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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13319

22 December 2023
Contents Publication in full By article 31 / 43
BREACHES OF EU LAW / Environment
European Commission refers Spain to EU Court of Justice for failure to comply with urban wastewater standards
Brussels, 21/12/2023 (Agence Europe)

On Thursday 21 December, the European Commission announced that it was referring Spain to the Court of Justice of the European Union for its failure to comply with the urban wastewater collection and treatment obligations laid down in the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (Directive 91/271/EEC).

This directive aims to protect human health and the environment by requiring urban wastewater to be collected and treated before being discharged into the environment.

For 29 agglomerations,...

Contents

Christmas: Winter break
SOCIAL AFFAIRS - EMPLOYMENT
Interview SOCIAL: Elisabetta Gualmini calls on Member States, particularly France, to support agreement with European Parliament on digital platform workers so as not to “kill social Europe”
SOCIAL: in Council of EU, fate of provisional agreement with European Parliament on digital platform workers remains highly uncertain
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
COMPETITION: prior approval by FIFA and UEFA of interclub football competitions is contrary to EU law, says Court of Justice
COMPETITION: UEFA and URBSFA rules on home-grown footballers may be contrary to EU law, says Court of Justice
COMPETITION: CJEU confirms illegality of International Skating Union’s rules on authorisation of competitions and participation of athletes
COMPETITION: litigious prohibition of merger agreement between UPS and TNT, Court puts an end to UPS’s claim for damages
RULE OF LAW: EU Court of Justice declares inadmissible a request for a preliminary ruling from Review Chamber of Polish Supreme Court
JUSTICE: CJEU confirms that a European Delegated Prosecutor must confine himself to questions relating to implementation of cross-border investigative measures
HOME AFFAIRS: Court clarifies conditions for refusal to execute European arrest warrant in case of mother with young children
CONSUMERS: EU Court of Justice clarifies consumer rights in car leasing contracts
TRANSPORT/SOCIAL: CJEU dismisses Commission’s action against Denmark concerning 25-hour maximum parking time limit at Danish motorway service stations
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
ECONOMY: reform of Stability and Growth Pact, EU Council adopts its negotiating mandate with European Parliament
ECB: Governing Council proceeds with regular five-yearly adjustment to ECB’s capital key
STATE AID: European Commission approves a French aid measure worth €1.3 billion to support low-carbon flexibility technologies
COMPETITION: European Commission authorises €17.7 billion Italian scheme to support construction of electricity storage facilities
TAXATION: Belgium commits to making progress on taxation files at EU Council in 2024
TAXATION: Brussels Court of Appeal overturns decision of Belgian Data Protection Authority to prohibit transfer of tax data to United States
EXTERNAL ACTION
UNITED KINGDOM: EU Council approves extension of rules of origin on electric vehicles and batteries until end of 2026
SERBIA: following outcry over results of legislative elections, Belgrade announces that new elections will be held in certain regions of country
CHINA: EU-China Summit remains “a dialogue of the deaf” for EU trade concerns, according to Alicia García-Herrero of Bruegel
MIDDLE EAST: ECSA welcomes enhanced EU engagement in Red Sea
TRADE: World Trade Organization says it has reached a “key stage” in regulation of e-commerce
TRADE: EU agri-food trade in September slightly up on summer, according to European Commission
SECTORAL POLICIES
HEALTH: HERA will continue in 2024 to strengthen EU’s preparedness for future health threats
MIGRATION: European Parliament/EU Council agreement on ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’ provokes mixed reactions
ENERGY: ACER identifies obstacles to integration of distributed energy resources in Europe and puts forward nine recommendations to promote flexibility in electricity system
ENERGY: ACER welcomes ENTSO-E’s ‘Winter Outlook’ but stresses importance of coordinated analysis for security of electricity supply in Europe
CLIMATE: Europeans in favour of fighting climate change, unless this involves significant loss of income, according to Bruegel
BREACHES OF EU LAW
ENVIRONMENT: European Commission refers Ireland to Court of Justice for its failure to impose sanctions against invasive alien species
ENVIRONMENT: European Commission refers Spain to EU Court of Justice for failure to comply with urban wastewater standards
SEA: maritime spatial planning, European Commission takes Greece to Court of Justice
ENERGY/CLIMATE: European Commission urges Bulgaria, Austria and Poland to submit updated national energy and climate plans
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: electoral access for people with disabilities, European Disability Forum denounces Commission’s incomplete approach to disparities between Member States
NEWS BRIEFS
AGRICULTURE: ‘Formatge Garrotxa / Queso Garrotxa’, Spain's new geographical indication
STATE AID: green light for Spanish aid worth €400 million to help farmers pay certain insurance premiums
HUMANITARIAN AID: EU allocates a further €2.6 million in humanitarian aid to Malian refugees in Mauritania
EDUCATION: Eurydice launches interactive digital platform on 2021/2022 salaries of teachers and school heads in Europe
ECONOMY: payment to Ukraine of final instalment of macro-financial assistance for 2023
RESEARCH: EuroHPC launches call to select host entities for at least two European quantum computers
RESEARCH: EuroHPC JU announces inauguration of European supercomputer MareNostrum 5 in Spain
HEALTH: European Commission has allegedly failed to meet its transparency obligations in its dealings with tobacco lobbyists
Op-Ed
Op-ed: Europe’s ‘climate election’, listening to voters’worries in 2024 is key to the green transition - by Brieuc Van Damme