Greenwashing is a form of marketing that misrepresents a product, service or practice as having positive environmental effects,1 thereby misleading consumers and preventing them from making an informed purchasing decision.2 Several initiatives have been launched around the world to counter this practice. In California, a law requires business entities to disclose information in support of environmental claims ...
In July 2023, the World Seafood Center opened its new facility at Oslo Airport, the world’s largest refrigerated terminal for handling of fresh seafood. Large quantities of seafood are being exported from Norway every day from this terminal ...
China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) released the 2023 Drug Review Annual Report on its official website on February 4, 2024, closely followed by the 2023 Medical Device Registration Annual Report on February 5. According to the public information, more than 60 innovative drugs have been approved by NMPA from 2022 to 2023, and a total of 61 innovative medical devices have been approved in 2023 ...
On 21 September 2023,the EU Court of Justice (‘CJEU’) handed down its ruling in the Apotheke B. case (C-47/22), and it is a good example of the high threshold set by the EU Court of Justice to uphold the Community Code’s main aim of protecting public health ...
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a campaign highlighting the risks of food labelled as vegan to people with allergies. Research from the FSA has shown that 62% of consumers with an animal-based allergy were confident that products labelled as ‘vegan’ were safe to eat. The FSA says this confidence is incorrect and is putting people at risk ...
For the past five years there has been an ongoing battle between the Belgian Competition Authority (“BCA”) and the legislator about the BCA’s competence to review mergers between hospitals. This wrangling has lead to a whole collection of legislative reforms, opinions, merger decisions with strong press releases, and communications going back and forth ...
The CRMA seeks to encourage Member States towards undertaking Strategic Mineral Projects, focusing on essential minerals like Copper, Titanium, Nickel (battery grade), Lithium (battery grade), and Rare Earth Elements for magnets. The overarching objective is to enhance the EU’s extraction capacity and become less dependent on suppliers from outside the EU ...
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 ...
Governments around the world are thinking about encouraging data sharing on a larger scale by using regulation. In the EU we have the EU Data Act, which will take effect in 2025 so is fast coming around the corner. It’s a juggernaut, and once it hits things may never be quite the same again. So what effect will it have? A recent CJEU ruling illustrates some of the problems it is likely to cause ...
Episode 8 of the Journey Through a Contract series highlights the key considerations when a business is entering into a contract with a consumer. This podcast examines the key considerations parties should give to contractual rights and obligations as they flow through a supply chain. A supply chain can consist of a number of different contracts, including those with raw material suppliers and manufacturers at the start, to distributors and customers at the end ...
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 ...
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 ...
In recent years, license-in/out transactions have become the most common way for innovative drugs and medical devices (including medical aesthetics) companies to collaboratively develop and commercialize medical products and related technologies. According to public information, in China, the total amount and number of investment and financing in life sciences sector have witnessed a significant decline from 2021 to 2023, with the investment amount being only a quarter of that in 2021 ...
From Dominic Cummings to Nicola Sturgeon, 2023 was a noisy, headline-grabbing year for the UK’s public inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic. What’s coming in 2024? And what does it mean for businesses? In terms of media exposure, the first full year in the life of the UK’s official Covid-19 Inquiry was a resounding success ...
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 ...