The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive ("CSRD") was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 16 December 2022, having been formally adopted by the European Parliament and Council of the European...more
The Dutch Competition Authority has recently approved three different sustainability initiatives in the CO2 capture/storage, soft drinks and floriculture sectors. These approvals demonstrate the Dutch Competition Authority’s...more
On 29 June 2022, the European Commission revealed its updated Blue Guide on the implementation of product rules in the EU. This contains some important changes, reflecting current market surveillance rules, and fills some...more
A look at three key regulatory developments in the EU and US - proposed EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and Reporting Directives and US SEC Climate Change Disclosure Rules...more
7/15/2022
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Counsel ,
CSDR ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sustainability
The EU "Fit for 55" package, if adopted, will significantly reshape environmental regulation in Europe, with impact beyond the EU's borders. In this alert, we focus on developments in two of the most impactful files, the...more
7/8/2022
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Carbon Taxes ,
Climate Change ,
Emissions Trading System ,
Environmental Policies ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Imports ,
Popular ,
Supply Chain
On 23 February 2022, the European Commission ("Commission") issued its long-awaited Proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence to tackle human rights and environmental impacts across global value...more
On 17 November 2021, the European Commission ("Commission") announced a Proposal for a new Regulation to curb global deforestation and forest degradation driven by European Union ("EU") consumption of certain commodities....more
The European Commission has unveiled its newly proposed Generalised Scheme of Preferences ("GSP") for the period 2024-2034 – aiming at a more effective system which delivers benefits to where they are needed, and at the same...more
The UK has left the EU but there remains a vast array of operational and legal issues for businesses to address. See below for our perspectives on the key challenges and opportunities that Brexit presents for different...more
8/3/2021
/ Data Protection ,
Dispute Resolution ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Germany ,
Italy ,
Member State ,
State Aid ,
Technology Sector ,
Trade Agreements ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
Withdrawal Agreement
As a key part of the "Fit for 55" European Green Deal package, the European Commission has published its controversial proposal for a carbon border adjustment mechanism ("CBAM"). The CBAM, if adopted, will impose a levy on...more
It has now been a year since the UK exited the EU and a matter of months since the transition period came to an end. For the most part, there have not been major changes to environmental regulation in the UK. Instead, the UK...more
On 30 December 2020, the EU and China agreed in principle on a Comprehensive Agreement on Investment ("CAI"). The text of the agreement is not yet available,1 but the European Commission called it "the most ambitious...more
After countless deadlines have come and gone, with a deal 90% done but three intransigent sticking points, on 24 December 2020 the UK and EU finally announced "agreement in principle" had been reached on their future...more
The European Commission has published a proposal to revise the EU's Aarhus Regulation that, if adopted, would expand the possibilities for NGOs to challenge EU administrative acts and omissions on the basis that they...more
The European Commission and the EU's Foreign Policy High Representative have put forward a proposal for a new, non-country-based sanctions programme to address human rights violations and abuses with asset freezes and travel...more
On 28 September 2020, the European Commission unveiled an ambitious Action Plan with 30 concrete actions intended to make the EU customs union smarter, more effectively digital, and more agile by end 2025. Key aims (once...more
Competition regulators have shown their ability to act quickly and decisively in order to help allay the worst impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. Could these responses provide a template for achieving environmental and...more
9/22/2020
/ Collaboration ,
Competition ,
Competition Authorities ,
Consumers ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Environmental Policies ,
European Commission ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Germany ,
Grocery Stores ,
Health Care Providers ,
Netherlands ,
No-Action Letters ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
Public Safety ,
Sustainability ,
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
United Nations
On 2 June 2020, the European Commission published its roadmap on the possible introduction of a ‘new competition tool’ that would allow it to initiate market investigations into perceived structural competition problems, with...more
The European Commission has launched a consultation to help shape the next Generalised Scheme of Preferences ("GSP") from 2024. Stakeholders have until 3 June 2020 to comment....more
This is a special newsletter with our selection of key EU customs developments in 2019. It is not intended to provide an exhaustive summary.
...more
1/29/2020
/ Administrative Proceedings ,
Classifications of Goods ,
Country of Origin ,
Customs ,
Draft Implementation Regulations ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Fair Trade Agreements (FTA) ,
Nomenclature ,
Tariffs ,
Trial Court Orders ,
UK Brexit ,
Valuation
Setting the scene
The long anticipated European Commission (DG COMP) report on "EU loan syndication and its impact on competition in credit markets" (see here) has finally been published. The study primarily focuses on the...more
4/15/2019
/ Anticompetitive Agreements ,
Banks ,
Borrowers ,
Competition ,
Contract Negotiations ,
Contract Terms ,
Duty of Care ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
France ,
Germany ,
Hedging ,
Impact Assessments ,
Information Reports ,
Infrastructure ,
Interest Rates ,
Lenders ,
Leveraged Buyout ,
Loans ,
Netherlands ,
Poland ,
Risk Management ,
Spain ,
Syndicated Loans ,
UK
The United Kingdom (UK) leaving the European Union (EU) will inevitably result in difficulties for businesses using UK content in their products for export under EU Free Trade Agreements, or for UK businesses using EU content...more
4/2/2019
/ Component Parts Doctrine ,
Country of Origin ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Exports ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
No-Deal Brexit ,
Suppliers ,
Supply Contracts ,
Tariffs ,
UK ,
UK Brexit
On 14 March 2019, the EU Horizontal Safeguard Regulation 2019/287 ("HSR") entered into force to streamline the implementation of bilateral safeguard measures in EU trade agreements concluded with third countries....more