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Mayer Brown Europe-Brussels LLP Europe Daily News Thursday 16 October 2014 ANTITRUST Withdrawal of notification of a concentration (Case M.7342 — Alcoa / Firth Rixson) Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.7342 — Alcoa / Firth Rixson) Commission clears acquisition of a real estate portfolio by AXA and Hammerson (M.7372) Midday Express 16.10.2014 CMA decision on acquisition by Japan Tobacco of E-Lites CMA does not open a Phase 2 investigation for the anticipated acquisition by National Express Group of the Essex Thameside Franchise EU Official decries Google pressure Wall Street Journal Europe 16.10.2014 STATE AID Judgment of the General Court of 16.10.2014 in Case T-517/12, Alro SA, vs. European Commission Re : State aid - Electricity - Preferential tariffs Decision to initiate the procedure provided for in Article 108(2) TFEU - Action for annulment - Act not open to challenge - Aid measure fully implemented, in part, as at the date of the decision and, in part, when the action was brought - Inadmissibility Invitation to submit comments pursuant to Article 1(2) in Part I of Protocol 3 to the Agreement between the EFTA States on the Establishment of a Surveillance Authority and a Court of Justice on potential State aid through a lease of an optical fibre previously operated on behalf of NATO Commission approves restructuring aid scheme for Irish credit unions (IP/14/1167) Answer given by Mr Almunia: EU state aid rules and national support for enterprises in zones close to civil strife or war - E-006345/2014 BayernLB sues Austria over Hypo loans Wall Street Journal Europe 16.10.2014 TRADE & CUSTOMS Judgment of the Court of 16.10.2014 in Case C-334/13, Nordex Food A/S Vs. Hauptzollamt Hamburg-Jonas, Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling Agriculture - Regulation (EC) No 800/1999 Export refunds - Regulation (EC) No 1291/2000 System of export licences - Export declaration submitted without an export licence - Period granted by the customs office of export - Customs documents proving the arrival of the exported goods in the country of destination - Forged documents - Rectification of irregularities Application of the penalty referred to in Article 51 of Regulation (EC) No 800/1999 Agenda of EP INTA extraordinary meeting of 20 October 2014 Summary report of the 211st meeting of the Origin Section of the of the Customs Code Committee of 20 May 2014 Answer given by Mr De Gucht : External trade surplus - E-006428/2014 Commission Decision regarding the follow-up to National Parliaments' Opinions - Reply to an Opinion of the Tweede Kamer (NL) co-signed by 19 other chambers - Own Initiative - 'The role of national Parliaments in concluding free trade agreements' Mayer Brown Europe-Brussels LLP August 2014 - Euro area international trade in goods surplus €9.2 bn - €8.9 bn deficit for EU28 EU-Singapore investment concluded, says EU Trade Chief talks EU Briefing 15-16.10.2014 (eutradeinsights) The TTIP: A brief history of an agenda for corporate plunder EU Briefing 15-16.10.2014 (globalresearch.ca) EU-China investment treaty talks may face bumpy road EU Briefing 15-16.10.2014 (borderlex.eu) East African states agree duty-free trade deal with EU EU Briefing 15-16.10.2014 (Reuters) Presidency compromise - Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on interchange fees for card-based payment transactions Belgium before the EU Court of Justice for discriminatory taxation of collective investment undertakings (IP/14/1144) EBA says some banks breach bonus rules (See EBA’s Report & Opinion) Wall Street Journal Europe 16.10.2014 Keynote Speech by Steven Maijoor, ESMA Chair, at La Nueva Financiera Regulacion, Madrid ESMA - Letter to the IASB and to EFRAG on the Discussion Paper Accounting for dynamic risk management WTO - Tunisia launches safeguard investigations on fibreboard of wood (MDF) and on glass bottles Wall St calm at axing of Double Irish tax WTO - Aid for Trade meeting highlights need to give greater support to small businesses INDUSTRY, EMPLOYMENT, RESEARCH Turkey joins COSME, programme for SME INTERNAL MARKET & GENERAL (IP/14/1168) Undeclared work: Commissioner Andor welcomes Council's agreement on EU Platform for better prevention and deterrence (IP/14/1166) October decisions infringements package: Financial Times 16.10.2014 main Gambling services: Commission refers Sweden to Court for lack of compliance with EU law (IP/14/1150) FINANCIAL SERVICES & TAXATION Judgment of the Court of 16.10.2014 in Case C-605/12, Welmory sp. z o.o. Vs. Dyrektor Izby Skarbowej w Gdańsku, Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Common system of VAT - Directive 2006/112/EC - Article 44 - Concept of ‘fixed establishment’ of the recipient of a supply of services - Place where services are deemed to be supplied to taxable persons - Intra-Community transaction the EU’s financing EU research turning food waste into feed (IP/14/1165) ECJ rules favourably for the Commission over the German barriers to trade in construction products Midday Express 16.10.2014 SMEs growing again amidst optimism that the worst is behind them Enlargement brings growth, business community says (See Eurochambres Statement) AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES Commission opens infringement procedure against Hungary on rights of cross-border investors to use agricultural land (IP/14/1152) World Food Day: Joint statement by Commissioners Andris Piebalgs and Kristalina Georgieva Mayer Brown Europe-Brussels LLP Copa-Cogeca attacks EU Commission plans to slash agriculture spending in 2015 when farmers and agricooperatives hit by unprecedented Russian crisis Europe’s big comeback will shake up sugar Financial Times 16.10.2014 p.26 ENERGY Agenda for : Working Party on Energy of 21 October 2014 Gas stress test: Cooperation is key to cope with supply interruption (IP/14/1162, Q&A Memo/14/593, Com 2014-654, Annexes 1 to 2) European Voice 16.10.2014 Energy companies warn of cutting ties with Russia European Voice 16.10.2014 Member states fear winter energysupply shortage - Ukraine fears winter energy crisis European Voice 16.10.2014 Financial Times 16.10.2014 p.4 UK blocks €5bn Russian North Sea deal Financial Times 16.10.2014 p.1 ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE Agenda for : Working Party on the Environment of 20 & 21 October 2014 Speech by Janez Potočnik: Nature based solutions are often also the cheapest solutions Commission urges Malta to refrain from finch trapping (IP/14/1154) Commission urges Italy to address severe pollution issues at Europe's biggest steel plant (IP/14/1151) La Commission saisit la Cour de justice à l'encontre de la Roumanie en raison de la présence de bassins de décantation toxiques (IP/14/1149) Commission takes Poland to Court over failings in end-of-life vehicles legislation (IP/14/1148) Commission takes Portugal back to Court for inadequate waste water treatment, asks for fines (IP/14/1142) Commission takes the Netherlands to Court over failure to protect animals used for scientific purposes, asks for fines (IP/14/1141) 100 European cities sign up to action on climate change (IP/14/1138) REACH only representatives showing high rate of non-compliance (See the REF3 report) Sweden issues guidance on information requirements under REACH HEALTH, SAFETY & CONSUMER EU Health Ministers to consider Ebola screening across continent (Speech by Tonio Borg & EP Statement) Wall Street Journal Europe 16.10.2014 SCCS - Minutes of Joint Working Group on Cosmetic ingredients of 7.10.2014 SCCS - Opinion on peanut oil (sensitisation only) - revision of 23 September 2014 EFSA - Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 73, Revision 3 (FGE.73Rev3): Consideration of alicyclic alcohols, aldehydes, acids and related esters evaluated by JECFA (59th & 63rd meeting) structurally related to primary saturated or unsaturated alicyclic alcohols, aldehydes, acids and esters evaluated by EFSA in FGE.12Rev4 (2013) EFSA - Scientific Opinion on the pest categorisation of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus and related viruses causing tomato yellow leaf curl disease in Europe EFSA - Scientific Opinion on the pest categorisation of Beet leaf curl virus ECHA calls for evidence on two cosmetic ingredients Mayer Brown Europe-Brussels LLP 3 EU companies appeal pentabromo benzene substance evaluation decision (See BoA announcement) DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY Commission refers Luxembourg to Court for persistent delays in analysing relevant markets (IP/14/1147) Statement by Mr Katainen on Greece Answer given by Mr Katainen : ECB intervention non-conventional instruments - E-006279/2014 Italy, France spending challenge Europe over Financial Times 16.10.2014 Wall Street Journal Europe 16.10.2014 Commission refers Belgium to Court over independence of national regulator France unveils deregulation proposals JUSTICE & HOME AFFAIRS Barroso: Europe was ‘close to the Abyss’ Opinion of Advocate General Wahl of 16.10.2014 in Joined Cases C-482/13, C-484/13, C-485/13 & C-487/13, Unicaja Banco SA Vs. José Hidalgo Rueda, María del Carmen Vega Martín, Gestión Patrimonial Hive SL, Francisco Antonio López Reina, Rosa María Hidalgo Vega (C-482/13), Caixabank SA Vs. Manuel María Rueda Ledesma, Rosario Mesa Mesa (C-484/13) , José Labella Crespo, Rosario Márquez Rodríguez, Rafael Gallardo Salvat, Manuela Márquez Rodríguez (C-485/13), Alberto Galán Luna, Domingo Galán Luna (C-487/13) Re: Directive 93/13/EEC - Consumer credit FUTURE (IP/14/1145) agreement - Unfair terms - Non-binding effect Adequate and effective means of preventing the continued use of unfair terms - Mortgage enforcement proceedings Commission refers Italy to the Court of Justice for insufficient rules on compensation for crime victims (IP/14/1146) Financial Times 16.10.2014 p.3 Wall Street Journal Europe 16.10.2014 Wall Street Journal Europe 16.10.2014 OF EUROPE Speech by Herman Van Rompuy at the EuroPCom Conference 2014 Maroš Šefčovič proposed as VicePresident for Energy Union and Violeta Bulc as Transport Commissioner (IP/14/1163 & the new list) European Voice 16.10.2014 'I increased the power Commission', says Barroso of the European Voice 16.10.2014 ACCESSION & FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Court annuls, on procedural grounds, the Council measures maintaining the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on the European list of terrorist organisations (See Court Press Release & Joined Cases T-208/11 & T-508/11) Commission takes Austria to Court of Justice over non-compliance with EUTurkey association agreement Opening remarks & Press statement by Herman Van Rompuy and José Manuel Barroso at the meeting with the Premier of the P.R. of China, Li Keqiang Tory and Ukip team up to fight EU arrest warrant Speech by President Barroso and by Herman Van Rompuy at the 14th AsiaEurope Business Forum EURO & ECONOMY Remarks by Herman Van Rompuy at the EU-ASEAN leaders meeting EU inflation falls to five-year low Sanctions noose begins to tighten on sanguine Russia (IP/14/1143) Financial Times 16.10.2014 Wall Street Journal Europe 16.10.2014 Financial Times 16.10.2014 p.16