Here’s a review of the three legal acts:
Mali Sanctions Update
The EU has updated its sanctions list concerning Mali, modifying information about three individuals: Ismaël Wagué, Choguel Maïga, and Ibrahim Ikassa Maïga. These persons remain subject to asset freezes due to their involvement in the 2020 coup, obstruction of the political transition, and recent denunciation of the Peace Agreement in January 2024.
Safety Gate Rapid Alert System
The EU has established new detailed rules for the product safety alert system. The regulation introduces five types of notifications for dangerous products and sets up a four-level risk classification system. It requires specific information in notifications, including product details, risk descriptions, and traceability data. The system includes a structured methodology for assessing product risks from low to serious levels.
Agricultural De Minimis Aid
The EU has increased the ceiling for agricultural state aid to €50,000 per undertaking over three years, with national caps set at 2% of agricultural output. Member States must establish central registers for such aid by 2027. The regulation simplifies monitoring by removing sector caps and switches from fiscal to calendar year calculations. It includes specific provisions for calculating aid equivalents for loans and guarantees, and handles cases of company mergers and splits.
Review of each of legal acts published today:
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3147 of 13 December 2024 implementing Article 12(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1770 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Mali
This Council Implementing Regulation amends the EU’s restrictive measures (sanctions) concerning Mali by updating information about three individuals subject to these measures. The regulation modifies Annex Ia to Regulation (EU) 2017/1770, which contains the list of persons subject to asset freezes and other restrictions.The regulation’s structure is straightforward, consisting of two main articles: Article 1 implements the changes to Annex Ia, and Article 2 establishes the entry into force. The detailed changes are contained in the Annex, which provides updated information and reasons for listings for three individuals: Ismaël Wagué, Choguel Maïga, and Ibrahim Ikassa Maïga.The key provisions in the Annex detail the specific reasons for maintaining these individuals on the sanctions list, including:
- Their roles in the August 2020 coup and subsequent transitional government
- Their involvement in delaying elections and extending the transition period
- Their responsibility for the denunciation of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali in January 2024
- Their actions that threaten Mali’s peace, security, and stability
- Their obstruction of the successful completion of Mali’s political transition
The listings include detailed personal information about each individual, including their dates of birth, nationalities, passport numbers, and current positions, along with comprehensive explanations of why they remain subject to restrictive measures.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/3173 of 27 August 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2023/988 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2023/988 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to rules on access to and operation of the Safety Gate Rapid Alert System, information to be entered in that System, notification requirements and the criteria for assessment of the level of risk
This Commission Delegated Regulation supplements Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety by establishing detailed rules for the operation of the Safety Gate Rapid Alert System. It sets requirements for notifications about dangerous products, criteria for risk assessment, and rules for information exchange between Member States through this system.The regulation consists of 3 main articles and 2 detailed annexes. Annex I provides comprehensive rules on different types of notifications, required information, and procedures for submitting and managing notifications through the Safety Gate system. Annex II establishes criteria and methodology for assessing product risks, including a four-level classification of harm severity and probability assessment.Key provisions include:
- Five types of notifications: serious risk, other risk, information notifications, follow-up notifications, and Commission alerts
- Detailed requirements for information that must be included in notifications (product identification, risk description, traceability information, etc.)
- Specific criteria for assessing health and safety risks as well as other public interest risks
- A structured methodology for determining risk levels (serious, high, medium, low) based on harm severity and probability
- Cases where serious risk can be presumed without individual assessment
The regulation introduces significant changes by establishing a more structured and detailed framework for product safety notifications compared to previous systems, with clear criteria for risk assessment and information requirements. It aims to ensure consistent and effective operation of the EU’s rapid alert system for dangerous products.
Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/3118 of 10 December 2024 amending Regulation (EU) No 1408/2013 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid in the agriculture sector
This Regulation amends the rules for de minimis state aid in the agricultural sector of the EU. It increases the ceiling for aid that a single undertaking may receive to EUR 50,000 over any 3-year period and extends the validity of the regulation until December 31, 2032. The national caps for cumulative aid are set at 2% of each Member State’s average agricultural output.The Regulation introduces several key structural changes: it requires Member States to establish central registers for de minimis aid by January 1, 2027, eliminates sector cap monitoring to reduce administrative burden, and modifies the calculation period from fiscal years to calendar years. The document includes detailed provisions on how to calculate aid equivalents for loans and guarantees, and sets specific rules for mergers, acquisitions, and company splits.Key provisions include:
– New ceiling of EUR 50,000 per undertaking over 3 years
– Mandatory central registration of aid at national or EU level
– Simplified monitoring requirements with removal of sector caps
– Updated national caps for each Member State based on agricultural output
– Modified rules for calculating aid equivalents for different forms of support
– New transparency requirements for public access to aid information
– Special provisions for Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework
