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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12640

21 January 2021
Contents Publication in full By article 23 / 33
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS / Competition
Valve and five PC game publishers fined for geo-blocking practices
Brussels, 20/01/2021 (Agence Europe)

The European Commission decided, on Wednesday 20 January, to impose fines of €7.8 million (see EUROPE B12230A8) on Valve, owner of the online PC gaming platform Steam, and the five publishers Bandai Namco, Capcom, Focus Home, Koch Media and ZeniMax.

Valve and the publishers restricted cross-border sales of certain PC video games on the basis of the geographical location of users within the European Economic Area (EEA), entering into the so-called ‘geo-blocking’ practices. The fines...

Contents

EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
HEALTH: European leaders to take stock of vaccination campaigns against Covid-19
HEALTH: EU finally makes concrete progress in mutual recognition of screening tests
TRANSPORT: Commission calls on Member States to exempt workers in sector from testing and quarantine measures
EIB: Covid-19, EU bank plans to invest €50bn by summer using pan-European guarantee fund
STATE AID: European Commission approves €1.9 billion Polish support for companies affected by Covid-19
STATE AID: public consultation on availability of private short-term export-credit insurance capacity in light of Covid-19
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PLENARY
UNITED STATES: Mr Michel proposes a new partnership with Washington
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: MEPs adopt their annual reports on foreign policy, CSDP and global human rights
HUMAN RIGHTS: European Parliament calls on EU to strengthen its defence of human rights
LATIN AMERICA: EU must step up pace of its relations with Latin American and Caribbean countries, says Josep Borrell
SOCIAL: Ms von der Leyen calls for adaptation of European social rulebook
SOCIAL: directive on right to disconnect, a last-minute amendment tabled by Alex Agius Saliba is being debated
TAXATION: European Parliament determined to work for an ambitious reform of European ‘black’ list of tax havens
HOME AFFAIRS: European Parliament adopts its message on improving European Arrest Warrant
TRADE: MEPs approve trade compliance Regulation
ECONOMY: European Parliament validates Interinstitutional Agreement on European Technical Support Instrument
SECTORAL POLICIES
ENERGY: European Commission does not plan to revise its proposal for a revision of Energy Charter Treaty
CLIMATE: inter-institutional negotiations on ‘Climate Law’ are expected to resume on 2 February
AGRICULTURE: CAP reform, Member States looking at market management tools suggested by European Parliament
TRANSPORT: EU Council further reduces possible deadline for extending airport slots proposal
TOURISM: draft conclusions to help tourism sector out of crisis under review at Council of EU
SPACE: Member States cautious about the proposal for a secure connectivity constellation
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
COMPETITION: Valve and five PC game publishers fined for geo-blocking practices
EXTERNAL ACTION
LIBYA: Europeans welcome approval of mechanism for choosing new government
AFRICA: prevention as a bridge between resilience, security and peace in future EU/Africa Strategic Partnership
UGANDA: EU calls on government to respect fundamental freedoms pending end of electoral process
UNITED STATES: positive signals for renewed trade cooperation with EU
INSTITUTIONAL
FUTURE OF EU: idea of a tripartite presidency of Conference on Future of Europe is gaining ground
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: a third State may bring an action for annulment against sanctions adopted by EU Council against it, according to Advocate General
NEWS BRIEFS
STATE AID: EU airports and tourism organisations call for revision of State Aid rules
ECONOMY: eurozone inflation confirmed at -0.3% in December 2020
ENERGY: European Parliament rapporteurs for revision of TEN-E Regulation are named
FISHERIES: Stéphanie Yon-Courtin is concerned about access of EU vessels to British 6-12 mile zone