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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12137

15 November 2018
Contents Publication in full By article 32 / 40
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU / Competition
Athens fined €10 million and a biannual penalty payment for failure to recover illegal state aid
Brussels, 14/11/2018 (Agence Europe)

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) judges imposed a fine of €10 million and a biannual penalty payment of almost €7.3 million on Greece on Wednesday 14 November (Case C-93/17) for failure to recover illegal state aid granted to Ellinika Nafpigeia AE (ENAE). 

ENAE is involved in the construction of military vessels. It was acquired by a bank controlled by the Greek State in 1985, privatised in 2001 before being taken over by ThyssenKrupp AG in 2005 and Abu Dhabi Mar LLC in 2009. 

The...

Contents

INSTITUTIONAL
UNITED KINGDOM: Habemus Brexit, say Theresa May and Michel Barnier
BUDGET: EU Council and European Parliament will try to agree on 2019 budget on Friday 16 November
EP2019: launch of European Parliament's ‘What Europe is doing for me' website
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PLENARY
CLIMATE: reduction of CO2 emissions from new heavy goods vehicles, ambition narrowly triumphs in European Parliament
RULE OF LAW: the European Parliament reiterates its call for a 'comprehensive, permanent and objective' monitoring mechanism to protect democratic pillars
MIGRATION: MEPs are divided on Global compact for migration, but generally disappointed by withdrawal of some countries
TERRORISM: European Parliament Committee on Terrorism sets out concrete ways to prevent attacks in EU without excluding some controversial elements
BUDGET: EP endorses its ambitious position on multiannual financial framework 2021-2027
DIGITAL: new electronic communications code validated by European Parliament
CULTURE: film Woman at war wins 2018 edition of Lux Prize
SOUTH AFRICA: President Ramaphosa celebrates a partnership with EU based on shared values
GEORGIA: MEPs welcome sustained reform process
MOLDAVIA: Parliament denounces a democratic setback in Moldova
WEAPONS: European Parliament calls for tighter controls on arms exports
FINANCES: MEPs call on Commission to put an end to 'Far West' of crypto assets
JUSTICE: European Parliament calls for action to protect 2019 European elections from foreign interference
COMPETITION: Parliament gives green light to Interinstitutional Agreement strengthening means given to national competition authorities
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
ITALY: meeting on 21 November for Commission's assessment of Italian budgetary situation
TAXATION: Two rapporteurs present a first draft of recommendations in European Parliament’s special committee 'TAX3'
SECTORAL POLICIES
TRANSPORT: Member States ready to negotiate with European Parliament on post-Brexit ship inspections
JHA: security of identity and residence cards, Council has its negotiating mandate with European Parliament
JUSTICE: Commission gives its opinion on future US privacy rules
INTERNAL MARKET: political agreements expected from Council on programme for single market and motor vehicle safety
ANIMAL WELFARE: European Court of Auditors finds errors in compliance with animal welfare rules
AGRICULTURE: 191 million euros to promote agri-food products in EU and abroad in 2019
EXTERNAL ACTION
ALBANIA: EU calls on Tirana to deepen its reform movement
LIBYA: little progress at Palermo summit, but clearly visible tensions
SOUTH AFRICA:  seventh EU/South Africa Summit to strengthen bilateral cooperation and multilateralism
WTO: services, a simplified procedure for ratifying European commitments to organisation
WTO: reform of notification system, China suspicious
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL: ‘Work life balance’ directive, Member States give green light for paternity leave
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
COMPETITION: Athens fined €10 million and a biannual penalty payment for failure to recover illegal state aid
INTERNAL MARKET: imposing a public monopoly on custody of funeral urns is contrary to EU law, according to Court
INTERNAL MARKET: Croatian law retroactively providing for nullity of loans granted by foreign banks infringes EU law, according to Advocate General
NEWS BRIEFS
STATE AID: green light on German aid for greener buses
UNITED STATES: Malmström and Lighthizer provide an update on trade issues
INDUSTRY: notification directive, no negotiating mandate for Austrian Council Presidency
JUSTICE: MEP Sophie in't Veld calls for a thorough investigation into Maltese company 17 Black
SOCIAL: ‘working conditions' directive, EPP Group asks for confirmation of negotiating mandate in Parliament plenary session
TRANSPORT: 'Mobility I' package soon to be discussed at political level by Member States again