Daily News 28 / 02 / 2023

Commission launches €7.5 million calls to support the integration of Ukrainian SMEs in the Single Market

Today, the Commission is launching two calls for proposals under the joint title “ReadyForEU”, with a total budget of €7.5 million. The two calls aim at helping Ukrainian entrepreneurs and businesses to benefit from the Single Market. The calls are funded under the Single Market Programme and follow the recent agreement for Ukraine to join the programme, signed by President von der Leyen and Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on 2 February 2023.

The first call, the “Business Bridge”, with a budget of €4.5 million, will provide financial support to Ukrainian small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) affected by the war, in the form of vouchers to access services and participate in trade fairs in the EU.

The second call, the “Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs - Ukraine”, with a budget of €3 million, will allow new Ukrainian entrepreneurs to gain business experience in other European countries.

The calls are open as of 28 February 2023 and Ukrainian businesses and entrepreneurs will be able to apply in the final quarter of this year.

Commissioner responsible for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, said: “Europe is committed to supporting Ukraine's successful integration in the Single Market. With today's calls for proposals, we are offering tangible financial support for small Ukrainian businesses and entrepreneurs to build new partnerships with other European companies and expand into the EU.”

A press release is available here.

(For more information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 2 296 69 53; Federica Miccoli – Tel.: +32 2 295 83 00)

 

NextGenerationEU: évaluation préliminaire positive de la demande de paiement du Danemark de 301 millions d'euros au titre de la facilité pour la reprise et la résilience

La Commission européenne a approuvé aujourd'hui une évaluation préliminaire positive de la demande de paiement de 301 millions d'euros de subventions au titre de la facilité pour la reprise et la résilience (FRR), l'instrument clé au cœur de NextGenerationEU.

Le 16 décembre 2022, le Danemark a présenté à la Commission une demande de paiement fondée sur la réalisation des 23 jalons et deux cibles sélectionnés dans la décision d'exécution du Conseil pour la première tranche. Ils portent sur des réformes qui s'inscrivent dans le cadre de la réforme de la fiscalité verte ainsi que sur la numérisation du système de santé. Plusieurs jalons et cibles concernent également d'importantes mesures d'investissement dans les domaines de la transition écologique de l'agriculture et de l'environnement, de l'efficacité énergétique, des véhicules et des ferries propres, et de la recherche.

Dans leur demande, les autorités danoises ont fourni des éléments détaillés et complets démontrant le respect des 23 jalons et deux cibles.

La Commission a à présent transmis au comité économique et financier (CEF) son évaluation préliminaire positive du respect, par le Danemark, des jalons et cibles requis pour ce paiement, en demandant son avis. À la suite de l'avis du CEF, la Commission adoptera la décision finale sur le versement de la contribution financière. Le versement au Danemark peut alors avoir lieu.

Pour de plus amples informations, vous pouvez consulter notre communiqué de presse et questions-réponses.

(Pour plus d'informations: Veerle Nuyts — Tél.: + 32 2 299 63 02; Laura Bérard — Tél.: + 32 2 295 57 21)

 

NextGenerationEU: Commission endorses Finland's revised recovery and resilience plan

Today, the Commission has positively assessed Finland's revised recovery and resilience plan. On 26 January, Finland had requested to remove two investments included in its plan, one related to the replacement of buildings' fossil fuel-based heating systems with lower carbon-emitting systems, and one related to private vehicles charging infrastructure. Finland will continue to implement these measures with national funds. Finland had also requested to modify 18 measures included in its plan to reflect the reduced amount of RRF grants.

Under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) Regulation, a Member State can request a revision of its plan in limited and well-defined cases. Finland's request is based on the need to factor in the revision of its maximum RRF grant allocation, from €2.1 billion to €1.8 billion. The revision is part of the June 2022 update to the RRF grants allocation key. This update, which concerns all Member States, takes into account the difference between countries' real and estimated GDP growth between 2020 and 2022. Finland's lower allocation of RRF grants following the June 2022 update is the result of a comparatively better economic outcome in 2020 and 2021 than initially foreseen.

The Commission considers that the downward revision of its financial allocation justifies the amendments requested by Finland. Following an assessment of the revised plan against the 11 criteria set out in the RRF Regulation, the Commission concluded that the Finnish plan still complies with them and that its overall ambition is not affected by the amendments. The Council will now have four weeks to adopt the Commission's proposal approving the revised plan.

(For more information: Veerle Nuyts — Tel.: + 32 2 299 63 02; Tommaso Alberini — Tel: + 32 2 295 70 10)

 

Agriculture : la Commission publie une boîte à outils de bonnes pratiques pour utiliser moins de pesticides chimiques

Aujourd'hui, la Commission a publié une base de données présentant une vue d'ensemble des méthodes de « lutte intégrée contre les ravageurs » (IPM) actuellement disponibles, accompagnée d'une étude évaluant leur efficacité et les perspectives de leur adoption future. La lutte contre les ravageurs qui endommagent les cultures et les plantes est nécessaire à la fois pour sauvegarder la sécurité alimentaire et pour assurer un revenu viable aux agriculteurs pour leur production. Cela doit être fait tout en minimisant les risques pour les personnes et l'environnement. Une telle approche, utilisant des méthodes naturelles chaque fois que possible et des pesticides chimiques en dernier recours, est appelée « gestion intégrée des ravageurs » (IPM).

La base de données comprend environ 1 300 exemples de pratiques, techniques et technologies, telles que l'utilisation de la rotation des cultures et de la fertilisation équilibrée, la surveillance des organismes nuisibles, l'application ciblée et réduite et, plus important encore, la préférence pour les méthodes de lutte antiparasitaire non chimiques. La base de données comprend également 273 lignes directrices spécifiques aux cultures élaborées par les autorités nationales et les organismes publics des États membres.

Parallèlement, une étude explore les pratiques actuelles de « lutte intégrée contre les ravageurs » (IPM) et leur potentiel pour aider à réduire la dépendance aux pesticides chimiques, leur coût de mise en œuvre et leur efficacité globale. L'étude examine également les principaux facteurs affectant la réduction de la dépendance à l'utilisation des pesticides et les principaux obstacles et facteurs qui y sont associés.

Plus d'informations en ligne et dans ce factsheet.

(Pour plus d'informations: Miriam Garcia Ferrer – Tél.: +32 2 299 90 75; Thérèse Lerebours – Tél.: +32 2 296 33 03)

 

Global Gateway : la BEI et la Commission européenne signent un accord visant à stimuler les investissements du secteur privé dans les pays d'Afrique, des Caraïbes et du Pacifique

La Banque européenne d'investissement (BEI) et la Commission européenne ont signé aujourd'hui des accords portant sur un volume total de 4 milliards d'euros, dans le but de soutenir les entreprises des pays d'Afrique, des Caraïbes et du Pacifique (ACP) jusqu'en 2027. Ces accords consistent en un accord de garantie qui permettra de mobiliser jusqu'à 3,5 milliards d'euros de prêts et en une contribution du fonds fiduciaire à hauteur de 500 millions d'euros. La signature marque une étape importante dans le déploiement de la stratégie « Global Gateway » de l'UE et a un impact sur le développement en permettant à la BEI de renforcer non seulement les investissements publics mais aussi privés dans des domaines clés tels que la numérisation, le climat et l'énergie, les transports ou la santé, dans les pays partenaires.

Premièrement, l'accord de garantie au titre du Fonds européen pour le développement durable Plus (FEDD +), établi par l'IVCDCI (NDICI) — Europe dans le monde. Il permettra à la BEI d'accorder jusqu'à 3,5 milliards d'euros de prêts à des conditions favorables afin de créer des emplois et d'ouvrir des perspectives, en particulier pour les femmes et les jeunes, et de soutenir les transitions écologique et numérique dans les pays  partenaires de l'UE,  conformément à  la stratégie  « Global Gateway ».

Deuxièmement, une contribution de l'UE d'un montant de 500 millions d'euros au fonds fiduciaire ACP, établi et géré par la BEI, afin de permettre des opérations à fort impact, qui ne seraient pas possibles autrement. Elle soutiendra, par exemple, les petites centrales d'énergie renouvelable situées dans des zones non raccordées au réseau. Ces centrales permettront un approvisionnement autonome en électricité, amélioreront les moyens de subsistance de la population et réduiront la dépendance à l'égard des combustibles fossiles et la hausse des prix de l'énergie. L'accord vient s'ajouter à l'accord de garantie de 26,7 milliards d'euros pour les prêts publics que l'UE et la BEI ont signé en mai 2022.

Un communiqué de presse est disponible en ligne.

(Pour plus d'informations : Peter Stano – Tél. : +32 2 295 45 53 ; Jennifer Sánchez da Silva – Tél.: +32 2 295 83 16)

 

Antitrust: Commission sends Statement of Objections to Apple clarifying concerns over App Store rules for music streaming providers

The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections to Apple clarifying its concerns over App Store rules for music streaming providers.

This procedural step follows the Commission's Statement of Objections which outlined the Commission's preliminary view that Apple abused its dominant position by: (i) imposing its own in-app purchase payment technology on music streaming app developers (‘IAP obligation'), and (ii) restricting app developers' ability to inform iPhone and iPad users of alternative music subscription services (‘anti-steering obligations').

Today's Statement of Objections clarifies that the Commission does no longer take a position as to the legality of the IAP obligation for the purposes of this antitrust investigation but rather focuses on the contractual restrictions that Apple imposed on app developers.

The Commission takes the preliminary view that Apple's anti-steering obligations are unfair trading conditions in breach of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU'). In particular, the Commission is concerned that the anti-steering obligations imposed by Apple on music streaming app developers prevent those developers from informing consumers about where and how to subscribe to streaming services at lower prices.

A press release is available online.

(For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 2 298 70 24; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 2 299 05 26)

 

Antitrust: Commission closes initial antitrust investigation into Coca-Cola and its bottlers

The European Commission has decided to close its preliminary investigation into potential anticompetitive practices by The Coca-Cola Company and its bottlers, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Coca-Cola Hellenic.

The Commission had concerns that Coca-Cola and its bottlers could have abused their dominant position by granting a series of conditional rebates to retailers in a number of Member States with the objective of foreclosing the entry or hindering the expansion of new drinks into the market.

Today's decision to end the preliminary investigation is based on a thorough analysis and careful assessment of all the available relevant evidence, including information received from Coca-Cola, its bottlers, retailers and competitors. Based on the evidence collected, the Commission has concluded that there is insufficient ground to further pursue the investigation.

The closure of the investigation is not a finding that the conduct in question complies with EU competition rules. The Commission will continue to monitor business practices in Europe's fast-moving consumer goods markets, including in the food and beverages sectors, to ensure affordability, choice and innovation in the sector.­­­

(For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 2 298 70 24; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 2 299 05 26)

 

State aid: Commission approves €89.6 million Hungarian investment aid to Samsung SDI's electric vehicle battery plant

The European Commission has found Hungary's €89.6 million measure in favour of Samsung SDI to be in line with EU State aid rules. The investment aid will support the expansion of Samsung SDI's battery cell production facility for electric vehicle (‘EV') in Göd. The aid will contribute to the development of the region and to job creation, whilst preserving competition.

In 2018, Hungary notified the Commission of its plans to grant €108 million of public support for the project. In October 2019, the Commission opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether the measure was compatible with the Guidelines on Regional State Aid for 2014-2021 In June 2021, the Commission extended the scope of its investigation. The aid was granted in December 2021, subject to the Commission approval.

The Commission investigation showed that the positive effects of the project on regional development clearly outweigh any distortion of competition brought about by the State aid. The Commission therefore approved the Hungarian measure under EU State aid rules.

A press release is available online.

(For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 2 298 70 24; Nina Ferreira - Tel.: +32 229 9 81 63; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 2 299 05 26)

 

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Neopharmed by NBRPH, Ardian and Mediolanum

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of Neopharmed Holding S.p.A. (‘Neopharmed') of Italy, by NB Renaissance Partners Holdings S.à.r.l. (‘NBRPH') of Luxembourg, Ardian France S.A. (‘Ardian') of France and Mediolanum Farmaceutici S.p.A. (‘Mediolanum') of Italy.

Neopharmed commercialises finished dose pharmaceuticals and supplements in various therapeutic areas, as well as medical devices and cosmetics. NBRPH is part of the Neuberger Berman group, which provides a broad range of investment solutions. Ardian is a private equity company that manages a number of investment funds. Mediolanum is active, through its subsidiaries, in the pharmaceutical and contract manufacturing organisation sectors.

The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, given that the parties' activities do not compete in the supply of finished dose pharmaceuticals. In addition, the Commission found that the parties would not have the ability or the incentive to engage in foreclosure practices. The transaction was examined under the normal merger review procedure.

More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.10997.

(For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 2 298 70 24; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 2 299 05 26)

 

Mergers: Commission clears creation of joint venture by TMAH and Meridiam Investment *

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the creation of a joint venture by T-Mobile Austria Holding (‘TMAH') and Meridiam Investment, both of Austria.

The joint venture will be active in rolling out a passive optical fibre infrastructure in designated areas in Austria and in offering access wholesale products to internet service providers. TMAH offers mobile telecommunications services and is ultimately controlled by Deutsche Telekom AG. TMAH also owns and operates a hybrid fibre-coaxial cable network in parts of Austria through which it offers cable TV, fixed internet and fixed telecommunications services. Deutsche Telekom AG is an integrated telecommunications and information technology service provider with activities worldwide. Meridiam Investment is a portfolio company controlled by Meridiam, an alternative investment fund manager focussing on long-term infrastructure investments.

The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, given the absence of significant horizontal overlaps and vertical links between the companies' activities in the relevant markets. The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.

More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.10993.

(For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 2 298 70 24; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 2 299 05 26)

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

 

Le vice-président exécutif Timmermans en visite au Gabon pour participer au One Forest Summit

Le vice-président exécutif chargé du pacte vert pour l'Europe, Frans Timmermans, entame une visite de deux jours au Gabon les 1 et 2 mars pour assister au One Forest Summit, annoncé lors de la COP27 par le président de la République gabonaise et le président de la République française. Pendant son séjour dans le pays africain, il rencontrera des représentants gouvernementaux pour discuter de la lutte mondiale contre la déforestation et le changement climatique.

Mercredi, le vice-président exécutif Timmermans se réunira avec le président gabonais Ali Bongo Ondimba; le premier ministre Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze; ainsi qu'avec le ministre des eaux, des forêts, de la mer et de l'environnement, Lee White. Au cours de la journée, il rencontrera également lors de réunions bilatérales le premier ministre de la Papouasie Nouvelle Guinée, James Marape ; et le ministre de l‘environnement et de l'énergie du Costa Rica, Franz Tattenbach.

Jeudi, le vice-président exécutif participera au One Forest Summit – un sommet pour faire progresser nos efforts globaux en faveur de l'action climatique et la préservation de la biodiversité, en particulier entre les trois grands bassins forestiers de la planète. Il assistera à la session d'ouverture de haut niveau suivi de la séance d'ouverture des chefs d'État et de gouvernement ‘Préserver le cœur et les poumons de la planète'. Dans l'après-midi, il participera également au panel ‘One Forest Vision: un dialogue avec la communauté scientifique' et suivra le discours de haut niveau sur la protection des forêts tropicales. Pendant la journée, il en profitera pour rencontrer directement un groupe de jeunes du ‘One Forest Youth Forum' et ensuite, la société civile locale et internationale, y compris les associations environnementales. Il rencontrera également Mafalda Duarte, PDG du Fonds d'investissement pour le climat.

De plus amples détails sont disponibles ici.

(Pour plus d'informations : Stefan De Keersmaecker – Tél. : +32 2 298 46 80 ; Ana Crespo Parrondo – Tél. : +32 2 298 13 25)

 

India: High Representative to travel to attend the G20 meetings and the Raisina Dialogue

From 1 to 4 March, High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell will be in New Delhi, to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers meetings held in the framework of India's G20 Presidency, and to participate in the Raisina Dialogue.

On Wednesday, 1 March, High Representative/Vice-President Borrell will deliver a speech at the CII Business Conclave during the plenary on “India-Europe: Partners for future growth” at 10:00 CET (14:30 IST).

High Representative/Vice-President Borrell will meet the Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. On the agenda will be the bilateral aspects of the strategic partnership and a range of regional and international security issues, both in Europe and in Asia.

On Thursday, 2 March, High Representative/Vice-President Borrell will participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting. India's G20 Presidency takes place under the theme “One Earth · One Family · One Future” (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam) with more than 200 events around the country.

As Russia's war against Ukraine marks its one-year anniversary, the High Representative will convey a strong message on Russia's blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter, and its global consequences, in particular on energy and food insecurity, but also on the importance of a stronger multilateralism system, fit for the future, as well as the crucial need to speed up the green transition to address the existential threats of climate change and biodiversity loss globally. The High Representative will also focus on threats enabled by new technologies, such as disinformation and cybersecurity.

On Friday, 3 March, High Representative/Vice-President Borrell will participate in the Raisina Dialogue at the session “The New High Table: Realigning the G20 in a changing world”. The High Representative's intervention will be available on Europe by Satellite (EbS).

During his visit, High Representative Borrell will have bilateral meetings with his counterparts from different continents, to discuss regional and bilateral issues.

Audiovisual footage of the visit will be provided by Europe by Satellite. Follow @EU_in_India, @JosepBorrellF and @eu_eeas for live updates throughout the visit.

(For more information: Nabila Massrali – Tel.: +32 2 298 80 93; Xavier Cifre Quatresols – Tel.: +32 2 297 35 82; Jennifer Sanchez Da Silva – Tel.: +32 2 295 83 16)

 

Commissioner Várhelyi in Serbia to attend a ceremony on the Corridor X railway project and to discuss priorities under EU accession negotiations

Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi will be in Serbia today to announce a €2.2 billion financial package that will enable a substantial modernisation of the railway tracks of Corridor X.

The Corridor X railway project is one of the Economic and Investment Plan flagship investments, connecting the region with the EU via Croatia, through Belgrade and further to Niš, Skopje and Greece. The project will contribute to the modernisation of the railways in Serbia and improve Serbia's connectivity with other European rail networks. It is part of the EU's €30 billion Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans which aims to mobilise investments in the areas of transport, energy, green and digital transition, to create sustainable growth and jobs.

An EU grant of up to €600 million is foreseen for this project. Out of this, €265 million has been already approved so far for the Belgrade – Niš fast railway that will allow to travel between the two cities with the speed of up to 200 km / h and in around 100 minutes. The rest of the package consists of a €1.1 billion loan from the EIB and a €550 million EBRD loan.             

During his visit, Commissioner Várhelyi will meet President Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Minister of European Integration Tanja Miščević, and Minister of Interior Bratislav Gašić to discuss accession negotiations priorities, in particular in the rule of law area, and cooperation in the areas of sustainable connectivity, energy, and migration.

The Commissioner will also discuss the EU support to Serbia to face the current energy crisis following the recent signature of the €165 million budget support to help mitigate the energy prices amongst vulnerable households and SMEs under the €1 billion Energy Support Package for the Western Balkans.

Photo and video material of the visit will be made available on EbS.
(For more information: Peter Stano — Tel.: +32 2 295 45 53; Zoï Muletier – Tel. +32 2 299 43 06)

 

 

Tentative agendas for forthcoming Commission meetings

Note that these items can be subject to changes.

 

Upcoming events of the European Commission

Eurostat press releases

 

* UPDATED on 28 February at 12:40