European Commission - Daily News

European Commission - Daily News

Daily News 04 / 01 / 2021
Brussels, 4 January 2021
Commission sets up a Centre for digital preservation of cultural heritage and launches
projects supporting digital innovation in schools
The Commission launched today a European competence centre aiming to preserve and conserve
European Cultural Heritage. The centre, which will work for a period of three years, has been granted
up to €3 million from the Horizon 2020 programme. It will set up a collaborative digital space for
cultural heritage conservation and give access to repositories of data, metadata, standards and
guidelines. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare in Italy coordinates the team of 19 beneficiaries that
are coming from 11 EU Member States, Switzerland and Moldova. Today, the Commission has also
launched two projects to support digital education, worth up to €1 million each, through Horizon
2020. The first project, MenSI, focuses on mentoring for school improvement and will run until
February 2023. MenSI aims to mobilise 120 schools in 6 Member States (Belgium, Czechia, Croatia,
Italy, Hungary, Portugal) and the United Kingdom to advance digital innovation, in particular in small
or rural schools and for socially disadvantaged students. The second project, iHub4Schools, will run
until June 2023 and will accelerate digital innovation in schools thanks to the creation of regional
innovation hubs and a mentoring model. 600 teachers in 75 schools will participate and the hubs will
be established in 5 countries (Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, United Kingdom, Georgia). Italy and
Norway will also benefit from the mentoring scheme. More information about the newly launched
projects is available here. (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615; Charles
Manoury – Tel.: +32 229 13391; Marietta Grammenou – Tel.: +32 229 83583)

Bosnia and Herzegovina: EU allocates additional €3.5 million to support vulnerable
refugees and migrants
The European Commission has announced an additional €3.5 million in humanitarian aid to help
vulnerable refugees and migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina facing a humanitarian disaster. High
Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell, said: “The situation in Una Sana canton is
unacceptable. Winter-proof accommodations are a pre-requisite for humane living conditions, which
need to be ensured at all times. Local authorities need to make existing facilities available and
provide a temporary solution until Lipa camp is rebuilt into a permanent facility.” Commissioner for
Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: "Hundreds of people, including children, are sleeping
outside in freezing temperatures in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This humanitarian disaster could be
avoided, if the authorities created sufficient winterized shelter capacity in the country, including by
making use of existing facilities available. The EU will provide additional emergency assistance
including to those sleeping outside by distributing food, blankets, warm clothes and continue to
support unaccompanied minors.” The humanitarian funding will provide refugees and migrants with
warm clothing, blankets, food, as well as healthcare, mental health and psychosocial support. It will
also contribute to efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus. More than 1,700 refugees and
migrants remain without appropriate shelter and support in Una Sana canton. After the closure of the
reception centre in Lipa, which was not winter-proof and which also suffered a fire, 900 people are
currently on the former campsite. In addition, a further 800 refugees and migrants are staying
outdoors in harsh winter conditions, including children. Since early 2018, the EU has provided more
than €88 million either directly to Bosnia and Herzegovina or through implementing partner
organisations to address the immediate needs of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants and to help
Bosnia and Herzegovina strengthen its migration management capacities. The full press release is
available here. (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 229 54578; Daniel Puglisi – Tel.:
+32 229 69140)

EU and China reach agreement in principle on investment
The EU and China concluded in principle the negotiations for a Comprehensive Agreement on
Investment (CAI) on 30 December 2020. This deal followed a call between Chinese President Xi

Jinping and European Commission President von der Leyen, European Council President Charles
Michel and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on behalf of the Presidency of the EU Council, as well as
French President Emmanuel Macron. China has committed to a greater level of market access for EU
investors than ever before, including some new important market openings. China is also making
commitments to ensure fair treatment for EU companies so they can compete on a better level
playing field in China, including in terms of disciplines for state owned enterprises, transparency of
subsidies and rules against the forced transfer of technologies. For the first time, China has also
agreed to ambitious provisions on sustainable development, including commitments on forced labour
and the ratification of the relevant ILO fundamental Conventions, notably on forced labour. The
Agreement will create a better balance in the EU-China trade relationship. The EU has traditionally
been much more open than China to foreign investment. This is true as regards foreign investment
in general. China now commits to open up to the EU in a number of key sectors. President of the
European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “Today‘s agreement is an important landmark in
our relationship with China and for our values-based trade agenda. It will provide unprecedented
access to the Chinese market for European investors, enabling our businesses to grow and create
jobs. It will also commit China to ambitious principles on sustainability, transparency and non-
discrimination. The agreement will rebalance our economic relationship with China.” You can find
here a description of the text of the Agreement to facilitate understanding and ensure transparency.
A press release is available online, as well as a factsheet, Q&A, and key elements. (For more
information: Miriam Garcia Ferrer – Tel.: +32 229 99075; Sophie Dirven – Tel.: +32 229 67228)

The journey begins – 2021 is the European Year of Rail!
Friday, 1 January 2021, marked the beginning of the European Year of Rail. The European
Commission initiative will highlight the benefits of rail as a sustainable, smart and safe means of
transport. A variety of activities will put rail in the spotlight throughout 2021 across the continent, to
encourage the use of rail by both citizens and businesses and to contribute to the EU Green Deal goal
of becoming climate-neutral by 2050. Adina Vălean, Commissioner for Transport, said: “Our future
mobility needs to be sustainable, safe, comfortable and affordable. Rail offers all of that and much
more! The European Year of Rail gives us the opportunity to re-discover this mode of transport.
Through a variety of actions, we will use this occasion to help rail realise its full potential. I invite all
of you to be part of the European Year of Rail.” In the EU, rail is responsible for less than 0.5% of
transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. This makes it one of the most sustainable forms of
passenger and freight transport. Among other benefits, rail is also exceptionally safe and it connects
people and businesses across the EU via the Trans-European Transport network (TEN-T). Despite
these advantages, only about 7% of passengers and 11% of goods travel by rail. The European Year
of Rail will create momentum to help increase rail's share of passenger and freight transport. This
will cut the greenhouse gas emissions and pollution coming from EU transport significantly, making a
huge contribution to the EU's efforts under the European Green Deal. A press release is available
online. (For more information: Stefan de Keersmaecker – Tel.: +32 229 84680; Stephan Meder –
Tel.: +32 229 13917)

Le Plan d'investissement pour l'Europe soutient des entreprises espagnoles touchées par la
pandémie de COVID-19
La Banque européenne d'investissement (BEI) a accordé un total de 270 millions d'euros à Banca
March dans le cadre de trois accords visant à soutenir les entreprises espagnoles touchées par la
pandémie de COVID-19. Ces accords permettront de mobiliser plus de 570 millions d'euros au total
pour favoriser la reprise économique en Espagne. L'un des accords signés est le premier accord
soutenu par la BEI dans le cadre du Fonds de garantie paneuropéen. La BEI accordera également à
Banca March une garantie de 70 millions d'euros grâce au soutien du Fonds européen pour les
investissements stratégiques, le pilier central du Plan d'investissement pour l'Europe. Paolo
Gentiloni, commissaire chargé de l'économie, a déclaré : « Ce prêt, garanti par le Plan
d'investissement pour l'Europe, permettra à un plus grand nombre d'entreprises espagnoles
d'accéder à des financements en cette période difficile. Il leur permettra ainsi de continuer à innover,
à se développer et à soutenir l'emploi, ce qui contribuera à relancer l'économie espagnole après la
profonde récession provoquée par la COVID-19. » Jusqu'à présent, le Plan d'investissement pour
l'Europe a mobilisé 535 milliards d'euros d'investissements dans l'ensemble de l'UE, dont 58
milliards en Espagne. Le communiqué de presse est disponible en ligne. (Pour plus d'informations :
Arianna Podestà – Tél.: +32 229 87024; Flora Matthaes – Tél.: +32 229 83951)

State aid: Commission approves €120 million Greek support to compensate Aegean Airlines

for damages suffered due to coronavirus outbreak
The European Commission has found a Greek grant of €120 million to Aegean Airlines to be in line
with EU State aid rules. The measure aims at compensating the airline for the losses directly caused
by the coronavirus outbreak and the travel restrictions imposed by Greece and other destination
countries to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Greece notified to the Commission an aid measure to
compensate Aegean Airlines for the damage suffered from 23 March 2020 to 30 June 2020 resulting
from the containment measures and travel restrictions introduced by Greece and other destination
countries to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The support will take the form of a €120 million
direct grant, which does not exceed the estimated damage directly caused to the airline in that
period. The Commission assessed the measure under Article 107(2)(b) of the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which enables the Commission to approve State aid
measures granted by Member States to compensate specific companies or sectors for damage
directly caused by exceptional occurrences. The Commission found that the Greek measure will
compensate the damage suffered by Aegean Airlines that is directly linked to the coronavirus
outbreak. It also found that the measure is proportionate, as the aid does not exceed what is
necessary to make good the damage. On this basis, the Commission concluded that the Greek
damage compensation measure is in line with EU State aid rules. Executive Vice-President Margrethe
Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “The aviation industry is one of the sectors that has
been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus outbreak. This measure will enable Greece to
compensate Aegean Airlines for the damage directly suffered due to the travel restrictions necessary
to limit the spread of the coronavirus. We continue working with Member States to find workable
solutions to support companies in these difficult times, in line with EU rules.” The full press release is
available online. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel. +32 229 87024; Giulia Astuti – Tel.:
+32 229 55344)

State aid: Commission approves €2.9 billion Polish scheme to support micro, small and
medium-sized enterprises in context of coronavirus outbreak
The European Commission has approved an approximately €2.9 billion (PLN 13 billion) Polish State
aid scheme to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises active in certain sectors, including
the retail, hospitality, leisure and transport ones, affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme
was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework. Poland notified to the Commission a
scheme called “Financial Shield for SME 2.0”, which will provide support to companies operating in
sectors such as retail, hospitality, leisure and transport, among others, affected by the measures
introduced by the Polish government in November 2020 to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The
scheme consists of two measures: (i) limited amounts of aid for micro-enterprises; and (ii) support
for uncovered fixed costs for small and medium-sized companies. Under the scheme, Poland plans to
provide economic assistance to help micro, small and medium-sized companies face their liquidity
shortages related to the coronavirus outbreak. The total estimated budget of the scheme is
approximately €2.9 billion (PLN 13 billion). Under the scheme, support will take the form of
repayable advances. The beneficiaries of the aid must record a minimum of 30% reduction of
turnover from 1 April 2020 until 31 December 2020, or a part of it, as compared to the same periods
in 2019. Limited amounts of aid for micro-enterprises will amount up to approximately €73,000 (PLN
324,000) per company, depending on the number of employees. The aid to small and medium-sized
companies will be limited to 70% of the uncovered fixed costs incurred during the period from 1
November 2020 until 31 March 2021, and will not exceed approximately €780,000 (PLN 3.5 million)
per company. The Commission found that the Polish scheme is in line with the conditions set out in
the Temporary Framework. The Commission concluded that the aid measures under the scheme are
necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a
Member State, in line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the conditions set out in the Temporary
Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the aid measures under EU State aid rules.
Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “Many
companies in Poland, as in the rest of Europe, have seen their revenues significantly decline because
of the national emergency measures necessary to limit the spread of the coronavirus. This Polish
scheme will help these micro, small and medium-sized companies face their fixed costs that are not
covered by revenues during these difficult times. We continue to work in close cooperation with
Member States to find workable solutions to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus
outbreak, in line with EU rules”. The full press release is available online. (For more information:
Arianna Podesta – Tel. +32 229 87024; Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344)

Aide d'État: la Commission approuve une aide italienne de 73 millions d'euros visant à
indemniser Alitalia pour les dommages encore subis en raison de la pandémie de

coronavirus
La Commission européenne a conclu qu'une aide italienne d'un montant de 73,02 millions d'euros en
faveur d'Alitalia était conforme aux règles de l'UE en matière d'aides d'État. Cette mesure vise à
compenser les dommages subis par la compagnie aérienne sur 19 liaisons spécifiques en raison des
mesures d'urgence qui ont été nécessaires pour limiter la propagation du coronavirus entre le 16 juin
et le 31 octobre 2020. Les restrictions en vigueur tant en Italie que dans d'autres pays de
destination afin de limiter la propagation du coronavirus ont fortement affecté les opérations
d'Alitalia, en particulier en ce qui concerne les vols internationaux et intercontinentaux. En
conséquence, Alitalia a subi d'importantes pertes d'exploitation jusqu'au 31 octobre 2020 au
moins. L'aide prendra la forme d'une subvention directe de 73,02 millions d'euros, ce qui correspond
au montant estimé des dommages directement causés à la compagnie aérienne sur cette période,
selon une analyse liaison par liaison des 19 liaisons éligibles. La Commission a examiné la mesure au
regard de l'article 107, paragraphe 2, point b), du traité sur le fonctionnement de l'Union européenne
(TFUE), qui permet à la Commission d'autoriser les aides d'État accordées par les États membres afin
d'indemniser certaines entreprises ou certains secteurs pour des dommages causés directement par
des événements extraordinaires. La Commission a constaté que la mesure italienne compenserait les
dommages subis par Alitalia qui sont directement liés à l'épidémie de coronavirus, étant donné que
la perte de rentabilité sur les 19 liaisons du fait des mesures de confinement pendant la période en
question peut être considérée comme un dommage directement lié à l'événement exceptionnel. Elle
a également estimé que la mesure était proportionnée, étant donné que l'analyse quantitative
«liaison par liaison» présentée par l'Italie identifie de manière appropriée les dommages imputables
aux mesures de confinement et que, par conséquent, la compensation n'allait pas au-delà du
montant nécessaire pour remédier aux dommages sur ces liaisons. Sur cette base, la Commission a
conclu que la nouvelle mesure d'indemnisation italienne est conforme aux règles de l'UE en matière
d'aides d'État. Margrethe Vestager, vice-présidente exécutive chargée de la politique de
concurrence, a déclaré : « L'industrie de l'aviation continue d'être l'un des secteurs particulièrement
touchés par l'impact de l'épidémie de coronavirus. Cette mesure permet à l'Italie d'accorder une
nouvelle indemnisation pour les dommages directs subis par Alitalia entre juin et octobre 2020 en
raison des restrictions en matière de déplacements qui étaient nécessaires pour limiter la
propagation du coronavirus. Nous continuons de travailler en étroite collaboration avec les États
membres pour faire en sorte que des mesures nationales de soutien puissent être mises en place de
manière coordonnée et efficace, conformément aux règles de l'UE. Parallèlement, nos enquêtes sur
les mesures d'aide dont Alitalia a bénéficié par le passé suivent leur cours et nous sommes en
contact avec les autorités italiennes pour ce qui est de leurs projets et du respect des règles de
l'UE. » Le communiqué de presse est disponible en ligne. (Pour plus d'informations: Arianna
Podesta – Tél. +32 229 87024; Giulia Astuti – Tél.: +32 229 55344)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Pester Marketing by Phillips 66 and Fortress
Investment Group
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of Pester
Marketing gas station and convenience store business (‘Pestering Marketing') by Phillips 66 Company
(‘Phillips 66') and Fortress Investment Group LLC (‘Fortress'), all of the U.S. Pester Marketing owns
and operates service stations selling motor fuel and daily consumer goods in the Rocky Mountain,
Southwest and Mid-West regions of the U.S. Phillips 66 processes, transports, stores and markets
fuels and products globally. Fortress is a global investment and asset management firm. The
Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because
Pester Marketing has no actual or foreseen activities within the territory of the European Economic
Area. The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information
is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case
number M.10089. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel. +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.:
+32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of the Romanian assets of ČEZ by MIRA
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of certain
Romanian electricity generation, electricity distribution, and electricity and natural gas retail supply
assets, currently held by ČEZ a.s. (‘CEZ') of Czechia, by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets
(Europe) Limited (‘MIRA') of the UK. The Romanian assets of CEZ consist of an electricity distribution
network and various wind and hydroelectric energy generation assets as well as retail supply of gas
and electricity assets, all based in Romania. MIRA is active in the management of infrastructure and
other real assets, including real estate, energy and agricultural assets. MIRA is part of Macquarie
Group Limited of Australia, a global investment, banking and financial services provider. The

Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because it
would not result in any overlaps between the activities of the companies. The transaction was
examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the
Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.10055. (For
more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel. +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of GETRAG FORD Transmissions by Ford
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of GETRAG
FORD Transmissions (‘GFT') of Germany by the Ford Group (‘Ford') of the U.S. GFT manufactures and
sells manual transmissions primarily for Ford-branded light vehicles. Before thetransaction, GFT was
jointly controlled by Ford and Magna International Inc. of Canada. Ford is primarily active in the
manufacture and sale of a full line of passenger and commercial vehicles. The Commission concluded
that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because Ford already had joint
control of GFT and the change to sole control would have no significant impact on the existing
competition. The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More
information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under
the case number M.9982. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel. +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni
– Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Eurostat press releases
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