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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13150

28 March 2023
Contents Publication in full By article 17 / 33
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS / State aid
European Commission concludes 2019 Italian loan worth €400 million to Alitalia is illegal aid
Brussels, 27/03/2023 (Agence Europe)

On Monday 27 March, the European Commission concluded that a €400 million state loan granted by Italy in 2019 to Alitalia Società Aerea Italiana S.p.A. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Alitalia CityLiner S.p.A., was illegal under EU State aid rules.

Italy must recover the illegal State aid, plus interest, from Alitalia.

In May 2017, Alitalia was placed into special bankruptcy proceedings. Italy granted the company loans of €900 million (split into two loans) and €400 million in...

Contents

SECTORAL POLICIES
TRANSPORT: after several weeks of negotiations, Member States ready to formally adopt agreement on end of internal combustion engines in EU by 2035
TRANSPORT: European Court of Auditors deplores lack of EU strategy for intermodal freight transport
ENERGY: low-carbon hydrogen still at heart of negotiations between EU Member States over gas package and renewable energy directive 
ENERGY: ‘Energy’ Council, Swedish Presidency of EU Council will try to reach an agreement on ‘gas’ package
ENERGY: MEPs welcome electricity market reform proposal
MIGRATION: ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’, MEPs to obtain full mandate to negotiate with Member States
DIGITAL: Member States set out positions for future interinstitutional negotiations on ‘Data Act’
DIGITAL: Christel Schaldemose updates European Parliament after first meeting of working group monitoring implementation of DSA
CONSUMERS: ‘Right to Repair’ faulty products directive, proposal welcomed by MEPs, but left-wing expected more
AGRICULTURE: European Parliament compromise on limited role for EUIPO in geographical indications
FISHERIES: objectives of European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Stop Finning - Stop the Trade’ supported in European Parliament
HEALTH: Stella Kyriakides questioned in European Parliament on postponement of pharmaceutical package and transparency in procurement of Covid-19 vaccines
REGIONS: significant regional competitiveness gaps in less developed EU countries
CLIMATE: CAN Europe uses human rights as weapon to hold states accountable for climate change
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
MONEY LAUNDERING: MEPs set to adopt their negotiating position on new directive and regulation
COMPETITION: European Commission suggests initiatives relating to antitrust rules
STATE AID: European Commission concludes 2019 Italian loan worth €400 million to Alitalia is illegal aid
EXTERNAL ACTION
TRADE: European Parliament and EU Council negotiations on anti-coercion tool in home stretch
UNITED STATES: Roberta Metsola wants to renew transatlantic alliance
LATIN AMERICA: Josep Borrell urges Ibero-American countries to finalise trade agreements with EU
Russian invasion of Ukraine
RUSSIA: EU and NATO condemn Russian announcement of nuclear weapons transfer to Belarus
STATE AID: green light for €126 million Polish support for wheat and maize production in context of war in Ukraine
EDUCATION - CULTURE
CULTURE: national delegations will discuss preparation of culture for future challenges and local cultural scenes in EU
EDUCATION: academic freedom in Europe is eroding, warn two studies
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
MIGRATION: Human Rights Commissioner calls on UK MPs to block illegal immigration bill
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: Human Rights Commissioner denounces “excessive use of force” during protests in France
NEWS BRIEFS
AGRICULTURE: call for entries to EU Organic Awards
BELARUS: Josep Borrell pays tribute to Belarusians on Freedom Day
CAUCASUS: Charles Michel calls for compromise solutions and calm between Azerbaijan and Armenia
DEFENCE: EU-US joint naval exercise
ENERGY: more than 60 renewable energy interest groups call on Member States to adopt delegated act on additionality
ENVIRONMENT: most Member States given notice to transpose EU Drinking Water Directive
HEALTH: Pascal Canfin urges European Commission to submit review of pharmaceutical legislation before April