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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12782

3 September 2021
Contents Publication in full By article 28 / 31
NEWS BRIEFS / State aid
Green light for two-year extension of concession contract between bpost and Belgian state for press distribution

02/09/2021 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 2 September, the European Commission ruled that the extension until 31 December 2022 of the concession contract for press distribution concluded between bpost and the Belgian State is compatible with the rules on State aid. Under this contract, bpost is entrusted with the provision of services of general economic interest (SGEI) relating to press distribution in return for compensation from the Belgian State. In 2016, the European Commission...

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