Europe Daily News, June 02, 2022 | Insights and Events

COMPETITION

STATE AID

• Opinion of Advocate General Athanasiso Rantos of 2 June 2022 in case C-470/20, AS Veejaam, OÜ Espo Vs. AS Elering
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling – Article 108(3) TFEU – Regulation (EU) 2015/1589 – Article 1(c) – Aid granted by Member States – Support for renewable energies – Renewable renewable energy production companies which have received support to renewable energies for the electricity produced by their hydroelectric generators – Incentive effect of the aid requested after the start of the works related to the project
  
• VSCommission approves regional aid map 2022-2027 for Finland (SA.102379) – IP/22/3383
• VSCommission approves €10 billion Spanish program to support businesses in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (SA.102711) – IP/22/3390
• VSCommission approves €20m Lithuanian program to support businesses in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (SA.102772) – IP/22/3392
• VSCommission approves €8m Slovenian Recovery and Resilience Facility program to support rail freight transport (SA.100432) – Midday Express
• VSCommission approves €4.3m Romanian program to support airport operators amid coronavirus pandemic (SA.102939) – Midday Express
• VSCommission approves €9.5m Italian scheme to safeguard employment levels amid coronavirus pandemic (SA.102966) – Midday Express
• VSCommission approves €45.4 million Croatian program to support civil aviation sector affected by coronavirus pandemic (SA.102436) – Midday Express
• VSCommission approves €223m Flemish scheme to support businesses and public entities amid coronavirus pandemic and Brexit (SA.102504) – Midday Express
• AAnswer given by EVP Vestager to a written question from the MEP – Compatibility of advertising costs for the German vaccination campaign against COVID-19 with EU State aid rules

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Aagenda for: Customs Program – CLEN discussion meeting of participants in the CLEN Ring Test on Cannabinoids – July 6, 2022
• Minutes – Member States Expert Group Meeting on “Responsible Sourcing of Tin, Tantalum, Tungsten and Gold (3TG)” – 24 March 2022
• VSCommission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/859 of 24 May 2022 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the common customs tariff (CN 4421 20 00; ‘8485 80 00; 8485 90 10; 8485 90 90)
• VSCouncil Decision (EU) 2022/863 of 24 May 2022 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the EU-CTC Joint Committee set up by the Convention of 20 May 1987 on a common transit procedure in with respect to amendments to said agreement
• Aanswer given by EVP Dombrovskis to a written question from an MEP – Trade negotiations with Thailand
• OTO – The sixth Trade Policy and Practice Review of New Zealand takes place on June 1-3, 2022.

DOMESTIC MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Sspecial report n°8/2022 – ERDF support for SME competitiveness – design weaknesses reduce the effectiveness of funding
• EEuropean Citizens’ Initiative: Commission decides to register the initiative “Good clothes, fair pay” – IP/22/3369
• Oonline sale of counterfeit Louboutin high-heeled shoes: according to Advocate General Szpunar, the specificities of Amazon’s commercial practices do not make it possible to conclude that a sign has been used within the meaning of EU law (see CPR n ° 96/2022 – Opinion of the Advocate General in Joined Cases C-148/21, C-184/21 – Louboutin (Use of an infringing sign on an online market)

TAXATION

• Aagenda for: 28th meeting of the small subgroup on the “electronic form for direct taxes” (SSG eFCA) – 16 June 2022

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

• FFisheries management review: less overfishing, but more efforts to protect marine resources are needed – IP/22/3303 – see communication
• Aanswer given to a written question from an MEP – Negotiations with Norway on fishing rights and relations with Russia

ENERGY

• VSCommission Recommendation (EU) 2022/867 of 1 June 2022 on the release of emergency oil stocks by Member States following the invasion of Ukraine
• VSCommissioner Simson in Ireland to discuss energy policy with local authorities and stakeholders – Midday Express
• ACER and CEER launch public consultation on possible developments in the EU electricity futures market

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• youLawful defeat devices in diesel vehicles: Advocate General Rantos considers that the purchaser of a vehicle equipped with such a device should be entitled to compensation against the vehicle manufacturer (See CPR n° 95/2022 – Opinion of the Advocate General in Case C-100/21 – Daimler (Liability of manufacturers of vehicles fitted with defeat devices)
• Jmere extension of the duration of the waste disposal operation in a landfill does not constitute a substantial modification of the operating permit (See CPR No 94/2022 – Judgment of the Court of Justice in case C-43 /21 – FCC Česká republic )
• Aprogram for: 26th Meeting of the Governmental Expert Group on the Environmental Liability Directive (ELD GEG) – 7 June 2022
• EEuropean road transport must move up a gear towards sustainability – See EEA statement and report
• VScontinued decline in EU greenhouse gas emissions confirms achievement of 2020 target – see EEA statement and report

HEALTH, FOOD AND PRODUCT SAFETY

• Eeffervescent bath bombs: Member States may, under certain conditions, restrict the distribution of cosmetic products which, because they look like foodstuffs, can be mistaken for foodstuffs and lead to health risks ( see CPR n° 93/2022 – Judgment of the Court of Justice in case C-122/21 – Get Fresh Cosmetics)
• EU Health Policy Platform – Annual Meeting: EU Health Awards Ceremony (4 May 2022)
• ECDC Report – Early Warning, Alert, and Response to Acute Public Health Events in Countries Hosting Refugees

EU RESPONSES TO COVID 19

DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET

• Aanswer given to a written question from an MEP – Regulating the metaverse
• BEREC invites stakeholders to its public debriefing on June 15 in Brussels
• Ppublic consultation on draft BEREC guidelines on the application of Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2022/612 of 6 April 2022 on roaming on public communications networks within the Union ( wholesale roaming guidelines)

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• PProposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council to ensure a level playing field for sustainable air transport – “ReFuelEU Aviation” – General approach
• Aaviation safety: Commission adopts new EU aviation safety list – See Regulation (EU) 2022/862

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY AND JUSTICE

• An the age limit set in the statutes of a workers’ organization to be able to stand as a sector leader of this organization falls within the scope of the “Anti-discrimination” directive (See CPR No 92/2022 – Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-587/20 – HK Vs. Danmark and HK/Privat – Principles of Community law)
• Je European Public Prosecutor’s Office one year later: more than 900 investigations and 4,000 reports of breaches – see Commissioner Reynders’ speech – Midday Express
• EUrojust files on corruption: perspectives 2016-2021
• 10 years of the European Citizens’ Initiative – Midi Express
• SChengen Forum: charting the way forward for the Schengen area in 2022-2023 – see the Report – Midday Express

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• VSConvergence report examines Member States’ readiness to join the euro area and paves the way for Croatia’s adoption of the euro on 1 January 2022 – IP/22/3312, QaA and Commissioner’s remarks Gentiloni
  – ECB Convergence Report 2022
  – European Commission Convergence Report 2022
  – Proposal for a Council Decision and Council Regulation
• EVice President Dombrovskis in Zagreb to discuss Croatia’s economic outlook and willingness to join the Eurozone – Midday Express
• EU cohesion policy: Commission adopts €18.4 billion partnership agreement with France for 2021-2027 – IP/22/3368
• NOTextGenerationEU: European Commission endorses Poland’s €35.4 billion recovery and resilience plan – IP/22/3375 & QaA
• NOTextGenerationEU: Commission receives €2.6 billion payment request from Romania under the Recovery and Resilience Facility – Midday Express
• Onote from the ECB of 25 March 2022 on a proposal for a regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 549/2013 on the European system of national and regional accounts in the European Union
• ECB – Euro area bank interest rate statistics: April 2022
• EThe CB reports on the progress of EU countries towards adopting the euro
• ECB – Euro area insurance corporations statistics: first quarter 2022
• ECB – Survey on companies’ access to finance: tightening of financing conditions in a context of heightened economic uncertainty

FOREIGN RELATIONS

• Jordan: High Representative/Vice-President Borrell chairs the EU-Jordan Association Council, with the participation of Commissioner Várhelyi – Midday Express
• Dnote: statement by the High Representative on the result of the referendum on the defense opt-out
• JJoint press release by the EU and Central Asia Special Representatives and Special Envoys for Afghanistan

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• EU Statement on the ongoing aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine – OSCE Permanent Council No. 1376 Vienna, 2 June 2022