do-me/EUR-LEX huggingface dataset:
Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10976 – CNP GROUP / SIENNA GROUP / ECT GROUP) Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance) 2023/C 20/06
Date: 2023-01-20
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: economic concentration, hazardous waste, investment company, merger control, waste disposal








C_2023020EN.01001601.xml










20.1.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 20/16






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.10976 – CNP GROUP / SIENNA GROUP / ECT GROUP)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2023/C 20/06)

1.   
On 1 January 2023, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


Compagnie Nationale à Portefeuille SA (‘CNP’, Belgium),










—


Sienna Capital Invest SCSp, (‘Sienna’, Belgium), and










—


ECT Invest (‘ECT’, France).




CNP and Sienna will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of ECT.
The concentration is to be accomplished by way of purchase of ECT’s shares by a newly created company constituting a joint venture by CNP and Sienna.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






—


CNP is an investment company with direct and indirect stakes in several undertakings,










—


Sienna is Groupe Bruxelles Lambert’s alternative assets platform, a listed investment holding company that invests in global undertakings operating in various sectors, and










—


Groupe ECT is a French specialist in managing inert waste, principally excavated soil.






3.   
On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.
Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2), it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


4.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.10976 – CNP GROUP / SIENNA GROUP / ECT GROUP
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu
Fax +32 22964301
Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Resolution’).

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.
Case T-18/23: Action brought on 20 January 2023 — Greece v Commission
Date: 2023-01-20
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EAGF, EAGGF, agricultural expenditure, aid to agriculture, common agricultural policy, eligibility criteria








C_2023179EN.01005301.xml










22.5.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 179/53






Action brought on 20 January 2023 — Greece v Commission
(Case T-18/23)
(2023/C 179/78)
Language of the case: Greek

Parties


Applicant: Hellenic Republic (represented by: E. Leftheriotou, A.-E. Vasilopoulou and O. Pastellas, acting as Agents)

Defendant: European Commission

Form of order sought

The applicant claims that the General Court should:






—


annul, in its entirety, Commission Implementing Decision C(2002)8047 final of 15 November 2022 on the financial treatment to be applied to expenditure financed by the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, Guidance Section (‘EAGGF-G’), in certain cases of irregularity in Greece;










—


in the alternative, annul the contested decision in so far as concerns the amount corresponding to the part of the recovery that was annulled by the national court in Case 2014/10019, that is to say, limit the amount to be recovered in that case to EUR 48 619,63 rather than EUR 145 854,46; and










—


order the defendant to pay the costs incurred by the Hellenic Republic.





Pleas in law and main arguments

In support of the action, the applicant relies on two pleas in law.






1.


First plea in law, alleging that there is no legal basis for the adoption of the contested Commission decision in so far as concerns charging the amount at issue to the Hellenic Republic, since Regulation (EC) No 1681/94 (1) has been repealed and no longer applies to cases which fall under the 1994-1999 programme period, and Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 (2) applies only to cases of irregularity in the context of the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).










2.


Second plea in law, alleging error of fact, in that the Commission found that the Greek authorities had failed to show diligence in the management of Case 2014/10019. It is also claimed that charging the amount of EUR 145 854,46 to the Hellenic Republic is disproportionate.






(1)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 1681/94 of 11 July 1994 concerning irregularities and the recovery of sums wrongly paid in connection with the financing of the structural policies and the organization of an information system in this field (OJ 1994 L 178, p. 43).

(2)  Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 352/78, (EC) No 165/94, (EC) No 2799/98, (EC) No 814/2000, (EC) No 1290/2005 and (EC) No 485/2008 (OJ 2013 L 34, p. 549).
Euro exchange rates (Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.) 19 January 2023 2023/C 20/05
Date: 2023-01-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: euro, exchange rate, money








C_2023020EN.01001501.xml










20.1.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 20/15






Euro exchange rates (1)

19 January 2023
(2023/C 20/05)

1 euro =











 


Currency


Exchange rate




USD


US dollar


1,0815 




JPY


Japanese yen


139,02 




DKK


Danish krone


7,4398 




GBP


Pound sterling


0,87648 




SEK


Swedish krona


11,1533 




CHF


Swiss franc


0,9921 




ISK


Iceland króna


154,50 




NOK


Norwegian krone


10,7460 




BGN


Bulgarian lev


1,9558 




CZK


Czech koruna


23,924 




HUF


Hungarian forint


396,43 




PLN


Polish zloty


4,7063 




RON


Romanian leu


4,9265 




TRY


Turkish lira


20,3295 




AUD


Australian dollar


1,5726 




CAD


Canadian dollar


1,4603 




HKD


Hong Kong dollar


8,4696 




NZD


New Zealand dollar


1,6978 




SGD


Singapore dollar


1,4326 




KRW


South Korean won


1 340,52 




ZAR


South African rand


18,6931 




CNY


Chinese yuan renminbi


7,3424 




IDR


Indonesian rupiah


16 429,66 




MYR


Malaysian ringgit


4,6591 




PHP


Philippine peso


59,099 




RUB


Russian rouble


 




THB


Thai baht


35,803 




BRL


Brazilian real


5,6326 




MXN


Mexican peso


20,5437 




INR


Indian rupee


88,0460 






(1)  Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.
Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Cases where the Commission raises no objections
Date: 2023-01-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Germany, Romania, State aid, control of State aid








C_2023022EN.01001001.xml










20.1.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 22/10






Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
Cases where the Commission raises no objections
(2023/C 22/02)






Date of adoption of the decision


6.12.2022




Aid number


SA.103747




Member State


Germany




Region


BRANDENBURG




Title (title and/or name of the beneficiary)


Brandenburg: Förderung der Haltung von Schweinen in Gruppen und auf Stroh




Legal basis


Richtlinie des Ministeriums für Landwirtschaft, Umwelt und Klimaschutz des Landes Brandenburg zur Förderung der Haltung von Schweinen in Gruppen und auf Stroh




Type of measure


Scheme




Objective


Animal welfare commitments




Form of aid


Direct grant




Budget


Overall budget: 2 600 000  EUR
Annual budget: 650 000  EUR




Intensity


 




Duration


Until 31.12.2026




Economic sectors


Raising of swine/pigs




Name and address of the granting authority







Landesamt für Ländliche Entwicklung, Landwirtschaft und Flurneuordnung (LELF)




Rathausstr. 6, D-15517 Fürstenwalde/Spree








Other information


 




The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:
https://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm






Date of adoption of the decision


6.12.2022




Aid number


SA.104579




Member State


Romania




Region


Romania




Title (title and/or name of the beneficiary)


Instituirea unei scheme de ajutor de stat sub forma de grant acordat producătorilor agricoli care au înfiinţat culturi în toamna anului 2021 ce au fost afectate de seceta pedologică




Legal basis


Ordonanţa de urgenţă nr. 157/2022 pentru instituirea unei scheme de ajutor de stat sub forma de grant acordat producătorilor agricoli care au înfiinţat culturi în toamna anului 2021 ce au fost afectate de seceta pedologică




Type of measure


Scheme




Objective


Agriculture; Forestry; Rural areas, Aid to compensate for the damage caused by adverse climatic event which can be assimilated to a natural disaster




Form of aid


Direct grant




Budget


Overall budget: 365 638 260  RON
Annual budget: 365 638 260  RON




Intensity


40,0  %




Duration


Until 31.12.2022




Economic sectors


Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds




Name and address of the granting authority







Ministerul Agriculturii și Dezvoltării Rurale




Blvd. Carol I; nr. 2-4; sector 3; București








Other information


 




The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:
https://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm
Case T-500/22 R: Order of the President of the General Court of 20 January 2023 — Vleuten Insects and New Generation Nutrition v Commission (Interim relief — Food safety — Novel foods — Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 — Marketing authorisation for Alphitobius diaperinus larva — Application for suspension of operation of a measure — No urgency)
Date: 2023-01-20
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: food safety, insect, market approval, novel food








C_2023083EN.01002501.xml










6.3.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 83/25






Order of the President of the General Court of 20 January 2023 — Vleuten Insects and New Generation Nutrition v Commission
(Case T-500/22 R)
(Interim relief - Food safety - Novel foods - Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 - Marketing authorisation for Alphitobius diaperinus larva - Application for suspension of operation of a measure - No urgency)
(2023/C 83/31)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicants: Vleuten Insects vof (Hoogeloon, Netherlands), New Generation Nutrition BV (Helvoirt, Netherlands) (represented by: N. Carbonnelle, lawyer)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: B. Rous Demiri and F. van Schaik, acting as Agents)

Re:

By their application based on Articles 278 and 279 TFEU, the applicants seek suspension of the operation of Commission Implementing Decision C(2022) 3478 final of 2 June 2022 terminating the procedure for authorising the placing on the market of Alphitobius diaperinus larva as a novel food without updating the Union list of novel foods.

Operative part of the order







1.


The application for interim relief is dismissed.










2.


The costs are reserved.
Case C-23/23: Action brought on 20 January 2023 — European Commission v Republic of Malta
Date: 2023-01-20
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: bird, environmental standard, infringement of EU law, national implementing measure, protection of animal life








C_2023083EN.01001301.xml










6.3.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 83/13






Action brought on 20 January 2023 — European Commission v Republic of Malta
(Case C-23/23)
(2023/C 83/14)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicant: European Commission (represented by: C. Hermes and R. Lindenthal, Agents)

Defendant: Republic of Malta

The applicant claims that the Court should:







—


declare that by adopting a derogation scheme allowing the live-capturing of seven species of wild finches (Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, Linnet Carduelis cannabina, Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis, Greenfinch Carduelis chloris, Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes, Serin Serinus serinus and Siskin Carduelis spinus), the Republic of Malta has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 5 and Article 8(1) of Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds (1) (‘Birds Directive’), read in conjunction with Article 9(1) of the Birds Directive; and










—


order Republic of Malta to pay the costs.





Pleas in law and main arguments

Malta introduced a derogation regime, invoking Article 9(1)(c) of the Birds Directive, for authorizing trapping seven species of wild finches for recreational purposes in 2014 under which it authorized trapping seasons in 2014 and 2015. In its judgment of 21 June 2018, Commission v Malta (C-557/15, EU:C:2018:477), the Court found that that derogation regime failed to meet the conditions of Article 9(1)(c) of the Birds Directive. Malta repealed that derogation regime.
In October 2020, Malta adopted a similar derogation regime for the trapping of the same finch species. This time, Malta invoked the derogation provision in Article 9(1)(b) of the Birds Directive arguing that the new derogation regime served research purposes. Malta opened trapping seasons for alleged ‘research’ in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
The Birds Directive obliges Member States to prohibit the capture and keeping of wild birds, such as the finches in question, and any capture of wild birds via non-selective means such as traps or nets. Any derogation from these prohibitions is subject to the strict conditions set out in Article 9 of the Birds Directive.
The Commission considers that Malta has not established that the conditions for a derogation pursuant to Article 9(1)(b) of the Birds Directive are met. Firstly, Malta failed to establish that its derogation regime pursues a genuine research purpose. Secondly, Malta failed to state reasons for the absence of another satisfactory solution. Thirdly, Malta failed to demonstrate the absence of another satisfactory solution on substance.


(1)  OJ 2010, L 20, p. 7.
Case T-13/23: Action brought on 20 January 2023 — Balaban v EUIPO — Shenzhen Stahlwerk Welding Technology (STAHLWERK)
Date: 2023-01-20
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EU trade mark, electric cable, electrical equipment, electronic device, metalworking, protective equipment, registered trade mark, trade-mark law








C_2023083EN.01002702.xml










6.3.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 83/27






Action brought on 20 January 2023 — Balaban v EUIPO — Shenzhen Stahlwerk Welding Technology (STAHLWERK)
(Case T-13/23)
(2023/C 83/35)
Language in which the application was lodged: German

Parties


Applicant: Okan Balaban (Bornheim, Germany) (represented by: T. Schaaf, lawyer)

Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal: Shenzhen Stahlwerk Welding Technology Co. Ltd (Shenzhen, China)

Details of the proceedings before EUIPO


Proprietor of the trade mark at issue: Applicant

Trade mark at issue: EU word mark STAHLWERK — EU trade mark No 11 554 201

Proceedings before EUIPO: Cancellation proceedings

Contested decision: Decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 31 October 2022 in Case R 2060/2021-5

Form of order sought

The applicant claims that the Court should:






—


annul the contested decision;










—


order EUIPO to pay the costs.





Pleas in law







—


Infringement of Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 of the European Parliament and of the Council;










—


Infringement of Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10149 – KOREAN AIR LINES / ASIANA AIRLINES) Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance) 2023/C 20/07
Date: 2023-01-20
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: air transport, carriage of goods, carriage of passengers, economic concentration, international transport, merger control








C_2023020EN.01001801.xml










20.1.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 20/18






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.10149 – KOREAN AIR LINES / ASIANA AIRLINES)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2023/C 20/07)

1.   
On 13 January 2023, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd. (‘Korean Air’, Republic of Korea), controlled by Hanjin KAL CO., Ltd,










—


Asiana Airline Inc. (‘Asiana’, Republic of Korea).




Korean Air will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control of the whole of Asiana.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






—


Korean Air is a full service carrier providing international airline services, including air passenger and air cargo services,










—


Asiana is a full service carrier providing international airline services, including air passenger and air cargo services.






3.   

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.



4.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.10149 – KOREAN AIR LINES / ASIANA AIRLINES
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu
Fax +32 22964301
Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).