On 12 April, the Cabinet Office published the second tranche of its official guidance documents on the Procurement Act. The guidance documents cover: The National Procurement Policy statement (‘NPPS’); Technical Specifications; Pipeline Notices; Planned Procurement Notices; and Preliminary Market Engagement. Each guidance document clearly sets out the key points and the policy intent in respect of these discrete parts of the Procurement Act ...
The EU published a report on 18 April 2024, ‘Much More than a Market’.1 The reasons behind the call for the report are the EU’s concerns that just over 30 years after its creation there are important aspects of the Single Market that are not complete, and that the world is very different to what it was 30 years ago ...
On December 6, 2023, an amendment to the Act to amend the Act respecting municipal taxation and other legislative provisions1(?Bill 39?)was adopted during a clause-by-clause consideration of Bill 39 in parliamentary committee. Two days later, the Bill received assent ...
There are three main challenges to increasing competition in the availability of enroute charging stations, especially at motorway service area (MSA) sites, and the common theme is cost. The main challenges are: High costs for connecting to the electricity network, which acts as a key barrier to charge point operators (CPOs) investing at MSA sites. Limited competition at MSA sites, which is linked to the high costs for connecting to the electricity network ...
Ahead of International Data Centre Day on 20 March 2024 we consider what we believe to be some of the most important trends that are likely to have an impact on the data centre industry over the next 12 months: 1 ...
In general, the directors and officers of a legal person have obligations and responsibilities relating to the legal person?s activities. Each director must act with prudence, diligence, honesty, loyalty and in the legal person?s interest.1 Each officer is responsible for representing the legal person and directing its activities ...
In the recent judgment of John Mussington & Anor v. Development Control Authority & Others (Antigua and Barbuda) [2024] UKPC 3, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (“JCPC”) found that the appellants had standing to challenge the construction of an airstrip in Bermuda ...
Liverpool’s impressive Spine building was the backdrop for the North West Hydrogen Alliance’s conference focussed on delivering the hydrogen economy. Appropriately, for an event with such an ambitious title, the occasion drew participants and presenters from various segments of the value chain. On the production side, BP and Cadent announced plans for a new 250MW plant ...
Practise What You Preach Governance + Compliance Magazine Joanne Sear, Principal Associate Barrister, Shoosmiths February 2024 Companies in the legal services industry may be advising clients on the risks and opportunities around corporate responsibility, but are they living up to those recommendations? For more than a decade, corporate responsibility (CR) has been a key risk and opportunity for businesses ...
To reduce carbon emissions, significant changes are necessary in how our industries operate, how they draw power from the grid and how we heat our homes. Hydrogen emerges as a pivotal element in achieving net zero (NZ) emission goals. It serves as a low-carbon fuel, facilitating our transition toward a more sustainable future. Developing a hydrogen economy holds the key to unlocking future investments, generating employment opportunities and enhancing supply chains ...
This February saw the largest Energy Storage Summit in the UK so far, as over 1500 delegates, exhibitors and speakers converged on West London to discuss the key issues in storage, both in the UK and overseas. Chris Pritchett, energy and infrastructure partner has been a prominent figure in Energy Storage since 2015 and was asked to chair day two of the conference ...
The regulations that are starting to emerge in various different jurisdictions pose major challenges, not just for users, but also for developers of AI systems. In this article we will look at the main differences and the areas of common ground. Artificial intelligence has revolutionized many aspects of our lives, from healthcare to national security. However, its use has also raised concerns in connection with privacy, discrimination and security ...
With climate change continuing to be a topic of concern across the international community, Canada has recently taken another step to support the development of renewable energies and technologies. In the 2023 budget tabled on March 28, 2023, the Canadian federal government unveiled new tax incentives aimed at supporting investments in both renewable energies and certain clean technologies. These incentives can be grouped into five main Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) ...
The case concerns the interpretation of Article 269 of the AHL, which provides that additional or more stringent measures by Member States may be adopted concerning responsibilities for animal health in certain limited areas. (As provided for Articles 10 to 17 AHL ...
As global environmental awareness surges, renewable energy stands at the forefront of sustainable development, playing a vital role in shaping a greener future. In this context, nations are increasingly turning to renewable sources as pivotal elements of their energy strategies. Among these nations, Thailand is notable for its commitment to renewable energy ...
In November, we published a regulatory update on the announced legislative project that aims to clarify requirements and processes for offshore wind power in the Finnish exclusive economic zone ("EEZ") ...
The year 2023 was marked by the further strengthening of control over transactions involving the sale of Russian assets owned by “unfriendly” foreign entities, as well as over Russian strategic companies. As for antimonopoly regulation, after several years of discussions and revisions, the fifth antimonopoly package was adopted, and a number of precedent-setting cases were considered. Please see below for more details about the key developments and highlights of 2023. 1 ...
Shoosmiths’ legal experts outline the key legal changes set to impact the UK’s real estate industry in 2024 and beyond. Introduction of biodiversity net gain in England New biodiversity net gain requirements will be introduced for large development sites from 12 February 2024 and are set to also apply to smaller sites from 2 April 2024. Biodiversity net gain aims to create and improve natural habitats by measuring the impact of a development on biodiversity ...
Last week, Shoosmiths hosted an event with leading industry body, Regen on REMA, The UK’s Review of Electricity Market Arrangements. During this event we heard directly from representatives from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, debating the most important issues for the clean energy sector to consider and discuss the key options for reform with leading developers and investors ...
