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European Commission - Daily News Daily News 12 / 07 / 2021 Brussels, 12 July 2021 COVID-19 Therapeutics Strategy: Commission hosts a new EU matchmaking event to mobilise development and production of COVID-19 therapeutics Today and tomorrow, the Commission is hosting a new pan-European matchmaking event to accelerate and upscale the development and production of COVID-19 therapeutics in the EU, bringing together over 250 participants throughout the value chain from 25 Member States and other countries. The matchmaking event also aims to enhance the participation of companies in EU value chains for COVID-19 therapeutics, speed up connection between organisations and companies and help in production planning. The event, which takes place today and tomorrow, was kicked off by opening speeches of Commissioners Thierry Breton and Stella Kyriakides. Commissioner Kyriakides, responsible for Health and Food Safety, said: “The EU is making good progress on vaccination with 50% of adults now fully vaccinated. But vaccines are not our only response to COVID-19. With the spread of variants and the resurgence of cases across the EU in recent weeks, the development of therapeutics is more necessary than ever. I am encouraging companies to step forward and join forces to develop and produce COVID-19 therapeutics in the EU. Through our EU Therapeutics Strategy, we have already identified the first five most promising therapeutics with the target to authorise three new treatments by October 2021. With the support of events such as the one today, we may soon have many more." Commissioner Breton, responsible for the Internal Market said: “We have reached a milestone in the EU in our fight against the pandemic: Europe has now produced and delivered enough doses to vaccinate 70% of our adult population. The EU has also become the world's biggest producer of mRNA vaccines. This would not have been possible without new partnerships across the industrial ecosystem. We now want to forge new collaborations to ensure that Europe also leads the way in developing new life-saving COVID-19 treatments.” The event is a step in implementing the Commission's strategy on COVID-19 therapeutics adopted in May 2021. The event will focus on the development and production of both new and repurposed medicines to treat COVID-19 in all stages of the disease; especially building on the recently published list of five promising candidate therapeutics. It follows a first successful matchmaking event in March 2021, which focused on mobilising COVID-19 vaccine producers in the whole value chain. In the context of that matchmaking event, in order to facilitate the matchmaking, the Commission had issued a comfort letter (based on the Antitrust Temporary Framework adopted by the Commission on 8 April 2020) providing guidance on how the matchmaking and exchanges between participating companies, including direct competitors, can take place in compliance with the EU competition rules. The same principles continue to apply also for this matchmaking event. The event is organised by the Commission's Task Force for industrial scale-up of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, in close cooperation with the European Cluster Collaboration Platform and in partnership with the Council of European BioRegions (CEBR) and the European Cluster Alliance (ECA). More information about the event is available on the event's website. (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615; Federica Miccoli – Tel.: +32 229 58300; Célia Dejond – Tel.: +32 229 88199) President von der Leyen at the commemoration of the 77th anniversary of the massacre in Campo di Fossoli On Sunday, 11 July, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took part in the commemoration ceremony of the 77th anniversary of the massacre in Campo di Fossoli in Carpi, Italy. In her speech, the President honoured the memory of the victims of the massacre and of all those who fought for freedom and democracy, making the peaceful and democratic Europe we live in today possible. She paid tribute to those she called “some of [Europe's] most unknown founding fathers” by whose values we still live today. President von der Leyen underlined how important it is to defend these values and freedoms still today, whenever they are threatened in Europe - when Jews do not feel safe, free media and universities are under attack, or when people of colour, LGBTIQ people or anyone else is discriminated against. She said: “We must make those values live in the present
days. We must make human dignity, freedom, democracy and equality true for all people in Europe, and beyond. This is Europe's promise.” The speech is available online, and you can watch it here. (For more information: Eric Mamer – Tel.: +32 229 94073; Dana Spinant – Tel.: +32 229 90150) Fiscalité: accord mondial historique afin d'assurer une taxation plus équitable des entreprises multinationales La Commission européenne se félicite de l'accord mondial historique approuvé ce samedi par les ministres des finances et les gouverneurs des banques centrales du G20, qui apportera équité et stabilité au cadre international de l'impôt sur les sociétés Ce consensus sans précédent marquera le début d'une réforme complète du système international d'imposition des sociétés. La réforme prévoira notamment une réaffectation des droits d'imposition et un taux d'imposition effectif minimal mondial d'au moins 15 %. M. Paolo Gentiloni, membre de la Commission chargé de l'économie, qui participe aujourd'hui aux discussions à Venise, a déclaré à ce sujet: « Le G20 a approuvé aujourd'hui l'accord mondial sans précédent sur la réforme de l'impôt sur les sociétés conclu la semaine dernière, et maintenant soutenu par 132 pays et territoires. C'est une initiative audacieuse qui a été prise et que peu auraient cru possible il y a encore quelques mois. C'est une victoire pour l'équité fiscale, la justice sociale et le système multilatéral. Mais notre tâche ne s'arrête pas là. Nous avons jusqu'au mois d'octobre pour finaliser cet accord. J'ai bon espoir que nous serons également en mesure, dans cet intervalle, de parvenir à un consensus entre tous les États membres de l'Union européenne sur cette question cruciale. » Les détails techniques de l'accord seront négociés dans les mois à venir en vue d'amener l'ensemble des 139 membres du Cadre inclusif à signer un accord final en octobre. Une fois qu'un accord global consensuel aura été dégagé sur les deux piliers, la Commission proposera rapidement des mesures pour leur mise en oeuvre dans l'UE, conformément à l'agenda fiscal de l'UE et aux besoins du marché unique. Un communiqué de presse et un document questions-réponses sont disponibles en ligne. (Pour plus d'informations: Daniel Ferrie - Tél: +32 229 86500; Nerea Artamendi Erro – Tél: +32 229 90964) Humanitarian aid: EU mobilises €22 million to support most vulnerable in Iran and Pakistan Today the Commission has announced renewed support for those most in need in Iran and Pakistan with €22 million in humanitarian aid. This package will assist those most affected by man-made crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate induced and other natural disasters in the region. Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič said: “Iran and Pakistan are both highly vulnerable to recurrent natural hazards, with both countries' situations aggravated by a severe coronavirus pandemic. Iran and Pakistan are also the principal host countries of Afghan refugees worldwide. The EU is boosting support to humanitarian organisations in both countries at this critical time.” Of the €22 million allocation, €15 million will focus on supporting humanitarian organisations working in Iran to assist the most vulnerable Iranians and Afghans in the country. Part of the funding will support the country's battle against the severe coronavirus pandemic, including the provision of urgent medical equipment. EU humanitarian funding also supports Iran's commendable efforts in assisting Afghans on its territory and host communities, on education, health, protection and livelihood. €7 million will go to humanitarian organisations in Pakistan, focusing on the most vulnerable local populations, Afghans as well as host communities. Assistance will comprise Afghans and Pakistanis, affected by conflict, displacement, COVID-19 and natural disasters, including malnutrition. All EU humanitarian aid is strictly monitored and only provided to established humanitarian organisations such as United Nations agencies, NGOs and international organisations. The full press release is available online (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 229 54578; Daniel Puglisi - Tel.: +32 229 69140) Commission welcomes the adoption of the proposal for a Public Sector Loan Facility The Commission welcomes the adoption by the Council of the Regulation on the Public Sector Loan Facility, which completes the Just Transition Mechanism, a key part of the European Green Deal, ensuring that no one will be left behind in the EU effort to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This allows Member States to finalise their programmes of economic and social support in the regions most challenged by climate transition. The adoption follows the political agreement reached by the co-legislators in April 2021 and it marks the final step of the legislative procedure. It will provide support to territories identified in the Territorial Just Transition Plans. Overall, the Facility is expected to mobilise between €18 and €20 billion of public investments over the next 7 years. Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira said: “This Facility complements our toolbox for helping regions and communities most affected by the transition to a climate-neutral economy. It will foster public investments, create jobs and promote economic diversification, prioritising those that have
less capacity to deal with the costs of the transition. As such, it will help the EU as a whole to meet its climate goals.” Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Ricardo Mourinho Félix, said: “The Just Transition Mechanism will play a crucial role in ensuring a fair green transition across the EU, in particular in those regions most dependent on fossil fuels and energy-intensive industries. The EIB, as the EU climate bank with a historic and statutory mission of fostering cohesion, will actively contribute to the Just Transition Mechanism. With today's final adoption of the Regulation for the Public Sector Loan Facility, the EIB is ready to get to work with regional authorities to support their investments with shared social, economic and environmental benefits." The Facility specifically targets public entities, creating preferential lending conditions for projects that do not generate sufficient revenue to be financially viable. It consists of a combination of grants from the EU budget and loans provided by the EIB. The grant support will be added to the EIB loan and will reduce the financial burden for beneficiaries and increase the attractiveness of the investments concerned. Advisory support will be provided to beneficiaries through the advisory hub set up under InvestEU. First calls for proposals under the Facility should be launched in the second half of 2021. More information are available here. (For more information: Vivian Loonela - Tel.: +32 229 66712; Veronica Favalli - Tel.: +32 229 87269) La République du Sénégal et l'Équipe Europe se mettent d'accord pour construire une usine de vaccins contre la COVID-19 et d'autres maladies endémiques L'objectif de produire en Afrique des vaccins contre la COVID-19 s'est rapproché vendredi dernier. L'Équipe Europe, qui regroupe l'UE, ses États membres et des institutions financières européennes, a officiellement accepté de soutenir la création d'une nouvelle installation pour la production de vaccins à l'Institut Pasteur de Dakar. Avec une production de 25 millions de doses de vaccin par mois d'ici la fin de l'année 2022, la nouvelle usine devrait réduire la dépendance actuelle de l'Afrique à l'égard des importations de vaccins et renforcer sa résilience face à de futures pandémies. Lors d'une cérémonie à Dakar vendredi, le Président de la République du Sénégal, Macky Sall, le Commissaire européen en charge du marché intérieur, Thierry Breton, ainsi que des représentants de l'Allemagne, de la France, de la Belgique, de la Banque européenne d'investissement et d'autres institutions de financement du développement ont confirmé les détails du soutien de l'Équipe Europe pour accélérer la préparation du projet, développer les capacités de production et entreprendre des travaux de faisabilité technique. La Présidente de la Commission européenne, Ursula von der Leyen, a déclaré : « L'Afrique importe actuellement 99 % de ses vaccins. Mais avec l'accord conclu aujourd'hui, l'Équipe Europe aide le Sénégal à franchir une étape importante vers la production de ses propres vaccins et la protection des africains contre la COVID-19 et d'autres maladies. Nous ferons davantage. Il ne s'agit que de la première partie d'une initiative beaucoup plus vaste de l'Équipe Europe pour soutenir la production de médicaments et de vaccins en Afrique. » L'Équipe Europe fournit une aide non remboursable de 6,75 millions d'euros pour la réalisation d'études de faisabilité technique et la préparation de la nouvelle installation. Un communiqué de presse est disponible en ligne ainsi qu'une fiche d'information. (Pour plus d'informations: Peter Stano - Tél: +32 229 54553; Johannes Bahrke - Tél: +32 229 58615; Gesine Knolle – Tél.: +32 229 54323; Célia Dejond - Tél: +32 229 88199; Federica Miccoli –Tél. : +32 229 58300) Competition: Commission publishes findings of evaluation of Market Definition Notice The European Commission has published today a Staff Working Document that summarises the findings of the evaluation of the Market Definition Notice used in EU competition law. The aim of the evaluation, launched in March 2020, was to contribute to the Commission's assessment of the functioning of the Market Definition Notice, in order to decide whether to repeal the Notice, leave it unchanged or revise it. The evaluation has shown that the Market Definition Notice remains highly relevant as it provides clarity and transparency to companies and other stakeholders on the Commission's approach to market definition - an important first step of the Commission's assessment in many antitrust and merger cases. At the same time, the evaluation also suggests that the Notice does not fully reflect developments in best practices in market definition that have taken place since 1997, including latest developments in EU case law. The Commission will reflect on the need and on how to address the issues that were identified in the context of the evaluation. Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “We need to analyse the market and the boundaries of the market where companies compete. The Market Definition Notice is very useful in that context. The evaluation has confirmed that it provides clarity and transparency to stakeholders on how we approach market definition. The basic principles of the Market Definition Notice, based on the case law of the EU courts, remain sound today. At the same time the evaluation indicates that the Notice does not fully cover recent evolutions in market definition practice, including those related to the digitalisation of the economy. We will now analyse
if and how the Notice should be revised to address the issues we have identified.” A full press release is available online. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526) State aid: Commission approves €300 million Swedish and Danish subsidised interest rate loans to SAS in context of coronavirus outbreak The European Commission has approved a Swedish and Danish aid measure of approximately €300 million (SEK 3 billion) to support the aviation company Scandinavian airlines System (SAS) in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The aid was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework. The aim of the measures is to provide SAS with the liquidity support it needs following the deterioration of its cash-flow due to the new travel restrictions and containment measures imposed by Denmark and Sweden in order to limit the new waves of the virus as of September 2020. The aid will take the form of loans (€150 million granted by Sweden and €150 million granted by Denmark) with subsidised interest rates, with a maturity of maximum five years. The Commission found that the scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. In particular, the aid (i) does not exceed neither double the annual wage bill nor 25% of the total 2019 turnover of SAS, (ii) will not be granted later than 31 December 2021, and (iii) will be used only for investment or working capital needs. The measure is also proportionate in light of the State aid already received by SAS in the context of the coronavirus outbreak, as these previous measures are not sufficient to address SAS' current liquidity needs. On this basis, the Commission concluded that the measure is 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. More information on actions taken by the Commission to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic can be found here. The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the cases numbers SA.63250 and SA.63898 in the State aid register on the Commission's competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526) Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Willis Towers Watson by Aon, subject to conditions The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of Willis Towers Watson (‘WTW') by Aon. The approval is conditional on full compliance with a substantial set of commitments offered by Aon, including the divestment of central parts of WTW's business to the international brokerage company Arthur J. Gallagher (‘Gallagher'). The commitments will strengthen Gallagher in its capabilities in reinsurance and commercial risk brokerage and improve its footprint in the European Economic Area (‘EEA'). The Commission had concerns that the transaction, as initially notified, would have harmed competition in the provisions of: (i) commercial risk brokerage services to large multinational customers based in Europe; (ii) treaty and facultative reinsurance brokerage services; (iii) pension administration services to companies in relation to pension schemes offered to their employees for the market in Germany. To address the Commission's competition concerns, Aon offered a substantial remedy package. The Commission concluded that the transaction, as modified by the commitments, would no longer raise competition concerns. The Commission's decision is conditional upon full compliance with the commitments. Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “European companies rely on brokers to obtain best possible solutions to manage their commercial risk. Aon and Willis Towers Watson are leading players in the insurance and reinsurance brokerage markets. The remedy package accepted by the Commission ensures that European companies, including insurance companies and large multinational customers, will continue to have a good choice and good services when selecting a broker suitable for their needs.” A full press release is available online. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526) Mergers: Commission refers to Germany the assessment of the acquisition of OMV's German fuel stations by EG Group The European Commission has referred to the German competition national authority the assessment of the proposed acquisition of OMV Retail Deutschland GmbH (‘OMV') of Germany by EG Group Limited (‘EG Group') of the UK. Currently, EG Group operates approximately 1,000 fuel stations across Germany, while OMV operates 286 stations all located in the South of Germany. The German competition authority asked the Commission to refer the proposed concentration to it. It considers that the transaction may threaten to significantly affect competition in several local markets for the
retail sale of fuel at motor stations in Germany, which present all the characteristics of distinct markets. The evidence gathered by the Commission confirmed that the conditions for a referral under Article 9 of the EU Merger Regulation were fulfilled and that the German competition authority is best placed to assess the effects of the transaction in Germany. The Commission has therefore decided to refer the case to Germany. The German authorities will deal with the case under national law. More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.10134. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526) Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Saint-Gobain Distribution The Netherlands by BME The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of Saint- Gobain Distribution The Netherlands B.V. (‘SGDN') by BME Group Holding B.V. (‘BME'), both of the Netherlands. Both SGDN and BME are retailers of building materials through general and specialist builders' merchant stores in the Netherlands. In addition, SGDN is a wholesaler of ceramic tiles and sanitary heating and plumbing products. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns because sufficient alternative retailers would remain on the market after the transaction, some of which compete closely with SGDN and BME. The transaction was examined under the normal merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under case number M.10154. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526) Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Atlas Flexibles by B&C KB The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of Atlas Flexibles of Germany by B&C KB of Austria. Atlas Flexibles manufactures and sells flexible packaging products and trades raw materials for their manufacture. B&C KB invests in several companies in line with long-term strategic considerations. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, given the absence of horizontal overlaps and vertical relationships 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.10333. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526) ANNOUNCEMENTS Réunions de l'Eurogroupe et du Conseil Affaires économiques et financières (ECOFIN), 12- 13 juillet 2021 Le vice-président exécutif Dombrovskis et le commissaire Gentiloni représenteront la Commission lors de la réunion de l'Eurogroupe qui se tient aujourd'hui à Bruxelles. Lors de la réunion de l'Eurogroupe en configuration ouverte (à 27), les ministres échangeront sur la dimension internationale des politiques économiques et financières de la zone euro avec Janet Yellen, secrétaire au Trésor des États-Unis. Paschal Donohoe, président de l'Eurogroupe, communiquera aux ministres des informations sur le sommet de la zone euro de juin, notamment au sujet de l'union bancaire. En poursuivant en configuration à 19, les ministres débattront de la situation et des perspectives budgétaires dans la zone euro dans son ensemble et s'intéresseront plus particulièrement aux perspectives pour 2022. Niels Thygesen, président du comité budgétaire européen, a été invité à cette réunion et devrait présenter le rapport publié récemment par le comité en question. La Commission européenne présentera également son évaluation des programmes de stabilité pour 2021. Enfin, les ministres des finances débattront des conséquences d'un euro numérique pour les citoyens, les entreprises, ainsi que pour l'Union économique et monétaire dans son ensemble. Le commissaire Gentiloni représentera la Commission lors de la conférence de presse qui suivra la réunion. Le vice-président exécutif Dombrovskis, le commissaire Gentiloni et la commissaire McGuinness représenteront la Commission lors de la réunion des ministres de l'économie et des finances qui se tiendra demain à Bruxelles. Les ministres axeront leurs travaux sur la relance
économique. Ils procéderont à un échange de vues sur la mise en œuvre de la facilité pour la reprise et la résilience et adopteront la première série de décisions d'exécution du Conseil relatives aux plans des États membres pour la reprise et la résilience. Les ministres devraient également approuver des conclusions sur les bilans approfondis 2021 dans le cadre du Semestre européen. La présidence slovène présentera son programme de travail dans le domaine de l'économie et des finances pour la période allant de juillet à décembre 2021 et fera le point sur les propositions législatives relatives aux services financiers. Les ministres recevront des informations sur la réunion des ministres des finances et des gouverneurs des banques centrales du G20 des 9 et 10 juillet 2021. Finalement, la Commission présentera la récente stratégie de l'UE en matière de finance durable et les propositions dans ce domaine. Le vice-président exécutif Dombrovskis représentera la Commission lors de la conférence de presse qui suivra la réunion. (Pour plus d'informations : Arianna Podestà – Tel. +32 229 87024 ; Daniel Ferrie - Tél: +32 229 86500 ; Enda McNamara - Tél.: +32 229 64976 ; Aikaterini Apostola - Tél.: +32 229 87624) Vice-President Šefčovič in Kyiv to kick-start EU-Ukraine strategic partnership on raw materials and batteries Today and tomorrow, Vice-President Šefčovič is in Ukraine to discuss and strengthen the collaboration between the EU and Ukraine on critical raw materials and batteries. During his visit, he will meet, among others, Prime Minister Denys Smhyhal and the chairman of Ukraine's Parliament, Dmytro Razumkov. The main aim of the visit is to sign, in the margins of tomorrow's High-Level Conference on Critical Raw Materials and Batteries, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Strategic Partnership, with the aim of achieving closer integration of critical raw materials value chains and of batteries. Ahead of the visit, Vice-President Šefčovič said: “Securing a sustainable supply of raw materials is an essential prerequisite for delivering on green and digital transition objectives. Our strategic partnership will go a long way towards boosting the resilience of both Ukraine and Europe, especially as we seek to bounce forward and emerge stronger from the current pandemic that has taken a heavy toll on our economies and societies.” This tangible development is a direct positive result of the Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials in September 2020. It confirms the importance of having strong partnerships with third countries in order to achieve our ambition to secure a diversified and sustainable supply of critical raw materials. The High-Level Conference, the signing ceremony and the press conference by Vice-President Šefčovič with Prime Minister Smhyhal, taking place tomorrow as of 09:00 CET can be followed on EbS. (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615; Federica Miccoli – Tel.: +32 229 58300; Célia Dejond – Tel.: +32 229 88199) Commissioner Wojciechowski participates in the Agri-food promotion policy review conference Today, Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski will deliver the opening speech of the Agri-food promotion policy review conference taking place online from 14:00. It will be followed by a speech by Jože Podgoršek, Slovenian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food. The two-day conference is part of a comprehensive consultation process on the review of the EU agri-food promotion policy, which comprises a public consultation launched on 31 March 2021. The conference will include a presentation of the preliminary results of the public consultation. In the context of the policy review, participants will discuss the role of the promotion policy in the transition to sustainable food systems as well as its role in supporting more plant-based and healthy diets. Furthermore, on the second day, discussions will focus on how the promotion policy can enhance the EU agri-food sector's competitiveness and reputation at home and abroad. The policy review will take on board the EU policy priorities, notably the Farm to Fork Strategy as well and Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. The detailed sessions and speakers can be found in the programme. Livestreaming of the conference will be available online. (For more information: Miriam García Ferrer – Tel.: +32 229 99075; Álvaro Rangel Hernández – Tel.: +32 229 13665) Liste des points prévus à l'ordre du jour des prochaines réunions de la Commission Veuillez noter que ces informations sont données sous réserve de modifications.
Eurostat: communiqués de presse The Spokesperson's Service has re-opened the Berlaymont press room to a limited number of journalists. For more information, please see here. MEX/21/3663
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