday Express
• Belgium - The Competition Authority approves the acquisition of sole control of the Soga Group by Verbraeken Drilling Infra NV
• Portugal - Oxy Capital and Manuel Silva notify the acquisition of joint control over A2Brios
• Romania - The Competition Council has launched two investigations into possible bid rigging organised by the National Road Infrastructure Management Company (CNAIR SA)
• UK - Meta offers to limit use of other businesses’ ad data to address CMA concerns - See the Consultation on proposed commitments

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections
• Commission notice on current State aid recovery interest rates and reference/discount rates applicable as from 1 June 2023
• Commission approves €300 million Italian scheme to support rail network interoperability (SA.102707) - Midday Express

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Main results - Foreign Affairs Council (Trade), 25 May 2023
• Minutes of the 243rd meeting of the Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature Section (Textiles and Mechanical/Miscellaneous Sub-section) of the Customs Code Committee - 24th to 26th April 2023.
• Commission Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the Union in the Joint Committee established by the Agreement between the European Community and the United States of America on the mutual recognition of certificates of conformity for marine equipment as regards the amendments to Annexes I, II and III
  
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) …/... of XXX amending Implementing Regulations (EU) 2020/761 and (EU) 2020/1988 as regards the quantities that may be imported under certain tariff quotas following the agreement between the European Union and the United States of America
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/996 of 23 February 2023 amending Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the list of dual-use items
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1033 of 25 May 2023 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1080 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of solar glass originating in the People’s Republic of China and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1081 imposing definitive countervailing duties on imports of solar glass originating in the People’s Republic of China
• VDMA Recommendations for the Meeting of the EU-US Trade and for the 4th EU-US TTC - May 2023
• EU-U.S. TTC Working Group 4: Input for a Transatlantic Common Vision and Roadmap for 6G
• Working Group 2 - CATF Recommendations on How the TTC can Harvest the Potential of Clean Technologies - Position Paper
• Ukraine – EU Trade and Sustainable Development Sub-Committee to the Joint Civil Society Forum (9 March 2023) - Joint Statement
• Meeting with Civil Society - Update on EU trade negotiations with Indonesia and trade relations with other ASEAN countries - 6 June 2023
• Civil Society Dialogue meeting on EU trade policy with Sabine Weyand - 13 June 2023
• Ukraine’s share in EU exports peaked in March - Eurostat
• WTO - International organizations launch platform to promote access to subsidy information
• WTO - India appeals panel report regarding Indian tech tariffs

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• EEA Council: Ministers discuss the functioning of the EEA Agreement and competitiveness in the Internal Market - See the EEA-EFTA Statement
• Key figures on European business – 2023 edition - Eurostat

FINANCIAL SERVICES

• ESAs consult to amend technical standards on the mapping of ECAIs’ credit assessments
• ESAs propose ESG disclosures for STS Securitisations 
  

TAXATION

• Agenda for: Working Party on Tax Questions (Direct Taxation) - 08 June 2023
• Agenda for: Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation) - 02 June 2023
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Excise Committee - 06 June 2023
• Minutes of the 18th Meeting Expert Group on the implementation of the legislative package to exchange and transmit payment data to combat VAT fraud - 25-26 April 2023
• EU Biofuels Chain and EBA joint position on ETD revision

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• Agenda for: Council of the European Union (Agriculture & Fisheries) - 30 May 2023

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• Agenda for:  Working Party on Social Questions (exposure to asbestos at work) - 01 June 2023
• Von der Leyen adds ‘missing piece’ to equal pay puzzle - See ETUC Statement
  

ENERGY

• Keynote speech by Commissioner Simson at the Estonian Hydrogen Days 2023
• Energy Community Parliamentary Plenum discusses progress and green energy
• Energy Community Secretariat reaffirms commitment to supporting Moldova in energy sector reform
• The Energy Community's Secretariat welcomes Kosovo*'s first solar auction
• G7 leaders highlight importance of sustainable biofuels to transport decarbonisation - ePURE Statement
• EU gas demand expected to fall by more than Russian imports in 2023 - Consumption cutting in five big economies drives most of the decrease - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (UNECE Aarhus) - 01 June 2023
• 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 - Mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament
• Press statement by President von der Leyen with Italian Prime Minister Meloni
• Highlighting the health risks of climate change and adaptation needs - HEAL Statement

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Public Health - 05 June 2023
• Agenda for: Meeting of the Committee on Medical Devices - 12 June 2023
• European Health Union: Commission secures agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer on the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines - IP/23/2865 & QaA
• Commission Regulation (EU) / amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards MRLs for folpet in or on certain products
• ECDC - COVID-19 Country overview report: week 20 2023

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Telecommunications and Information Society - 31 May 2023
• OpenAI warns over split with Europe as regulation advances - ChatGPT maker’s chief Sam Altman voices ‘many concerns’ over bloc’s planned legislation - Financial Times
  

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Anu Talus elected new Chair of the European Data Protection Board
• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 26 May 2023
• ENISA - Public Consultation on the draft Candidate EUCC Scheme - See the Report
• Meta’s fine has repercussions for EU-US data flows - Brussels and Washington need to find a route to a workable legal framework - Financial Times 

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Decarbonising aviation: European Commission to support development of sustainable aviation fuels around the world
• Road Transport: Commission proposes to adapt rules on driving and rest times for drivers of occasional bus and coach services

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• NextGenerationEU: Portugal submits request to revise recovery and resilience plan and add a REPowerEU chapter - Midday Express
• Presentation by Luis de Guindos of the ECB Annual Report 2022 to the EP Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
• Feedback on the input provided by the EP as part of its resolution on the ECB’s Annual Report 2021
• ECB Blog - How will higher carbon prices affect growth and inflation

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1027 of 25 May 2023 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1035 of 25 May 2023 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria - see Notice 1 & 2
• Answer given by the Council to a MEP written question - Post-Cotonou Agreement between the ACP and the European Union and its Member States

EU INVASION OF UKRAINE

• Ukraine: Deputy Secretary-General Enrique Mora meets Special Envoy of the Chinese Government for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui

UK/EU RELATIONS

• UK decision to bill EU nationals sparks tension with Brussels - ‘Deep concerns’ expressed over move to force European residents to pay back benefits after government records error - Financial Times