Europe Daily News, 13 January 2025

COMPETITION

• Appeal brought on 31 October 2024 by Conserve Italia – Consorzio Italiano fra cooperative agricole Soc. coop. agr. and Conserves France SA against the judgment of the General Court of 4 September 2024 in Case T-59/22, Conserve Italia and Conserves France Vs. Commission - Case C-762/24 P
  Re: infringement and incorrect application of Article 23(2) of Regulation No 1/2003, Article 49 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, determination of fine
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11836 - CDPQ / OTPP / Connexa)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11717 - Sumitomo / EEW Holding / EEW Offshore Wind EU Holding)
• Commission approves Synopsys' acquisition of Ansys subject to conditions - See M.11481
• Commission clears acquisition of Houtwerf et Distri-hout by Deli Home and Houtwerf International (M.11569) - Midday Express
• Commission has published its decision approving the acquisition of Clasquin by Mediterranean Shipping Company's SAS Shipping Agencies Services - see Case M.11563
• Italgas files 2i Rete Gas deal for EU foreign subsidy approval - see case FS.100169
• Lithuania - The antitrust authority has extended the Interim measures on Estonian company MM Grupp for another 3 months to avoid irreparable damage to effective competition in the cinema market
• Poland - Pet food more expensive online? The president of UOKiK has imposed a fine of almost half a million
• Romania - The Competition Council opened an investigation on medicine market possible abuse of dominant position of Boehringer Ingelheim RCV Gmbh&CO KG

STATE AID

• Action brought on 16 October 2024 - Ryanair Designated Activity Company Vs. Commission - Case T-538/24
  Re: annulment of European Commission’s decision (EU) on State Aid SA.109677(2020/NN) - Italy - COVID-19 Amendment of the compensation scheme for airlines with an EU operating license delivered by Italy
• Action brought on 17 October 2024 - Ryanair Designated Activity Company Vs. Commission - Case T-539/24
  Re: annulment of European Commission’s decision (EU) on State Aid SA.59029 (2020/NN) - Italy - COVID-19 Compensation scheme for airlines with an Italian operating license
• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections - SA.115080; SA.115081 & SA.115153

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Meeting of the ACP Working Party - 14 January 2025
• Agenda for: Meeting of the EP INTA Committee - 16 January 2025
• Agenda for: Working Party on European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - 14 January 2025
• TARIC correlation table 2024-2025 as updated on 10 January 2025
• TARIC bulletin board - DG Taxud - 09 January 2025
• Explanatory notes to the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union (Chapter 87)
• Notice concerning the date of entry into force of the Interim Agreement on Trade between the European Union and the Republic of Chile [2024/…]
• Report of the 7th meeting of the CETA Specialised committees on Sanitary & Phytosanitary Measures - 05 & 07 November 2024
• Answer given by Mr Hoekstra to a MEP written question - Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
• WTO panel issues report regarding EU measures affecting palm oil, biofuels from Indonesia
• Leveraging WTO rules to tackle malnutrition
• Joe Biden imposes export controls on chips used for AI to limit China - US semiconductor industry warns move will aid its competitors - Financial Times
• China’s export boom means Trump tariffs would hit Beijing where it hurts - Economy is increasingly reliant on foreign demand for goods pouring out of Chinese factories - Wall Street Journal

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Public Procurement) - 30 January 2024
• Public consultation - Agricultural and forestry vehicles – requirements for vehicle braking and vehicle functional safety (amendments) - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 09 January 2025 - 06 February 2025
• EU too slow to tackle single market abuse, say industry bodies - Number of cases opened against member states for breaches of EU law has dropped sharply - Financial Times
• Britain doesn’t need to walk a US or EU path on AI - Going our own way will unleash national renewal - Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Public consultation - Hazardous substances – exemption for lead as an alloying element in steel, aluminium and copper - Delegated directive - Feedback period: 13 January 2025 - 10 February 2025
• Public consultation - Hazardous substances – exemption for lead in glass or in ceramic of electrical and electronic components - Delegated directive - Feedback period: 13 January 2025 - 10 February 2025
• Public consultation - Hazardous substances – exemption for lead in high melting temperature type solders - Delegated directive - Feedback period: 13 January 2025 - 10 February 2025
• Public consultation - Uniform format for national restoration plans - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 10 January 2025 - 07 February 2025
• Health and environment impacts of air pollution exposure remain high across Europe - see the EEA Briefing
• Over 500,000 children’s reading skills impaired by transport noise in Europe - see the EEA Briefing

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 13 January 2024
• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 16 January 2024
• Answer given by EVP Virkkunen to a MEP written question - Impact of new cybersecurity regulations on SMEs in digital services
• Answer given by Mr McGrath to a MEP written question - Public authorities’ compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Interview of ECB's Philip R. Lane with Der Standard
• ECB Survey of Monetary Analysts (SMA), January 2025
• Households and non-financial corporations in the euro area: third quarter of 2024
• Euro area quarterly balance of payments and international investment position: third quarter of 2024
• Time-varying risk aversion and inflation-consumption correlation in an equilibrium term structure model - ECB Working Paper Series No.3012

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Agenda for: Meeting of the Coreper (Part.1 & Part.2) - 15 & 17 January 2024

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• New €148 million EU humanitarian aid package for Ukraine
• Executive Vice-President Virkkunen attends Summit of the Baltic Sea NATO countries
• Action brought on 13 November 2024 - Yanukovych Vs. Council - Case T-583/24 & Case T-590/24
  Re: annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2456; Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2455; restrictive measures; Ukraine
• Request for a preliminary ruling from the Finanzgericht Düsseldorf (Germany) of 23 September 2024 - JG Vs. Hauptzollamt Düsseldorf - Case C-619/24
  Re: Article 3i(1) of Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2022/576, be interpreted as meaning that the prohibition on the importation or transfer of goods
• Venezuela: Council renews restrictive measures and lists a further 15 individuals in view of the situation in the country - see Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/42; Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/44; Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/43 & Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/49, see the Statement by the HR on behalf of the EU - Financial Times
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3198 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Guatemala
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3154 concerning restrictive measures in view of activities undermining the stability and political transition of Sudan
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3151 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3149 of 13 December 2024 amending Decision (CFSP) 2017/1775 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Mali
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3139 of 16 December 2024 amending Decision (CFSP) 2022/2319 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Haiti
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3187 of 16 December 2024 amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3182 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
• Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3004 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses