Europe Daily News, 29 March 2023 | Perspectives & Events – Mayer Brown

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11085 – Frasers / GO Sport)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11076 – Totalenergies / Total Eren)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11064 – Macquarie / Ivanohe / RHP Partners Manager GP / JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11040 – PGGM / DIF / EQT / Saur)
• Commission clears acquisition of Photomath by Google (M.10796) – IP/23/1927
• EVP Vestager in the US to reinforce competition and digital policy cooperation and kick off the Clean Energy Incentives Dialogue – Midday Express
• Germany – Bundeskartellamt – List of Notified Merger Projects
• Germany – Bundeskartellamt – Examination of Microsoft’s significance for competition across markets
• Nextcloud complaint precedes investigation into Microsoft market dominance by German antitrust authorities
• German antitrust watchdog probes Microsoft’s market power – Berlin is at the vanguard of European attempts to restrict the dominance of Big Tech – Financial Times
• Romania – Competition Council examines the transaction by which C.E.I. – Costruzione Emiliana Ingranaggi S.p.A., Italy, intends to acquire Mec Diesel S.p.A., Italy, and its subsidiaries
• UK – Shoppers urged to call out online rip-offs as CMA unveils ‘red lines’
• UK – The CMA has published an open letter to online businesses regarding the use of urgency claims and price reduction claims

STATE AID

• The action against the Commission’s decision approving the aid granted by Romania to the airline Blue Air in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic is dismissed in its entirety (See CPR Nº 53/2023 – Judgment of the General Court in Case T-142/21, Wizz Air Hungary v Commission (Blue Air; COVID-19 and rescue aid)
• Intel, Raytheon, other big companies push back on EU subsidy rules – Companies warn new disclosure requirements could disrupt deals, halt public tenders – Wall Street Journal
  

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Judgment of the General Court of 29 March 2023 in Case T‑500/17 RENV, Hubei Xinyegang Special Tube Co. Ltd, Vs. European Commission, supported by ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Roman SA, Válcovny trub Chomutov a.s., Vallourec Deutschland GmbH
  Re: Dumping – Imports of certain seamless pipes and tubes of iron (excluding cast iron) or steel (excluding stainless steel), of circular cross-section and of an external diameter exceeding 406.4 mm, originating in China – Imposition of a definitive anti-dumping duty – Causal link – Article 3(6) and (7) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 – Manifest error of assessment
• Communication in accordance with Article 34 (7)(a)(iii) of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, on decisions relating to binding information issued by the customs authorities of the Member States concerning the classification of goods in the customs nomenclature
• WTO – Insights into Global Trade, by Jean-Marie Paugam, Deputy Director-General
• WTO – China – Enforcement of intellectual property rights – Constitution of the Panel established at the request of the European Union – Note by the Secretariat
• WTO – Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures – EU import tolerances for certain pesticides to achieve environmental outcomes in third countries – Specific trade concern 534 – Submission by the United States
• WTO – Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures – EU MRLS and pesticide policies : EU MRLs for alpha-cypermethrin, buprofezin, chlorothalonil, chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos-methyl, diflubenzuron, ethoxysulfuron, glufosinate, imazalil, ioxynil, iprodione, mancozeb, molinate – Specific trade concern 448 – Submission by the United States 
• WTO – Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures – EU review of legislation on veterinary medicinal products – Specific trade concern 446 – Submission by the United States
• EU agrees trade defence tool against China – Anti-coercion mechanism allows bloc to retaliate when one of its members is pressured with import bans – Financial Times
• Ukraine grain glut hits agribusiness in neighbouring countries – Romanian and Polish farmers criticise ‘derisory’ EU compensation and politicians call for higher offer – Financial Times

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness & Growth (Industry) – 29 March 2023
• Commission proposes more transparency and less red tape for companies to improve business environment in the EU – IP/23/1930, QaA, the Proposal & Annex
• Anwser given to Mr Breton to a MEP written question – A stable supply chain for the steel industry in the European Union

CHEMICAL

• Judgment of the General Court of 29 March 2023 in Case T‑868/19, Nouryon Industrial Chemicals BV, e Knoell NL BV, Grillo-Werke AG, PCC Trade & Services GmbH Vs. European Commission supported by Kingdom of Denmark, by Kingdom of the Netherlands, by Kingdom of Sweden, and by European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
  Re: REACH – Evaluation of registration dossiers and compliance check of information provided by registrants – Request for further studies for the purposes of the registration dossier for dimethyl ether – Pre-natal developmental toxicity study – Extended one-generation reproductive toxicity study – Dose-range finding study – Article 51(7) of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 – Animal testing – Article 25 of Regulation No 1907/2006 – Manifest error of assessment – Proportionality