COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10880 – Dufry / Autogrill)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10907 – Remondis / H&M / JV)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10957 – Cura / Generali / T-C PEP Property)
• EU and India meet during “5th Competition Week” to reinforce cooperation – Midday Express
• Commission clears creation of joint venture by Sonatrach, Eni and Equinor in In Salah (M.10941) – Midday Express
• Greece – Approval of the notification of acquisition of sole control by ” Diamantis Masoutis SA – Super Markets” over several super market stores of “Afoi Denaksa LTD”, in the Greek super markets sector
• Ireland – CCPC reminds car dealers to comply with consumer protection law following inspections in Mayo and Sligo
• The Netherlands – ACM: competition risks for some medical devices
• Poland – Participation of representatives of UOKiK in the OECD Committee on Consumer Policy meeting held in Paris
• Switzerland – COMCO Secretariat investigates the labour market in the banking sector

STATE AID

• Commission approves €26.3 million Finnish measure to support SEVO in construction of hydroelectric pump storage (SA.101183) – IP/22/7073
• Commission authorises €360.1 million French scheme to support distribution of subscribed print media (SA.101754) – Midday Express
• Commission approves amendments to Flemish measure, including €700 million budget increase, to further support companies in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine (SA.104845) – Midday Express
• Commission approves €250 million Flemish scheme to support companies facing increased energy costs in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine (SA.104588) – Midday Express
• SA.104717 – Lithuania, The measure “Subsidies to Enterprises Operating in Highly Affected Sectors to Mitigate the Effects of Energy Price Increase” (Public version available)
• SA.104081 – Austria, Regional aid map of Austria 2022 – 2027 (amendment); Population reserve and JTF areas (Public version available)
• SA.100463 – Netherlands, Aid scheme to promote modal shift from road to rail and inland waterways (Public version available)
• SA.104492 – Italy, TCF: Exemption from the contribution paid by employers (Public version available)

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Trade Policy Committee (Full Members) – 9 December 2022
• Council Decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand pursuant to Article XXVIII of the GATT 1994 relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff-rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union – Adoption
• Notice of initiation of an expiry review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of trichloroisocyanuric acid originating in the People’s Republic of China (CN codes ex 2933 69 80 and ex 3808 94 20)
• United States and European Union conclude First Ministerial Meeting of the Large Civil Aircraft Working Group
• Von der Leyen promises EU help for companies lured by US green subsidies – Commission chief unveils easing of state aid rules to compete with Biden’s climate package – Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• InvestEU: EIB invests €36.7 million in eco-friendly battery material production in Germany – IP/22/7406
• Defence Industry: Commission supports with €1.2 billion 61 industrial R&D projects for defence capabilities – See the FactSheet – Midday Express
• European Defence Agency – Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) Report 2022

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES

ENERGY

• Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community and in the Permanent High Level Group of the Energy Community (14-15 December 2022, Vienna, Austria)
• Europe cuts gas demand by a quarter to shed reliance on Russia – Countries have been finding alternative sources and making changes to curb demand – Financial Times
• Europe should not protest too much on energy – Policymakers should accelerate reduced carbon usage and build up high-tech, knowledge-intensive industries – Financial Times
• Europe can withstand risk to winter energy supplies, says French grid chief – Xavier Piechaczyk confident that high gas storage levels have sufficiently bolstered power production capacity – Financial Times

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on Environment – 05,08 & 09 December 2022
• Ninth meeting of the Working Group of the Parties to the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers to the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (PRTR WGP 9) (Geneva, 24-25 November 2022) – Statements by the EU and its Member States
• EU Cohesion Policy: €3.85 billion for a just transition toward climate neutral economy in five Polish regions – IP/22/7413
• Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius to a MEP written question – Heating homes with woody biomass, and derogations from emission limit
• 326 NGOs and trade unions urge European Commission to keep its promise to ban EU exports of banned pesticides – See Joint-Statement
• European Commission mustn’t abandon hazardous chemical exports ban commitments made in EU Green Deal – See Heal Statement
• Europe is on a mission to secure critical metals. Here are three things it should do – See T&E Statement

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Minutes of: Meeting of the Appeal Committee, section Phytopharmaceuticals – Legislation – 15 November 2022
• EPSCO Council (Health) on 9 December 2022
  – European Union Global Health Strategy – Information from the Commission
  – Revision of Pharmaceutical legislation – Information from the Commission
  – Negotiations for an international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, as well as complementary amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) – Information from the Presidency and the Commission
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2364 of 2 December 2022 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 as regards the extension of the approval period of the active substance glyphosate
• ESA urges Iceland to step up efforts to prevent certain mussels harmful for consumers being placed on the market
• EMA recommends withdrawal of pholcodine medicines from EU market
• EMA – Meeting highlights from the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) – 28 November – 1 December 2022
• ECDC – Models of good practice for community-based testing, linkage to care and adherence to treatment for hepatitis B and C, HIV, and tuberculosis and for health promotion interventions to prevent infections among people who inject drugs
• ECDC – Increase of reported diphtheria cases among migrants in Europe due to Corynebacterium diphtheriae, 2022
• Joint ECDC-WHO Regional Office for Europe Weekly COVID-19 Surveillance Bulletin – Week 47/2022 (21 November – 27 November 2022)

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

• Meeting of the Council (TTE – Transport) on 5 December 2022.
  – Any other business: Transport relations with Ukraine – Information from the Presidency and the Commission
  – The Council adopted conclusions on the “Ongoing development of inland waterway transport (NAIADES III)”
  – Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T): Council adopts its position to ensure sustainable connectivity in Europe

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Migration routes: Commission proposes Action Plan for cooperation with Western Balkans to address common challenges – IP/22/7447
• Visa suspension report: requirements for visa-free continue to be fulfilled but immediate steps are needed on alignment with EU visa policy – IP/22/7411 & QaA
• Non-paper from the Commission services in the context of the adoption of the Recommendation on procedural rights of suspects and accused persons subject to pre-trial detention and on material detention conditions

FUTURE OF EUROPE

• Speech by President von der Leyen at the College of Europe in Bruges

EURO, ECB & ECONOMY

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Action brought on 14 October 2022 – Shammout Vs. Council (Case T-649/22)
  Re: annulment of Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2022/1277 and of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1275
• Agenda for: EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana, 6 December 2022
• The EFTA States and Kosovo hold their second round of negotiations

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

• The Council imposed a new package of economic and individual sanctions against Russia in view of the escalation of its aggression against Ukraine – See Council Regulation (EU) 2022/2367; Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2368 & Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2369
• G7 agrees oil price cap: reducing Russia’s revenues, while keeping global energy markets stable – IP/22/7468, QaA, Guidance on oil price cap & G7 Statement
• Answer given by Mr Reynders to a MEP written question – Transfer of frozen assets and assets of Russians seized under sanctions to Ukraine