On 10 October 2024, the new EU sanctions framework against Russia will come into force. Council Regulation (EU) 2024/2642 introduces new restrictive measures against Russia in response to its destabilising activities against...more
In early March the European Council and Parliament reached a provisional agreement on a new EU regulation concerning forced labour in supply chains. The European Parliament has approved the English-language text of a proposed...more
On 17 September 2024, European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen presented to the European Parliament her proposed team of Commissioners-designate together with their portfolios for the next European Commission...more
On 24 April 2024, the European Union adopted a directive criminalizing the following sanctions violations: The directive brings significant changes to EU sanctions enforcement by harmonising the rules on the violation of EU...more
The last plenary session of the European Parliament – in its current composition before the next elections in June – took place from 22 to 25 April 2024. The session resulted in major developments, which will significantly...more
On 9 April 2024, the European Commission launched its first ex-officio investigation under the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation, targeting Chinese wind turbines in Spain, Greece, France, Romania and Bulgaria....more
The European Commission presented the European Economic Security Package ("EESP"), a toolkit to ramp-up European action in investment, trade and research in the face of rising geopolitical tensions, geo-economic fragmentation...more
CBAM has entered its transitional application period, which serves as a 'trial run' for the definitive application which starts on 1 January 2026. Between 1 October 2023 and 31 December 2025, importers of CBAM goods into the...more
On 24 February 2023, the U.S. intensified its sanctions on Russia and released new trade control measures targeting key sectors, evasion efforts, and military supplies. Taken together, the additional sanctions, export...more
Coinciding with the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Germany has demonstrated a tougher stance in the enforcement of the EU sanctions. These actions serve as a stark reminder to companies to bring their export...more
The new EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation, which appears to mirror the substantive EU State aid principles set out in Article 107 (1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (“TFEU”) and entered into force on 12...more
On 14 September 2022, the European Commission released a proposal for a Regulation prohibiting products made with forced labour on the EU market. The European Commission has taken a comprehensive approach, with the ban...more
9/20/2022
/ China ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Due Diligence ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Exports ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Imports ,
Supply Chain ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)
On 25 February 2022, the EU adopted a wide package of additional sanctions against Russia targeting key sectors of its economy. New measures include: (1) a complete export ban on dual-use items; (2) export bans on goods in...more
The European Commission intensified its focus on semiconductors by proposing the EU Chips Act on February 8, 2022. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen calls it a "game changer". The proposed Act contains...more
The Court of Justice of the EU has interpreted for the first time the Blocking Regulation. The ruling confirms that it is possible to terminate contracts with a US designated person without providing reasons. However, in...more
In its First Annual Report on the EU Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Screening Regulation and Member States’ individual screening mechanisms, the European Commission takes stock of the first year of implementation of the new...more
The U.S. and the EU have announced a settlement regarding the U.S. Section 232 duties on European steel and aluminum products. As part of that settlement, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced that the 25...more
11/8/2021
/ Aluminum Sales ,
EU ,
Imports ,
Section 232 ,
Steel Industry ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Relations ,
US Trade Policies ,
WTO
On 22 September 2021, the European Commission (“Commission”) published its legislative proposal (“GSP Proposal”) for the EU new Generalised Scheme of Preferences (“GSP”) which is due to expire on 31 December 2023. The GSP...more
The EU CBAM proposal signals a transformation of the European carbon pricing regulations. U.S. businesses with significant European operations, or with operations in emissions-intensive, trade-exposed industry sectors, should...more
Following the release of the European Commission’s proposal for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (“CBAM Proposal”) on 14 July 2021 as part of the “Fit for 55” legislative package aimed at reducing the EU’s greenhouse gas...more
After journey of over four years, the EU adopted Regulation (EU) 2021/821, recasting the Dual-Use Regulation. The new rules will enter into force on 9 September 2021 and will entail stricter catch-all controls on non-listed...more
The European Union and the United Kingdom have each significantly expanded the scope of their sanctions against Belarus in response to the forced Ryanair aircraft landing in May. The new measures adopted target a significant...more
8/17/2021
/ Belarus ,
Belarus Sanctions ,
Dual Use Goods ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
European Investment Bank (EIB) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Military Goods ,
Popular ,
UK
On 7 December 2020, the EU adopted a global human rights sanctions regime. No individuals have been designated yet. Going forward, this means that companies should ensure that they conduct sanctions screening on all...more
The European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of the European Union (EU) reached an agreement on a revised Trade Enforcement Regulation to strengthen the protection of the EU trade interests in World Trade...more
11/3/2020
/ Bilateral Agreements ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Parliament ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Trade Policy ,
Trade Relations ,
Trade Retaliation ,
WTO
The long-awaited application of the European Union (EU) Regulation on a framework for the screening of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the EU started yesterday, 11 October 2020. It is still early days to anticipate how the...more