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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12782

3 September 2021
Contents Publication in full By article 18 / 31
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU / Digital
Phone and internet packages—EU Court of Justice judges ‘zero tariff’ options to be incompatible with EU law
Brussels, 02/09/2021 (Agence Europe)

In disputes respectively pitting German operators Vodafone and Telekom Deutschland against the consumer association Bundesverband der Verbraucherzentralen and Germany’s Federal Network Agency [Bundesnetzagentur] (cases C‑5/20 and C‑34/20), the EU Court of Justice ruled on Thursday, 2 September, that ‘zero tariff’ options are incompatible with European Union law.

These ‘zero tariff’ options allow an internet access provider to apply a ‘zero tariff’ or a tariff that...

Contents

SECURITY - DEFENCE
DEFENCE: after Afghan debacle, defence ministers want to strengthen European autonomy
DEFENCE: “Europe can no longer be satisfied with being a ‘soft power’”, says General Peter Devogelaere, head of Eurocorps
EXTERNAL ACTION
AFGHANISTAN: EU ministers discuss future relations with Taliban
AFGHANISTAN: MEPs reflect on best EU response to humanitarian and security challenges of Afghan crisis
WTO: MEPs seek more radical ways to reform WTO
SECTORAL POLICIES
MIGRATION: European Parliament’s Research Service analysis of Pact on Migration and Asylum divides MEPs
HOME AFFAIRS: Slovenian Interior Minister’s priorities badly received at European Parliament
ENERGY: MEPs prepare their recommendations on energy performance of buildings
CLIMATE: EEA and EMSA call for urgent cuts in maritime transport emissions
TRANSPORT: Connecting Europe Facility, MEPs want more clarity on budget breakdown
DIGITAL: Irish Data Protection Commission fines WhatsApp 225 million euros
FISHERIES: European industry calls on EU to crack down on overfishing of mackerel by Norway and Faroe Islands
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
ENERGY: arbitration mechanism of Energy Charter Treaty not applicable to disputes between EU investors and Member States, according to Court
SOCIAL: European Commission is not obliged to follow up an agreement of social partners at European level
CITIZENSHIP: terminating right of residence of a citizen of a third country who is a victim of violence by their EU spouse does not infringe fundamental rights, says Court
CONSUMERS: Court of Justice clarifies EU rules governing rights of passengers traveling by sea
CONSUMERS: Court validates Hungarian legislation prohibiting annulment of a contract merely because it contains unfair clauses, corrected by same legislation
DIGITAL: phone and internet packages—EU Court of Justice judges ‘zero tariff’ options to be incompatible with EU law
STATE AID: European Commission to review whether sale of Nürburgring involved support
ARMENIA: Court of Justice annuls two EU Council decisions on application of EU-Armenia Partnership Agreement
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
ECONOMY: Danish recovery plan receives €201 million in pre-financing
HEALTH: ECDC does not consider it urgent to give an additional dose of Covid-19 vaccine to fully vaccinated people
COHESION: REACT-EU—European Commission grants €685 million to Germany, Spain, and Poland
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
MEDIA: European Parliament expands its recommendations on establishment of a legal arsenal against “strategic lawsuit against public participation”
SOCIAL AFFAIRS - EMPLOYMENT
SOCIAL: MEPs discuss protecting people from asbestos in buildings
EMPLOYMENT: MEPs call for European Parliament to have greater involvement in drafting of employment policy guidelines
INSTITUTIONAL
FUTURE OF EU: Conference on Future of Europe, distribution of seats between political groups in European Parliament by thematic groups is debated
NEWS BRIEFS
STATE AID: green light for two-year extension of concession contract between bpost and Belgian state for press distribution
EIB: EIB establishes ‘Climate and Environment Advisory Council’
CULTURE: six EU-funded films selected for 78th Venice International Film Festival
WTO: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala again warns against EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism