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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13309

8 December 2023
Contents Publication in full By article 17 / 34
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS / Competition
European Commission fines Lantmännen approximately €47.7 million for cartel aiming to manipulate ethanol prices
Brussels, 07/12/2023 (Agence Europe)

On Thursday, 7 December, the European Commission announced that it had fined Lantmännen ek för and its subsidiary Lantmännen Biorefineries AB (formerly Lantmännen Agroetanol AB), the largest ethanol producer in the Nordic region, approximately €47.7 million for participating in a cartel that concerned the mechanism for pricing wholesale ethanol in Europe (see EUROPE B12988A20 and B12851A22). 

The European Commission’s investigation revealed that Lantmännen and two other...

Contents

SECTORAL POLICIES
COMPETITIVENESS: EU27 adopt position on Net-Zero Industry Act, albeit with some reservations
INTERNAL MARKET/TRADE: EU27 critical of additional administrative burden imposed by regulation on banning of products derived from forced labour
DIGITAL: after 22 hours of negotiations on AI Act, co-legislators have to meet again to try to agree on prohibited practices
DIGITAL: ‘Cyber Solidarity Act’, MEPs adopt position for future negotiations with Council of the EU
TRANSPORT: MEPs adopt their negotiating position on maritime safety package
ENVIRONMENT: European Commission presents three legislative proposals to streamline chemicals risk assessment
ANIMAL HEALTH: European Commission proposes new rules on animal transport and on welfare of cats and dogs
HEALTH: EU Council ready to negotiate with MEPs on European Health Data Space
AGRICULTURE: European Commission forecasts fall in milk and meat production in EU between now and 2035
FISHERIES: MEPs consider European Commission’s action plan on marine ecosystems unrealistic
MIGRATION: border procedures for families, negotiators from European Parliament and EU Council still have to agree on most sensitive points of Pact on Migration and Asylum
ENERGY: electricity market reform, it “will not be easy” to reach an agreement with EU Council on 13 December, according to European Parliament rapporteur
RESEARCH: science and public policy – attracting talent to EU and promoting research on agenda of meeting of European ministers
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
ECOFIN: reform of European fiscal rules, EIB presidency, digital euro and taxation on agenda of EU countries
ECONOMY: Eurogroup approves European Commission’s analysis of draft budgetary plans for 2024
COMPETITION: European Commission publishes new guidelines for parties to sustainability agreements in agriculture
COMPETITION: European Commission fines Lantmännen approximately €47.7 million for cartel aiming to manipulate ethanol prices
SOCIAL AFFAIRS - EMPLOYMENT
SOCIAL: coordination of social security schemes, Spanish Presidency of EU Council is reinstating possibility for administrations to make late posting notifications
INSTITUTIONAL
COURT OF JUSTICE: European Parliament/EU Council agreement on reform of Court’s internal functioning
BUDGET: recasting of Financial Regulation, EDES still focus of interinstitutional negotiations
EXTERNAL ACTION
CHINA: EU/China summit, Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen “satisfied” with their discussions on need to rebalance trade relations
MIDDLE EAST: Josep Borrell calls on UN Security Council to act to prevent a collapse of humanitarian situation in Gaza
DEVELOPMENT: MEPs call for coherent EU policies to support access to clean energy in developing countries
Russian invasion of Ukraine
RUSSIA: G7 announces restrictions on diamonds by 1 January 2024
SECURITY - DEFENCE
CYBER SECURITY: EU condemns malicious cyber-activities targeting democratic institutions and electoral processes
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS/CLIMATE: “gender blindness of ‘Green Deal’”, gender inequality remains a blind spot in European climate policies
NEWS BRIEFS
STATE AID: European Commission approves French aid worth €4.12 billion for construction and operation of two wind farms in Gulf of Lion
BANKS: European Parliament/EU Council agreement on ‘Daisy chain’ proposal for a targeted revision of banking resolution framework
CLIMATE: Copernicus confirms 2023 will be warmest year on record, with warmest boreal autumn on record
CLIMATE: Climate Action Network Europe points to uneven progress in adopting national framework laws in EU
COMPETITION: universal postal service provision – European Commission authorises France to pay compensation of €2.6 billion to La Poste
ENERGY: joint gas purchase, AggregateEU combines 7.35 billion m³ of gas supply at end of its fourth call for tenders
DIGITAL: interinstitutional agreement on European digital identity wallet approved by European Parliament committee
DIGITAL: ‘Gigabit Infrastructure Act’, Alin Mituța confirms aim of reaching agreement with EU Council by February