Daily News 12 / 08 / 2022

Humanitarian aid: the EU supports people in need in Uganda

The EU has allocated an additional €4 million to Uganda, to help the country address the influx of new refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and address the food insecurity in Uganda's Karamoja region, on the border with Kenya. Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “Prevailing insecurity in the eastern DRC has led to an increase in the number of refugee arrivals in neighbouring Uganda, which is already hosting the largest refugee population in Africa. This funding will enable our humanitarian partners address the most urgent emergency needs, including supporting those newly displaced. In addition, funding has been allocated to Uganda to help the country address the rapidly deteriorating food security situation in its Karamoja region, where half a million people are in urgent need of food assistance.” The top-up amount brings the total funding for Uganda to €34 million in 2022. The security situation in the DRC has resulted in a large number of people seeking refuge in neighbouring Uganda, with more than 57,000 arriving since January 2022. Uganda already hosts the largest refugee population in Africa (1.5 million) and the third largest in the world. The Karamoja area, in Uganda's northeast, is currently facing the devastating consequences of the drought affecting the Horn of Africa – often described as “the worse in a generation.” More than 500,000 people are in urgent need of food assistance, with around 100,000 children and pregnant and lactating women being acutely malnourished. The additional funding allocated by the EU will allow humanitarian partners to provide food and nutrition assistance, including immediate life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable. (For more information: Miriam Garcia Ferrer - Tel.: +32 229 99075; Daniel Puglisi - Tel.: +32 229 69140)

Concentrations: la Commission autorise l'acquisition de Clearway Energy Group et de SunPower Group par TotalEnergies et GIP

La Commission européenne a approuvé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations, l'acquisition de Clearway Energy Group LLC et l'ensemble de ses filiales (« Clearway Energy Group ») et de SunPower Corporation et l'ensemble de ses filiales (« SunPower Group »), toutes basées aux États-Unis, par TotalEnergies SE (« TotalEnergies »), basée en France, et Global Infrastructure Management LLC (« GIP »), basée aux États-Unis. Clearway Energy Group est un investisseur en infrastructures énergétiques se concentrant sur les investissements aux États-Unis. SunPower Group est un fournisseur de technologies solaires et de services énergétiques aux États-Unis et au Canada. TotalEnergies est une société d'énergie cotée en bourse active à l'échelle mondiale dans l'industrie pétrolière et gazière. GIP est un gestionnaire de fonds d'infrastructure mondial indépendant principalement axé sur l'investissement dans les secteurs des transports, de l'énergie, des infrastructures numériques et des déchets et des eaux. La Commission a conclu que la concentration envisagée ne soulèverait pas de problème de concurrence, compte tenu de son impact très limité sur la structure du marché concerné. La transaction a été examinée dans le cadre de la procédure simplifiée de 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.10818. (Pour plus d'informations: Arianna Podesta – Tél.: +32 229 87024; Nina Ferreira - Tél.: +32 229 98163)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Triton Power by SSE Thermal and Equinor

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of Triton Power of Jersey by SSE Thermal of the UK and by Equinor New Energy Limited (‘Equinor') of Norway. Triton Power is an electricity power generating company that operates three facilities in the UK, providing national grid network services, electrical energy and cogeneration supply to industrial customers. SSE Thermal, part of the SSE Group, owns and operates conventional thermal generation plants in the UK and Ireland. Equinor is an international energy company whose business activities consist principally of worldwide exploration, production, transportation, refining and marketing of petroleum and petroleum-derived products, gas and other forms of energy, including renewable energy. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, as Triton Power does not have any activities in the European Economic Area. The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.10836. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Nina Ferreira - Tel.: +32 229 98163)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Paccor by Faerch

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of PACCOR Holdings GmbH (‘Paccor') of Germany by Faerch A/S (‘Faerch') of Denmark. Both Faerch and Paccor manufacture and distribute rigid plastic packaging for food in the European Economic Area (‘EEA'). The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns given the companies' moderate combined position and the presence of strong competitors in the EEA. 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.10651. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Nina Ferreira - Tel.: +32 229 98163)

Tentative agendas for forthcoming Commission meetings

Note that these items can be subject to changes.

Upcoming events of the European Commission

Eurostat press releases