European Commission - Daily News

European Commission - Daily News

Daily News 30 / 07 / 2021
Brussels, 30 July 2021
Coronavirus: EU supports Member States with transport of essential supplies
The Commission continues to provide further financial support to six Member States through the
Mobility Package of the Emergency Support Instrument amounting to over €14 million, for the
transport of COVID-19 vaccination-related equipment and COVID-19 therapeutics. This comes on top
of the €150 million already made available for the transport of essential medical items since last
year. Shipments funded by the Mobility Package include the transport of intensive-care drugs to
Belgium, and of syringes and needles to Italy. The other recipients of EU funding are Austria,
Czechia, Romania and Slovenia. In total, more than 1,000 flights and 500 deliveries were funded.
Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “Supply chains and deliveries of medical
equipment continued to be supported by the EU. From beginning of the pandemic, the Emergency
Support Instrument has proven a valuable tool in our joint fight against COVID-19. Through this
latest package, we have financed the transportation of essential supplies, to help save the lives of
patients and boost national vaccination campaigns.” The full press release is available online. (For
more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 229 54578; Daniel Puglisi - Tel.: +32 229 69140)

Politique de cohésion de l'UE: 3,7 milliards d'euros de REACT-EU pour soutenir les mesures
de relance et de transition numérique et verte en Espagne
La Commission a accordé 3,7 milliards d'euros pour la relance et la transition numérique et verte de
l'Espagne dans le cadre de REACT-EU. C'est le résultat de la modification de sept programmes
opérationnels du Fonds européen de développement régional et de trois concernant le Fonds social
européen. La commissaire à la cohésion et aux réformes, Elisa Ferreira, a déclaré : « REACT-EU est
crucial pour la reprise de l'économie après la crise du coronavirus. L'Espagne fait un travail
formidable en mobilisant ces ressources pour des investissements indispensables visant une reprise
rapide, forte et convergente ainsi qu'une transition juste et équilibrée vers une économie numérique
et verte. » Des ressources supplémentaires de l'UE seront allouées aux régions suivantes:
Andalousie, Asturies, Pays basque, Cantabrie, Castille-La Manche, Castille-et-León, Catalogne, Ceuta,
Melilla et La Rioja. Dans le cadre de NextGenerationEU, REACT-EU fournit un complément de 47,5
milliards d'euros (50,6 milliards d'euros aux prix actuels) aux programmes de la politique de
cohésion au cours de 2021 et 2022. Les mesures visent à soutenir la résilience du marché du travail,
l'emploi, les PME et les familles ayant de faibles revenus, elles servent également à poser des bases
pérennes pour permettre les transitions verte et numérique et une reprise socio-économique durable
conformément aux objectifs de REACT-EU et aux recommandations spécifiques par pays de 2020
pour le pays concerné. Ces ressources supplémentaires devraient être utilisées pour des projets qui
renforcent les capacités de réactions aux crises dans le contexte de la pandémie de coronavirus, ainsi
que des investissements dans des opérations contribuant à préparer une reprise verte, numérique et
résiliente de l'économie. REACT-EU est entré en vigueur le 24 décembre 2020 et peut financer les
dépenses rétroactivement du 1er février 2020 au 31 décembre 2023. Plus de détails dans notre
communiqué de presse. (Pour plus d'information: Stefan de Keersmaecker - Tél.: +32 229 84680;
Veronica Favalli – Tél.: +32 229 87269)

Sommet mondial sur l'éducation: l'équipe Europe s'engage à apporter une contribution de
1,7 milliards d'euros au Partenariat mondial pour l'éducation
À l'occasion du sommet mondial sur l'éducation qui s'est tenu hier à Londres, l'Union européenne et
ses États membres, en tant qu'équipe Europe, se sont engagés à consacrer 1,7 milliards d'euros au
Partenariat mondial pour l'éducation afin de contribuer à transformer les systèmes éducatifs en
faveur de plus d'un milliard de filles et de garçons dans quelque 90 pays et territoires. Il s'agit de la
contribution la plus importante au partenariat mondial pour l'éducation. L'UE s'était déjà engagée en
juin à contribuer à hauteur de 700 millions d'euros pour la période 2021-2027. Ursula von der
Leyen, présidente de la Commission européenne, a déclaré: « L'éducation est la base la plus

élémentaire du développement humain. Lire, écrire, les mathématiques, la logique, les compétences
numériques, la compréhension du monde. Quel que soit le continent sur lequel on vit. L'éducation
devrait être un droit véritablement universel. C'est la raison pour laquelle l'Union européenne investit
davantage dans la coopération internationale en faveur de l'éducation que tous les autres pays du
monde réunis. Et nous intensifions nos efforts en ces temps extraordinaires. » Jutta Urpilainen,
commissaire aux partenariats internationaux, a déclaré à cette occasion: « Nous nous sommes
engagés à ne pas laisser la COVID-19 défaire les progrès réalisés durant des décennies dans le
domaine de l'accès à l'éducation, et nous tiendrons parole. Avec 1,7 milliards d'euros engagés à ce
jour l'équipe Europe est fière d'être l'un des principaux bailleurs de fonds du Partenariat mondial
pour l'éducation et de soutenir une éducation gratuite, inclusive, équitable et de qualité pour tous.
L'éducation accélère les progrès vers la réalisation de tous les objectifs de développement durable et
jouera un rôle central dans la reprise. Avec tous nos partenaires, nous pouvons faire en sorte que
chaque enfant ait la possibilité d'apprendre et de réussir. » Un communiqué de presse avec plus
d'informations est disponible en ligne. (Pour plus d'informations: Ana Pisonero – Tél.: +32 229
54320; Daniel Puglisi— Tél.: +32 229 69140)

State aid: Commission approves 2022-2027 regional aid map for Czechia
The European Commission has approved under EU State aid rules Czechia's map for granting
regional aid from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2027. The Czech regional aid map is the first map
approved by the Commission within the framework of the revised Regional aid Guidelines (‘RAG').
The revised RAG, adopted by the Commission on 19 April 2021 and which will enter into force on 1
January 2022, enable Member States to support the least favoured European regions in catching up
and to reduce disparities in terms of economic well-being, income and unemployment – cohesion
objectives that are at the heart of the Union. They also provide increased possibilities for Member
States to support regions facing transition or structural challenges such as depopulation, to
contribute fully to the green and digital transitions. At the same time, the revised RAG maintain
strong safeguards to prevent Member States from using public money to trigger the relocation of
jobs from one EU Member State to another, which is essential for fair competition in the Single
Market. In the RAG, the Commission sets out the conditions under which regional aid may be
considered to be compatible with the internal market and establishes the criteria for identifying the
areas that fulfil the conditions of Article 107(3)(a) and (c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the
European Union (‘a' and ‘c' areas respectively). Czechia's regional aid map defines the Czech regions
eligible for regional investment aid and establishes the maximum aid intensities in the eligible
regions. Under the revised RAG, regions covering 87.76% of the population of Czechia will be eligible
for regional investment aid. 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 €14.3 million Dutch aid to support a carbon capture and
use facility
The European Commission has found a €14.3 million Dutch investment aid to TWENCE HOLDING BV
to build a carbon capture and use facility to be in line with EU State aid rules. The project will enable
the removal of CO2 from flue gases at the company's waste-to-energy installation facility located at
Hengelo, in the Netherlands. The captured liquid CO2 will be used primarily by greenhouses in the
horticultural sector, where it is to be used to enhance crop growth. The investment project relates to
the capturing process and equipment of the liquefied CO2 and not to its transport. The aim of the
measure is to increase environmental protection by reducing the use of primary energy sources for
conventional forms of CO2 generation for horticultural processes and therefore reducing CO2
emissions linked to these processes. In addition, the measure aims at re-using CO2 and contributing
to the development of sustainable and circular product chains for the reutilisation and application of
CO2. The intended investment aid of around €14.3 million would represent 37% of the eligible
investment costs of the project. The Commission found that the aid complies with the conditions of
Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which enables Member
States to support the development of certain economic activities, subject to certain conditions. The
Commission found that the aid is proportionate and does not exceed the minimum necessary to
make the aided project sufficiently profitable. More information on today's decision will be available
on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number
SA.61295. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32
229 90526)

State aid: Commission approves €19 million Spanish scheme for supporting professional
operators investing in protection facilities against vector insects
The European Commission has found that a €19 million Spanish scheme made available through the
Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) for supporting professional operators investing in protection
facilities against vector insects is in line with EU State aid rules. The notified scheme will be funded
via the RRF, following the Commission's positive assessment of the Spanish recovery and resilience
plan and its adoption by Council. Its aim is to finance investments of a preventive nature in the field
of plant health, to prevent vector insects from entering the production nurseries of the various types
of reproductive plant material (RPM). The RPM can be affected by, among others, the following
quarantine pests: Xylella fastidiosa, Bursaphelenchus xilophilus, HLB or greening citrus fruit and vine
flavescence dorée. The beneficiaries will be primary producers. Under the scheme, the public support
will take the form of direct grants. The scheme will run until 31 December 2023. The scheme has
been assessed based on its compliance with the EU Guidelines for State aid in the agricultural and
forestry sectors and in rural areas, which ensure viable food production and to promote the efficient
and sustainable use of resources in order to achieve intelligent and sustainable growth. The
Commission has concluded that the aid facilitates the development of an economic activity and does
not adversely affect trading conditions to an extent contrary to the common interest. Therefore the
Commission has found that the scheme is in line with EU State aid rules. All investments and
reforms entailing State aid contained in the national recovery plans presented in the context of the
RRF must be notified to the Commission for prior approval, unless covered by one of the State aid
block-exemption rules, in particular the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) and, in the
agricultural sector, the specific Agricultural Block Exemption Regulation (ABER). The Commission will
assess such measures as a matter of priority and has provided guidance and support to Member
States in the preparatory phases of the national plans, to facilitate the rapid deployment of the RRF.
At the same time, the Commission makes sure in its decision that the applicable State aid rules are
complied with, in order to preserve the level playing field in the Single Market and ensure that the
RRF funds are used in a way that minimises competition distortions and do not crowd out private
investment. The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case
number SA.63699 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)

State aid: Commission approves €3 million Slovenian scheme to support the MICE sector in
the context of coronavirus outbreak
The European Commission has approved a €3 million Slovenian scheme to support companies active
in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) sector, affected by the coronavirus
outbreak and the restrictive measures that the Slovenian authorities had to implement to limit the
spread of the virus. The scheme was approved under the State Aid Temporary Framework. The
measure will be open to companies of all sizes active in the MICE sector. The aim of the scheme is to
compensate the beneficiaries for the costs of organising events, scheduled to take place between 1
August 2021 and 31 December 2021, should they be cancelled or significantly restricted as a result
of restrictive measures in place. Under the scheme, the aid will take the form of direct grants,
covering 80% of eligible costs for cancelled events or 60% for restricted events. The Commission
found that the Slovenian measure is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework.
In particular, the aid (i) will not exceed €1.8 million per beneficiary; and (ii) will be granted no later
than 31 December 2021. 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. On this basis, the
Commission approved the measure under EU State aid rules. More information on the Temporary
Framework and other 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 case number SA.64238 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 a newly created joint venture by Proximus and
Eurofiber
On 26 July 2021, the European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the
acquisition of a newly created joint venture by Proximus NV and Eurofiber NV, all of Belgium. The
joint venture will roll out and operate a passive open Fiber-To-The-Home network in certain parts of
Wallonia. Proximus is the incumbent telecommunications operator in Belgium, and a provider of a full

range of wholesale and retail telecommunications services. Eurofiber is an operator of electronic
communication services and networks in Belgium, with a specific focus on connectivity services and
networks over fiber to business customers and service providers. The Commission concluded that the
proposed acquisition would raise no horizontal competition concerns, given the very limited
increment in market share on the wholesale broadband access and leased lines markets by the joint
venture. The Commission also found that the vertical relationship between the upstream wholesale
broadband access and leased lines services, and the downstream retail and wholesale
telecommunications services would be unproblematic given the very limited market position of the
joint venture on the broadband access and leased lines markets. In addition, Proximus and the joint
venture are both subject to ex ante regulation on the broadband access market. 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 the case number M.10070. (For
more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Concentrations: la Commission autorise l'acquisition du contrôle conjoint de l'ensemble de
NGM par MEF4, CDC et 3i
La Commission européenne a approuvé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations,
l'acquisition du contrôle conjoint de NeoT Green Mobility (« NGM ») par Mirova-Eurofideme 4 (« MEF
4 »)), Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (« CDC »), toutes les trois de France, et 3i EOPF France
Topc S.à.r.l (« 3i EOPF Topco ») de, Luxembourg, contrôlée par 3i Group plc (« 3i ») de Royaume-
Uni. NGM est une société active dans le développement, le financement et la gestion de projets de
mobilité électrique, principalement en France. MEF 4 est une société gérée par Mirova, société de
gestion française ultimement contrôlée par BPCE dont les activités de financement et
d'investissement de Mirova ciblent les solutions de développement durable dans plusieurs secteurs,
comme les secteurs de la mobilité, de l'énergie, des bâtiments et villes, des technologies de
l'information et de la communication et de la finance. CDC est un établissement public , qui est
engagé au travers de ses filiales dans des activités ouvertes à la concurrence, dans les domaines
suivants: (i) l'environnement et l'énergie, (ii) le logement et l'immobilier, (iii) l'investissement et le
capital investissement, et (iv) plusieurs autres services tels que le transport de voyageurs ou les
services postaux. 3i EOPF Topco est une société ultimement contrôlée par 3i, une société de gestion
d'investissements cotée au London Stock Exchange (FTSE 100) spécialisée dans la gestion d'actifs en
matière d'infrastructures et de capital-investissement en Europe, Asie et Amérique du Nord. La
Commission a conclu que l'acquisition envisagée ne soulèverait pas de problème de concurrence
compte tenu de son impact très limité sur la structure du marché. L'opération a été examinée dans le
cadre de la procédure simplifiée du contrôle des concentrations. De plus amples informations sont
disponibles sur le site internet concurrence de la Commission, dans le registre public des affaires
sous le numéro d'affaire M.10283. (Pour plus d'informations: Arianna Podesta – Tél.: +32 229
87024; Tsoni – Tél.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of joint control over Techco JV by DBS, JPMC, and
Temasek
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint
control over Techco JV by DBS Bank Ltd. (‘DBS') of Singapore, JP Morgan Chase & Co (‘JPMC') of the
US, and Temasek Holdings (‘Temasek') also of Singapore. Techco is a newly created joint venture
which will be located in Singapore. It will own and operate globally an electronic platform using
blockchain technology to support the clearing and settlement of inter-bank payments. DBS is active
in consumer banking, wealth management and institutional banking services. JPMC is a global
financial services firm. Temasek is an investment company. The Commission concluded that the
proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns given that Techco has negligible actual or
foreseen activities within the territory of the European Economic Area. The Commission also
concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns given the absence of
horizontal overlaps and the limited 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.10299. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.:
+32 229 90526)

STATEMENTS

European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day: Statement by President von der Leyen, Vice-
President Jourová and Commissioner Dalli
Ahead of the European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day, on 2 August, Ursula von der Leyen, President
of the European Commission, Věra Jourová, Vice-President for Values and Transparency, and Helena
Dalli, Commissioner for Equality, stated: “Today, we mark the European Roma Holocaust Memorial
Day. We pay our respects to the hundreds of thousands of Roma victims of the Holocaust and renew
our efforts and commitment for Roma equality, inclusion and participation. Remembering the Roma
persecution is a European collective duty that reminds us of the need to tackle their persisting
discrimination. Hate, racially motivated violence and ethnic profiling have no place in our Union, built
on the respect for fundamental rights.” The full statement is available here. (For more information:
Adalbert Jahnz - Tel.: +32 229 53156; Jördis Ferroli - Tel.: +32 229 92729)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Migration: Commissioner Johansson travels to Lithuania to discuss support for
management of situation at external border with Belarus*
On Sunday, 1 August, Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, will travel to Lithuania to
meet with senior government officials to discuss the situation at the external border with Belarus and
any additional European support needed for border and migration management or diplomatic
outreach, in line with the principles of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. The Commissioner will
meet with Gitanas Nausėda, President of Lithuania, Ingrida Šimonytė, Prime Minister of Lithuania,
Agnė Bilotaitė, Minister of Interior and Mantas Adomėnas, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs,
responsible for Eastern Partnership, relations with Asian countries. On Monday, the Commissioner
and the Prime Minister will hold a joint press point at +/-10:30 EET, which will be available on EbS.
She will then visit the Padvarionys border crossing point with the Minister of Interior and will meet
with Lithuanian, Frontex and European Asylum Support Office staff at the Medininkai Border Guard
Service training centre. Finally, at +/-13:00 EET, the Commissioner and Minister Bilotaitė will hold a
press conference which will also be available on EbS. The Commissioner's visit will be followed on 5-
6 August by a visit of Commission officials to make a strategic assessment on the ground. This year,
over 3,000 people, including many children, have crossed irregularly into Lithuania from Belarus. The
EU firmly rejects attempts by third countries to incite or acquiesce in irregular migration towards the
EU and is fully supporting Lithuania, through operational support from European agencies, financial
support, supporting the strengthening of border surveillance capacity and in humanitarian aid
through the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism. High Representative/Vice-President Borrell and the
Commission are also fully engaged in diplomatic outreach to countries of origin. For more detail,
please see an interview with Commissioner Johansson here. (For more information: Adalbert Jahnz
- Tel.: + 32 229 53156; Ciara Bottomley - Tel.: +32 229 69971; Laura Bérard - Tel.: +32 229
55721)

Tentative agendas for forthcoming Commission meetings
Note that these items can be subject to changes.

Eurostat press releases

The Spokesperson's Service has re-opened the Berlaymont press room to a limited number
of journalists. For more information, please see here.

*Updated on 30-07-2021, at 12h30
                                   MEX/21/3981