​The Hague, 14 May 2019

With the active support of Eurojust, the Italian Public Prosecution Office (PPO) of Foggia, in close cooperation with the German national authorities, dismantled an organised crime group trading adulterated olive oil in Germany and Italy, leading to the arrest of 24 persons. Two suspects of Italian origin were arrested in Germany via European Arrest Warrants (EAWs). Eurojust, the EU’s Judicial Cooperation Unit, assisted the national authorities by facilitating the transfer of proceedings, the execution of EAWs and mutual legal assistance requests, and by successfully coordinating the action day that led to the pre-trial arrest of the main suspects. The total damage amounted to at least €8 million.

The investigations in Foggia were initiated in 2015, following an alert by the Italian Ministry of Health on the sale of counterfeit olive oil and a preceding request by the German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit, (BVL)). The proceedings were transferred from the German to the Italian authorities. Investigations were opened and followed by the Italian Carabinieri for Health Safety (NAS), a specialized unit of the Italian Law Enforcement, in close contact with German police forces.

The members of the organised crime group  were allegedly involved in the production and trade of counterfeit olive oil and are suspected of illegal trading, participation in a criminal organisation, adulteration of food products, and other offences committed in relation to the above crimes. The olive oil, which originates from Apulia in Southern Italy, was mixed with various substances, such as chlorophyll, beta-carotene and soya oil, to modify its colour. The product was then distributed to the German market for a long period of time as extra virgin olive oil, mainly restaurants and shops in Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Berlin, as well as restaurants and supermarkets throughout Italy.

The organised crime group was sending 23 000 l of adulterated oil to Germany every 15 days. During the investigations, the Carabinieri seized more than 150 000 l of oil ready for sale. The organised crime group bought, on a yearly basis, more than 1 million l of oil to be adulterated. This oil was bought at a price of around €1,20 and was sold, once adulterated, at a street value of €10 to €15.

The leader of the criminal organisation is considered to be the most important counterfeiter of olive oil in Italy. However, the German buyers are not regarded as members of the organised crime group, as they were not part of its structure and are only suspected of handling fraudulently produced goods.

[Click here or on image to view video]

Eurojust improved the cooperation between the national judicial authorities by helping them to efficiently exchange information and gather useful evidence to build a strong case against the members of the criminal organisation. Eurojust held three coordination meetings at its premises in The Hague, inter alia, to discuss prosecutorial strategies and identify the competent executing authority in each Member State for the requested measures. Europol was involved at an early stage of the investigations, participating in the first Eurojust coordination meeting in 2016.

Only through Eurojust’s coordination, it was possible to identify the activities and capabilities of this organised crime group, which operated for a long time undisturbed, taking advantage of a penal legislation not particularly severe towards the single acts of trade in counterfeit oil. For this reason, it was less easy to understand the transnational dimension of the fraud and the insidiousness of the organised group in the food products market.

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As announced on 6 March ESMA has today started to make available the updated annual transparency calculations for equity and equity-like instruments. Those calculations include:

• the liquidity assessment as per Articles 1 to 5 of CDR 2017/567;
• the determination of the most relevant market in terms of liquidity (MRM) as per Article 4 of CDR 2017/587 (RTS 1);
• the determination of the average daily turnover (ADT) relevant for the determination of the pre-trade and post-trade large in scale (LIS) thresholds;
• the determination of the average value of the transactions (AVT) and the related the standard market size (SMS); and, 
• the determination of the average daily number of transactions on the most relevant market in terms of liquidity relevant for the determination of the tick-size regime.

The updated results of the annual transparency calculations for equity and equity-like instruments shall apply from 8 July 2019 until 31 March 2020, and they reflect:

• the adjustment of the average daily number of transactions (ADNTE) on the most relevant market (MRM) determining the tick-size regime for shares whose main pool of liquidity is in a third country in accordance with CDR 2019/443;
• late corrections of the underlying data used to perform the calculations by reporting entities. This is the data provided to Financial Instruments Transparency System (FITRS) by trading venues and approved publication arrangements (APAs) in relation to the calendar year 2018.
• the adjustment of the most relevant market (MRM) in accordance with CDR 2017/590.

In the updated results, there are 1,379 liquid shares and 370 liquid equity-like instruments other than shares, subject to MiFID II/MiFIR transparency requirements.

The full list of assessed equity and equity-like instruments will be available through ESMA’s Financial Instruments Transparency System (FITRS) in the XML files from 21 June 2019 (link available here) and through the Register web interface (link available here).  

Background

MiFID II/MiFIR became applicable on 3 January 2018 introducing, amongst others, pre-trade and post-trade transparency requirements for equity and non-equity instruments.

Pre-trade transparency requirements may be waived for transactions, whose size is above large-in-scale thresholds (LIS), and systematic internalisers (SIs) have pre-trade transparency obligations for instruments traded on a traded venue which are liquid and when dealing with orders up to the standard market size (SMS).

The publication of post-trade information can be deferred for transactions whose size is above large-in-scale thresholds (LIS).

MiFID II/MiFIR introduce the tick-size regime to orders in shares, depositary receipts based on the average daily number of transactions in the most relevant market in terms of liquidity and to orders in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the basis of their price.

Next steps

From 1 April 2020, the next annual transparency calculations for equity and equity-like instruments to be published by 1 March 2020, will become applicable.

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition of L3 Technologies by Harris Corporation, both aerospace and defence companies based in the US. The approval is conditional on the divestiture of Harris Corporation’s global night vision business.

Both L3 Technologies and Harris Corporation are suppliers of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, communications and electronic systems for military, law enforcement, civil government and commercial customers.

The Commission’s investigation

The Commission examined in particular the effects of the proposed transaction on competition in certain markets related to:

• night vision devices, which are opto-electric devices that provide users (typically soldiers and law enforcement personnel) with improved vision in low-light environments and total darkness; and
• hand held video data links, which are hand held communication devices that enable the transmission of high-bandwidth, real-time full motion video from aircraft, including drones.

In certain markets related to these devices the activities of the two companies overlap in the European Economic Area (EEA).

As regards night vision devices, the Commission found that Harris Corporation and L3 Technologies compete head-to-head in the markets for image intensification night vision devices and image intensification tubes in the EEA. The proposed transaction, as initially notified, would have significantly reduced competition in these markets. As a result, the Commission was concerned that the transaction would lead to higher prices and less choice for governmental defence departments, commercial customers and other customers of the companies’ night vision products in the EEA.

As regards hand held video data links, the Commission concluded that the proposed merger would raise no competition concerns, given that the merged entity would continue to face a number of credible competitors in the EEA.

The proposed remedies

To address the Commission’s competition concerns, the companies offered to divest Harris Corporation’s global night vision business.

These commitments fully address the Commission’s concerns as they remove the global overlap between L3 Technologies’ and Harris Corporation’s activities related to night vision devices.

Therefore, the Commission concluded that the proposed transaction, as modified by the commitments, would no longer raise competition concerns in the EEA or any substantial part of it. The Commission’s decision is conditional upon Harris Corporation’s full compliance with the commitments.

 

Companies and products

Harris Corporation, based in the US, is an international aerospace and defence technology company that supplies products, systems and services for defence, civil government and commercial applications.

L3 Technologies, based in the US, is an international aerospace and defence systems company that supplies intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, communications and electronic systems for military, homeland security and commercial aviation customers.

 

Merger control rules and procedures

The transaction was notified to the Commission on 26 April 2019.

The Commission has the duty to assess mergers and acquisitions involving companies with a turnover above certain thresholds (see Article 1 of the Merger Regulation) and to prevent concentrations that would significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area or any substantial part of it.

The vast majority of notified mergers do not pose competition problems and are cleared after a routine review. From the moment a transaction is notified, the Commission generally has a total of 25 working days to decide whether to grant approval (Phase I) or to start an in-depth investigation (Phase II).

More information will be available on the Commission’s competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.9234.

President Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday attended the European Council meeting, where EU28 leaders’ discussions focused on the EU’s next long-term budget, how to reach our ambitious climate targets, foreign policy issues, as well as enlargement policy.

Today, leaders met in inclusive format at the Euro Summit. They found that significant progress has been achieved since the publication of the Five Presidents’ Report in 2015 towards strengthening Europe’s Economic and Monetary Union. The European Commission welcomes the agreement on the main features of the Budgetary Instrument for Convergence and Competitiveness and the comprehensive agreement on the revision of the Treaty establishing the European Stability Mechanism.

President Juncker held a joint press conference with Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, and Klaus Iohannis, President of Romania, during which he said: “Today we have not only preserved the integrity of the euro area but we have also deepened our Economic and Monetary Union, which is now stronger than ever. The euro is no longer seen as a ‘threat’ or a ‘source of austerity’. It is seen – quite rightly – as a source of protection, and as a strategic advantage for all Europeans in an uncertain world. The step taken today is an important one, and I am very pleased that we are moving away from times of crisis.”

EU27 Leaders also discussed Brexit preparedness measures.

Please find more information and all contributions the European Commission made to this European Council meeting, on the dedicated webpage.

The press conference can be watched online here. 

(Susceptible de modifications en cours de semaine)

Déplacements et visites

 

Lundi 24 juin 2019

President Jean-Claude Juncker receives Mr José Manuel Barroso, Mr Romano Prodi, Mr Jacques Santer and Mr Pascal Lamy for an informal lunch; and hosts the presentation of the book « La commission européenne 1986 – 2000: Histoire et mémoires d’une institution », in the presence of former Members of the European Commission, Mr José Manuel Barroso, Mr Romano Prodi, Mr Jacques Santer and Mr Pascal Lamy.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič gives a keynote speech at the New Energy Outlook 2019 Brussels launch, in Brussels.

Mr Günther H. Oettinger in Berlin, Germany: meets Ms Angela Merkel, German Chancellor.

Mr Johannes Hahn in Amman,Jordan: meets key political country’s authorities; visits EU-funded projects; and signs an EU-Jordan financial agreement to support job creation and sustainable growth. 

Mr Miguel Arias Cañete in Berlin, Germany: meets Mr Peter Altmaier, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany; and meets Ms Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Environment of Germany.

Mr Karmenu Vella in Budapest, Hungary:attends the Virtuous Circle Tour in Hungary.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis in Berlin, Germany :Participates in the ‘eCommerce of Food: International Conference on Trends and Official Control’.

M. Pierre Moscovici à Paris, France : rencontre M. Philippe Herzog, Fondateur de Confrontations Europe et Directeur de la Revue la Lettre de Confrontations Europe.

Mr Phil Hogan meets MsBridget McKenzie, Agriculture Minister for Australia, in Brussels.

Ms Vĕra Jourová in Prosek, Czech Republic: visits the Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital and Mental Health Centre.

Mr Tibor Navracsics in Tbilisi, Georgia: meets with Erasmus+, EU4Youth, and Eastern Partnership European School Alumni from Georgia in the margins of the Eastern Partnership Conference.

Ms Margrethe Vestager, together with Ms Violeta Bulc, in Copenhagen, Denmark: meets representatives of ‘Danish Shipping’; and meets Mr Peter Birch Sorensen, Professor at the University of Copenhagen.

Mr Carlos Moedas in Zurich, Switzerland: delivers a keynote speech at the official opening of the Starmus V event.

Ms Mariya Gabriel in Sofia, Bulgaria: meets with Mr Kiril Ananiev, Minister for Health of Bulgaria; and meets with a delegation from the Municipality of Varna and representatives from the visual aid companies OrCam and Mobileye.

 

Mardi 25 juin 2019

General Affairs Council (Cohesion)

Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Energy)

College Meeting

President Jean-Claude Juncker receives Ms Zuzana Čaputová, President of Slovakia

President Jean-Claude Juncker receives Mr Günther Platter, Landeshauptmann of Tyrol

Ms Federica Mogherini delivers a speech at the 15^th anniversary celebrations of the European Defence Agency.

Ms Federica Mogherini receives Mr Mahmood Qureshi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan.

Ms Federica Mogherini delivers a speech at the Academic Conference on Women, Peace & Security organised by the European External Action Service, in Brussels.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives Ms Zuzana Čaputová, President of the Slovak Republic.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič gives a speech at the launch of both the Battery and Investment Platform and the European Technology & Innovation Platform (ETIP), in Brussels. 

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis receives Mr Niels Thygesen, Chairman of the European Fiscal Board (EFB).

Mr Jyrki Katainen delivers a closing speech at the seminar of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, in Brussels.

Mr Johannes Hahn in Amman, Jordan: leads a high-level mission with European and International Financial Institutions.

Mr Johannes Hahn in Beirut, Lebanon: meets Mr Saad Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon.

Mr Miguel Arias Cañete in Luxembourg, Luxembourg: meets Mr Zygmantas Vaiciunas, Minister for Energy of Lithuania; and meets Mr Claude Turmes, Minister for Energy of Luxembourg and Ms Carole Dieschbourg, Minister for Environment of Luxembourg.

Mr Karmenu Vella opens Blue Bioeconomy Forum, in Brussels.   

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis in Berlin, Germany: visits the Amazon Fresh Fulfilment Centre.

Mr Christos Stylianides participates in the 15^th anniversary celebrations of the European Defence Agency.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska delivers the opening speech at the seventh meeting of the ‘Industry 2030′ high level industrial roundtable, in Brussels.

Ms Vĕra Jourová speaks at the American European Community Association Roundtable event in Brussels, Belgium.

Mr Tibor Navracsics in Tbilisi, Georgia: participates in and speaks at the Eastern Partnership Conference ´Promoting Common Values through Education and Culture´; visits the Creative Europe Fair, exhibiting products of Creative Europe beneficiaries, in the margins of the Eastern Partnership Conference; and holds a bilateral meeting with Mr Mikheil Batiashvili, Minister for Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia.

Mr Carlos Moedas receives a delegation of representatives from the Regional Authorities of Alentejo.

Mr Carlos Moedas receives Mr Sir Mark Walport, Chief Executive of the body UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Mr Carlos Moedas delivers a keynote speech at a reception by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Region I, in Brussels.

Ms Mariya Gabriel receives representatives from the International Union of Cinemas.

Ms Mariya Gabriel receives Ms Ulrike Rabmer-Koller, President of SMEUnited.

 

Mercredi 26 juin 2019

Environment Council 

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives representatives of U.S. Steel Košice; and co-chairs a meeting of the Board of the Global Covenant of Mayors in Paris, France. 

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis receives representatives of the European Australian Business Council (EABC).

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives representatives of the European Australian Business Council (EABC).

Mr Jyrki Katainen addresses the plenary session of the Committee of the Regions on the Sustainable Development Goals, in Brussels.

Mr Günther H. Oettinger in Berlin, Germany: meets with representatives of the Committee on European Union Affairs of the German Bundestag.

Mr Johannes Hahn receives Mr Zied Laâdhari, Minister for Development, Investment and International Cooperation of Tunisia; and signs an EU-Tunisia Financial Agreement.

Ms Cecilia Malmström receives Mr Abdulla Shahid, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives, in Brussels

Mr Miguel Arias Cañete in Luxembourg: meets Mr Richard Bruton, Minister of Climate Action and Environment of Ireland; meets Ms Krista Mikkonen, Minister of Environment and Climate of Finland.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis receives Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Brazil, Ms Tereza Cristina.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis receives a group of students from the Vilnius St. Christopher Gymnasium.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis participates in the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) High Level Dinner, in Brussels.

Mr Christos Stylianides receives Mr Albrecht Broemme, President of the Bundesanstalt Technisches Hilfswerk (THW).

Ms Violeta Bulc participates in the celebrations of the Statehood Day of the Republic of Slovenia at the Cercle Royal Gaulois Club, in Brussels.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska receives a Polish delegation of the Committee of Regions.

Ms Vĕra Jourová speaks at the launch event of Alliance for Securing Democracy’s report ‘European Blueprint for Countering Authoritarian interference in Democracies’, in Brussels.

Ms Vĕra Jourová receives Ms Anna-Maja Henriksson, Minister for Justice of Finland.

Mr Carlos Moedas receives Ms Connie Hedegaard, former European Commissioner for Climate Action.

Mr Carlos Moedas attends the Conference ‘Investing Europe’ organised by the Portuguese Embassy, in Brussels

Ms Mariya Gabriel delivers the opening remarks at the first European AI Alliance Assembly in Brussels.

Ms Mariya Gabriel meets with Master’s program students from the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, in Brussels.

Ms Mariya Gabriel receives Mr Gilles de Kerchove, EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, in Brussels.

 

Jeudi 27 juin 2019

President Jean-Claude Juncker in Osaka, Japan: meets, together with Mr Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, Mr Shinzō Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, for a working lunch.

Ms Federica Mogherini chairs the EU-Morocco Association Council, in Brussels.

Ms Federica Mogherini delivers a speech at the 14^th Brussels Forum organised by the German Marshall Fund, in Brussels.

Mr Neven Mimica receives Ms Carolina Schmidt, Minister for the Environment of Chile and President-designate for the 25^th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 25).

Mr Miguel Arias Cañete gives a speech at the Plenary of the European Committee of the Regions, in Brussels.

Mr Miguel Arias Cañete receives Ms Carolina Schmidt, Minister for the Environment of Chile and President of COP25.

Mr Karmenu Vella participates in the High-Level Conference on EU Chemicals 2030 Policy, in Brussels.

Mr Karmenu Vella meets Ms Carolina Schmidt, President-designate of COP25 and Minister for the Environment of Chile, in Brussels.

Mr Karmenu Vella receives Mr Abdulla Shahid, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Maldives.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis receives Mr Bekir Pakdemirli, Minister for Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey; and participates in the ceremony of the European Ombudsman Award for Good Administration 2019, in Brussels.

Ms Marianne Thyssen delivers an opening speech at the LTU Conference ´Bringing the long-term unemployed back into work´, in Brussels.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska receives Mr Peter Hultqvist, Minister of Defence of Sweden.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska delivers a speech at the European Equality Gala, in Brussels.

Ms Violeta Bulc in Delft, Netherlands: participates in a hyperloop show organised by the Delft Hyperloop Project.

Ms Vĕra Jourová speaks at the 8^th European Insolvency and Restructuring Congress in Brussels, Belgium.

Ms Vĕra Jourová receives Mr Zdeněk Hřib, Mayor of Prague.

Ms Vĕra Jourová receives Mr Martin Šolc, President of the International Bar Association.

Ms Vĕra Jourová receives Ms Victoria A. Espinel, President of BSA (The Software Alliance). 

Ms Corina Creţu in Bucharest, Romania: delivers a closing speech at the informal meeting of the ministers of Economy and Business Environment.

Ms Corina Creţu in Bucharest, Romania: participates in the 8^th annual Forum of the European Strategy of the Danube Region (EUSDR); delivers a keynote speech and holds a Press conference at the EUSDR.

Ms Margrethe Vestager delivers a keynote speech at the State Aid High Level Forum, in Brussels.

Mr Carlos Moedas in Dublin, Ireland: delivers a keynote speech entitled ‘Vision for European Science, including Science Advice’ at Trinity College; meets with Ms Catherine Day, Special Adviser to President Juncker; meets with Mr John Halligan, Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills of Ireland with special responsibility for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development; attends a Stakeholder event at the Irish Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation; and meets with Mr Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach, Minister for Defence, and Leader of Fine Gael of Ireland.

Ms Mariya Gabriel in Plovdiv, Bulgaria: speaks in the panel ‘Conditions for transforming Bulgaria as a European digital hub’ at the Plovdiv Economic Forum; and meets with organisers of the Bulgarian Digital Week.

 

Vendredi 28 juin 2019

G20 summit in Osaka, Japan

President Jean-Claude Juncker in Osaka, Japan: meets Mr Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, Prime Minister of Vietnam.

Ms Federica Mogherini receives Mr Abdulla Shahid, Foreign Minister of the Maldives.

Ms Federica Mogherini receives Mr Jim Jeffrey, Special Representative for Syria and for the Coalition to Defeat ISIS of the United States.

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis in Riga, Latvia: meets Mr Raimonds Vējonis, President of Latvia; and meets the Latvian Major Cities Association.

Mr Jyrki Katainen in Helsinki, Finland: delivers a keynote address and participates in a panel entitled ‘Crisis of Leadership: Will Europe be a global player?’ at the Northern Light Summit; and takes part in the panel ‘A World at Risk: Redefining the Role of Business’ at the European Business Leaders’ Convention (ELBC).

Mr Miguel Arias Cañete participates in the Ministerial on Climate Action, in Brussels.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis receives Mr Ted McKinney, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs of the United States Department of Agriculture; and receives a delegation of ‘Food Heroes’ to discuss food measuring procedures.

Mr Phil Hogan participates the EU-Turkey High Level Agricultural dialogue.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska in Stockholm, Sweden: attends the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Envoys’ meeting.

Mr Tibor Navracsics in Budapest, Hungary: participates in a working dinner with Hungarian entrepreneurs, organised by the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr Carlos Moedas in Lisbon, Portugal: delivers a keynote speech at the debate ‘Research, Science and Innovation’, organised by the Catholic University of Portugal (UCP).

Ms Mariya Gabriel in Sofia, Bulgaria: meets with Mr Simeon Karakolev, President of the National Shepherd Association; meets with Ms Maria-Luisa Meroni, President of Confindustria Bulgaria; and meets with representatives from the Digital Health and Innovation (DHI) Cluster Bulgaria.

 

Samedi 29 juin 2019

G20 summit in Osaka, Japan

President Jean-Claude Juncker in Osaka, Japan: meets Mr Mauricio Macri, President of Argentina.

Dimanche 30 juin 2019

European Council

Ms Margrethe Vestager in Freiburg, Germany: receives the International Award of Friedrich August von Hayek Stiftung.

 

Prévisions du mois de juillet 2019 :

04-05/07 Informal meeting of competitiveness ministers

08/07 EU-Ukraine summit; Eurogroup; Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council

09/07 Economic and Financial Affairs Council

11-12/07 Informal meeting of environment ministers

15/07 Foreign Affairs Council

15-16/07 Agriculture and Fisheries Council

18-19/07 Informal meeting of justice and home affairs ministers

23/07 General Affairs Council

24/07 Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Budget)

 

Permanence DG COMM le WE du 22 et 23 juin 2019

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