Just as the European institutions adopted a Stop The Clock before a deep dive on Omnibus provisions, a coalition of NGOs filed a formal complaint on April 18, 2025, with the European Ombudsman. They claim the European...more
4/21/2025
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
NGOs ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Sustainability ,
Taxonomy ,
Transparency
During its 83rd session from April 7 to 11, 2025, the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) approved, among other things, new fuel standards for ships and the first...more
On April 15, 2025, the EU Commission published a new Guidance Document, new frequently asked questions (FAQs), and a proposal for a new Delegated Act designed to simplify the compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation...more
4/18/2025
/ Due Diligence ,
Environmental Policies ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Forestry ,
Imports ,
New Guidance ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability
The heads of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) and the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) presented their plans for their joint Government on April 9, 2025....more
4/11/2025
/ Climate Action Plan ,
Corporate Governance ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Germany ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Taxonomy
On April 3, 2025, the European Parliament adopted, by an overwhelming majority, a Directive that would “stop the clock” on certain reporting requirements under the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), as...more
The European Commission proposed the EU Omnibus package on February 26 to reduce the burden, and delay application, of the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the EU Corporate Sustainability Due...more
4/2/2025
/ Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Sustainability
In its meeting of March 20, 2025, the European Council expressed its support of the so-called Omnibus Package proposed by the European Commission on February 26, 2025. The Omnibus Package includes significant changes to EU...more
3/31/2025
/ Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Parliament ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Finance
A Peruvian farmer's climate action lawsuit against a German energy company was continued recently before the Higher Regional Court in Hamm, Germany....more
3/28/2025
/ Agribusiness ,
Appeals ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Change ,
Damages ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Claims ,
Environmental Liability ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Farms ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Germany ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Oil & Gas ,
Property Damage
The Australian Treasury, which administers Australia's foreign investment framework, has released its first quarterly report for the 2024-25 financial year. Here are some key statistics and trends from the report.
Treasury...more
Recent rulings indicate that it will be easier for cartel victims to pursue their claims in German courts by assigning them to a special purpose vehicle ("SPV"), which then litigates the combined claims as the sole plaintiff...more
The European Union published its long-awaited "Omnibus" package, proposing to delay key European ESG rules, while simultaneously reducing the applicability and burden of corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence...more
2/27/2025
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Investors ,
Omnibus Guidance ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Sustainability
On January 15, 2025, the European Commission ("EC") published a Recommendation ("EU Recommendation") urging European Union Member States to start reviewing outbound investments outside of the EU in three strategic sectors:...more
New ESG regulations are expected to have a significant impact on disclosure and governance obligations for EU and non-EU companies alike, including extensive sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements on...more
12/11/2024
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Coal Mines ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hague Convention ,
Infrastructure ,
Pollution Control ,
Shell Oil
On October 2, 2024, the European Commission (the "Commission") proposed an extra 12 months of phasing-in time for the application of the EU Deforestation Regulation ("EUDR"), one of the EU's measures to combat climate change....more
The EU's new Forced Labour Regulation supplements a broad range of other legislative acts to fight forced labor....more
The Development: Recently, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ("ACCC") published draft guidelines designed to assist businesses to understand how they can collaborate on sustainability initiatives without...more
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of May 31, 2023 (the "Deforestation Regulation" or "EUDR") aims to reduce the EU's role in cutting down woodlands and thereby to limit the impact of deforestation on greenhouse gas emissions....more
The Situation: The UK Competition and Markets Authority ("CMA") recently secured undertakings from fashion brands ASOS, Boohoo, and George at Asda to address allegedly misleading environmental claims. The CMA has also...more
5/22/2024
/ Advertising ,
Advertising Standards Authority ,
Competition ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Environmental Claims ,
Environmental Policies ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Green Energy ,
Greenwashing ,
Section 5 ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
The Council of the European Union ("EU") approved the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive ("CS3D") on March 15, 2024. The CS3D contains due diligence and governance obligations that will have an extensive impact...more
3/20/2024
/ Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
European Commission ,
Financial Institutions ,
Green Deal ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Assessment ,
Sustainability
The Development: On January 24, 2024, the European Commission ("EC") unveiled a package of five fresh initiatives aimed at strengthening the European Union's ("EU") economic security (the "Package"). This will likely increase...more
The Council of Europe and the European Parliament announced on December 14, 2023, that they reached a political agreement on the text of the upcoming European Union ("EU") Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive...more
The Development: The Screening of Third Country Transactions Act 2023 (the "STCT Act") was signed into law on October 31, 2023, introducing a new investment screening regime in the Republic of Ireland ("Ireland") with a...more
On October 3, 2023, the European Commission ("Commission") unveiled a list of 10 technology areas qualified as "critical" to the European Union's ("EU") economic security, out of which four (Semiconductors, AI, Quantum...more
10/17/2023
/ 5G Network ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Biotechnology ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Cybersecurity ,
Economic Reform ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Export Controls ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Foreign Investment ,
Investment Controls ,
Risk Assessment ,
Semiconductors
In Short -
The Background: Luxembourg has introduced a new foreign direct investment regime with a suspensory mandatory notification requirement in relation to investments in a broad range of sectors....more
In Short -
The Situation: On July 13, 2023, the European Court of Justice ("ECJ") issued a judgment (Case C-106/22 - Xella) clarifying the conditions under which EU Member States may screen and block foreign direct...more