EU to present its “Farm to Fork” Strategy
The Commission will publish at the end of April an action strategy on the agri-food sector called “Farm to Fork”. This strategy covers the entire sector, from animal farming and agricultural practices to the point of sales. The plan should set out five pillars for action: reducing the use of pesticides and chemicals in agriculture, […]
EU’s Green Deal
In December 2019, the new European Commission presented the European Green Deal. The ultimate goal of the European Green Deal is to make the European Union the first climate neutral continent by 2050. To meet this objective, the European Commission will embark on a comprehensive review of existing and ongoing legislative measures and consider rolling […]
EU to Regulate Artificial Intelligence
In February 2020, the European Commission issued the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence. This document will be the basis for a number of new EU rules and legislations on the technology sector, in particular what the European Union considers high risk Artificial Intelligence applications. Most impacted sectors will be healthcare, financial institutions, transport and energy. […]
EU’s Data Regulation
At the start of the year, the European Commission published a European strategy on data. The strategy covers data economy, data protection and standardized data sharing. It envisages also the creation of an EU Data Law in 2021. There will be strict rules that other countries might replicate in the future. In more detail, the […]
EU Rules on Food Safety
On 2 March 2020, the European Commission commenced a consultation process with all stakeholders aimed at reviewing the existing legal framework on food irradiation. The goal of the European Commission is two-fold. On one hand, the European Commission wants to assess whether the free movement of irradiated foodstuff within the internal market still works. On […]
New EU Rules for Investment Firms
In February, the European Commission started a public consultation with a focus on reviewing the regulatory framework for investment firms and market operators. Through this process, the European Commission is looking to collect stakeholders’ views, in particular market participants, on a possible review of the Market in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) and the Market […]
EU Trade with Third Countries
On 11 March 2020, the European Commission launched a consultation to collect views from business, third countries, NGOs and associations over a possible revision of the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP). The EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences provides one-way tariff preferences to developing countries. More concretely, the scheme allows developing countries to export their […]
EU carbon border tax
The European Green Deal, proposed by President von der Leyen to be delivered in the initial 100 days in office, will include the first European Climate Law enshrining the 2050 climate-neutrality target into legislation. The Green Deal will include a more inclusive Emissions Trading System (ETS), as well as a Carbon Border Tax to mitigate […]
EU to enforce rules on online payments
The European Payments Service Directive II (PSD2), in force since January 2018, is currently stirring debate among Member States regarding the process of its implementation. The Directive is designed to harmonize and simplify money transfers inside the EU, decrease fraud in online payments, and inform consumers about the rights and obligations. The revised PSD2 extends […]
EU restrictions on electrical and electronic materials
European legislation restricting the use of hazardous substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment was approved in 2003 and has since been reviewed in 2011 and 2017. The European Commission initiated in September a consultation to collect public and business’ opinions in order to assess the performance of the restriction of hazardous elements, the management […]