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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13304

1 December 2023
Contents Publication in full By article 24 / 40
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS / Competition
European Commission suspects operators of having formed a cartel to manipulate price of car starter batteries
Brussels, 30/11/2023 (Agence Europe)

On Thursday 30 November, the European Commission announced that it had communicated its objections to car starter battery manufacturers Banner, Clarios (formerly JC Autobatterie), Exide, FET (and its predecessor Elettra) and Rombat, as well as to trade association Eurobat and its service provider Kellen. The European Commission has a preliminary suspicion that these companies engaged in a cartel, between 2004 and 2017, aimed at artificially raising the prices of starter batteries sold to...

Contents

INSTITUTIONAL
BUDGET: many obstacles still in way of multiannual financial framework revision in run-up to European summit in December
COHESION: post-2027 cohesion policy must offer specific support to regions whose development is lagging behind, according to EU Council
FUTURE OF EU: revision of European treaties should not be on agenda of December European Council
EUROPEAN PARTIES: four candidates to represent European environmentalists in June 2024
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
MEDIA: EU Council and European Parliament reach a provisional political agreement on ‘anti-SLAPP’ directive
MEDIA: as agreement on Media Freedom Act draws closer, EU co-legislators will have to strike balance on journalist surveillance on 15 December
RULE OF LAW: European Commission’s main concern is renewal of Judiciary Council, says Felix Bolaños
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: Katarzyna Starzec and Patrick Hurst talk to European Parliament Transport Committee about inequalities and bureaucratic obstacles to mobility
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: violence against women with disabilities, Sarah Rocha and Ana Peláez denounce forced sterilisation in EU and call for immediate action
SECTORAL POLICIES
HEALTH: Open Strategic Autonomy, combating medicine shortages is a priority for EU Member States
HEALTH: Belgium and other countries call for a “common approach and organisation” by EU for medical evacuations of Gaza citizens
HOME AFFAIRS: Schengen enlargement, EU home affairs ministers will not take a decision on Bulgaria and Romania on 5 December
ENERGY: European Commission highlights challenges and opportunities of green transition for energy-intensive industries
TRANSPORT: MEPs adopt negotiating position on cross-border exchange of information on road traffic offences
DIGITAL: after Noyb, the European Consumer Organisation also attacks Meta for its ‘Pay or Okay’ system
CLIMATE: COP28, European Investment Bank to unveil its first just transition and just resilience approach in Dubai
CIVIL PROTECTION: Janez Lenarčič reiterates his call for greater preparedness in Member States and at EU level for extreme weather events
SECURITY - DEFENCE
DEFENCE: strategic vision, better rules, dual-use and funding will be pillars of European Defence Industrial Strategy, according to Ursula von der Leyen
DEFENCE: military mobility, cyber capabilities and implementation of ‘Strategic Compass’, priorities of Belgian Presidency of EU Council
DEFENCE: inflated by acquisition of new equipment, spending reached record levels in 2022, according to EDA
SPACE: first Ariane 6 launch scheduled for early summer 2024
EXTERNAL ACTION
ACP: COP28, a joint declaration by 27 EU countries and 79 partner countries from Africa, Caribbean and Pacific as a pledge of North/South solidarity
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
TAXATION: María José Garde presents an update on work of Code of Conduct Group
COMPETITION: European Commission suspects operators of having formed a cartel to manipulate price of car starter batteries
STATE AID: for European Commission, AMCO’s involvement in rescue of Ferrarini does not constitute State aid
ECB: ECB selects rivers, birds and European culture most popular with public for euro banknotes
SOCIAL AFFAIRS - EMPLOYMENT
SOCIAL: MEPs want to know whether European Commission intends to give greater prominence to social criteria in public procurement
EDUCATION - YOUTH - CULTURE - SPORT
YOUTH: with budget of over €4 billion in 2022, Erasmus+ focused on inclusiveness, strengthening European identity and green and digital transitions
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
MIGRATION: EU Court of Justice clarifies obligations of Member States in event of asylum application being lodged in several EU countries
NEWS BRIEFS
AGRICULTURE: Lennart Nilsson is new Cogeca President
HUMANITARIAN AID: EU mobilises €3.5 million in emergency aid for Horn of Africa flooding
STATE AID: European Commission authorises €500 million French aid scheme to support investment in agricultural sector
BELARUS: EU denounces new wave of persecution against pro-democracy forces
ECONOMY: inflation estimated at 2.4% in November in euro area
ENERGY: European Commission confirms list of islands and archipelagos under ‘30 renewable islands for 2030’ initiative
ENERGY: energy consumption in agricultural and forestry sectors stable in 2021
DIGITAL: CCIA calls on future Belgian EU Council Presidency to close digital files “responsibly [and] not rush”
REGIONS: European Committee of Regions calls on EU to strengthen cross-border cooperation in Mediterranean
SOCIAL: BusinessEurope accepts share of responsibility for failure of negotiations on agreement on teleworking and right to disconnect
TRANSPORT: European Commission bans Fly Baghdad from European skies