More than a month after the G7 meeting in Hiroshima, the EU has reached an agreement on the 11th sanctions package against Russia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The key focus in the novel sanctions package is the mitigation of diversion and circumvention risks. The 11th sanctions package has been much anticipated since the G7 meeting at the end of May 2023 ...
The Supreme Court (“Hof van Cassatie/Court of Cassation”) overruled on 26 May 2023 a decision that determined that Article 1722 (old) Civil Code (a partial or total “destruction” of the leased premises) does not apply for the tenant that can not operate its premises due to the measures taken by the Belgian Government in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, because there was only a temporary impossibility and thus only a temporary loss of enjoyment ...
On 9 June 2023, the Luxembourg direct tax authority (Administration des contributions directes, the “ACD”) released a 3-page circular – L.I ...
Disclaimer: To provide employers with quick and practical information about how to comply with their obligations between now and the entry into force of the Law (as defined below), this newsflash has been prepared on the basis of Bill of law n°7890 as debated and voted on in Parliament on 13 June 2023 ...
On the 21st of April, Bill number 53 entitled the Arbiter for Financial Services (Amendment) Act (Chapter 555 of the Laws of Malta) was published among the Government Notices in the Supplement to the Government Gazette ...
The FSR addresses such distortions and closes a regulatory gap. Subsidies granted by non-EU governments (so called third states) currently go largely unchecked, while subsidies granted by Member States are subject to scrutiny under EU State aid rules. The FSR includes new tools to effectively tackle foreign subsidies that cause distortions and undermine the level playing field in the internal market ...
Employers may be tempted to think that, compared to a human, using technology produces more accurate results faster and that it should be embraced at all costs. While tech can be a valuable aide, care is needed particularly when it comes to recruitment. Can technology lawfully screen applications? When it comes to recruitment, any way to quickly and accurately sort through applications to identify viable candidates is a benefit to employers ...
Two months ago, in mid-April, the European Parliament approved the first legislation in the European Union on tracking payments in cryptocurrencies, supervision in this area and combating money laundering. The MEPs also adopted common rules for the supervision and protection of consumer rights (MiCA, or Markets in Crypto assets) with safeguards against market manipulation and financial crimes ...
On 14 June 2023, the European Parliament adopted its positionon the draft AI Act, which brings one step closer an EU regulation for generative AI and other AI systems. This blog gives the highlights of the current draft text, taking into account the newest amendments that have been proposed ...
The rules governing discrimination and psychosocial risks at work have been revised to bring them in line with European legislation and the European Court of Justice’s recent case law. Various legislation has now changed, including: the Gender Act of 7 May 2007, the Antidiscrimination Act of 7 May 2007, the Racism and Xenophobia Act of 30 July 1981, the Wellbeing Act of 4 August 1996, and the Wellbeing at Work Code. These new rules entered into force on 1 June 2023 ...
Law firms have a lot more male than female partners, though the situation is changing Business Plus June 17, 2023 Gender pay gap reporting has highlighted that across the largest law firms there is a substantial pay gap between men and women when the earnings of equity partners are included. In general terms, commercial law firms have more female than male solicitors in their ranks, but there are much more men than women at the top table ...
From recovering after a global pandemic to the war in Ukraine, the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank to soaring inflation, and supply-chain delays to employee shortages, businesses across all sectors are coming up against a number of operational and liquidity challenges in current market conditions. Despite these challenges, we have seen confidence and resilience across all sectors with investment from seed to IPO ...
The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections (SO) to Google over abusive practices in online advertising technology. Uniquely it seems, the Commission has identified in the press release that to remedy the situation the Commission is of the preliminary view that divestment by Google is required. This would be the first example of a proposed break-up of a tech business by the EU under market dominance rules ...
The purpose of disclosing conflicts of interest in the investment services industry is to ensure maximum transparency for the investor. A common conflict of interest is the situation when the fund’s investment manager owns voting shares in the fund and appoints a director who is already heavily involved in the investment manager’s structure. Consequently, the appointed director might be conflicted if one is required to take a decision against the investment manager ...
We all know the feeling of making an online purchase and later regretting it - did I really need another kitchen gadget that I'll probably only use once? Luckily, by way of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, which form part of retained EU law, consumers in the UK have the right to a "cooling off period" for distance contracts in certain circumstances ...
Net migration figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the year ending December 2022 show an increase on figures from the previous year. Taking a closer look into the categories of migration behind the net figures gives further insight as to why the target to reduce net migration figures are not being met. These figures show that total immigration into the United Kingdom for 2022 was in the region of 1.2 million with emigration counted at approximately 557,000 ...
When initially approaching potential lenders it’s important to be clear about the level of flexibility you’ll need in your finance documents in order to accommodate future plans and aspirations. Amending documents and renegotiating terms is a huge drain on resources (and in current climes, costly) and your aim should be to ensure financing terms will remain fit for purpose throughout their term ...
Fertility is not only a ‘women’s issue’ - the impact of infertility on men can be enormous, yet regularly goes unnoticed. In light of Men’s Health Week and Father’s Day, we look at improving support for men who are experiencing fertility issues. When it comes to infertility, research and support predominantly centres around the perspectives of women ...
June marks ‘Pride Month’ which celebrates how far LGBTQ+ rights have come whilst also highlighting the work that still needs to be done. We consider how allies and effective employee networks can assist in this supporting ongoing progress. Employee networks are voluntary, employee-led groups aimed at providing support, resources and a sense of community for employees who may share a common identity or experience ...
In a recent survey conducted by Fertility Network UK, 40% of patients undergoing fertility treatment admitted to experiencing suicidal feelings, with the majority feeling that they would benefit from counselling. Sadly, this support is not readily available and reportedly only half of those in need have access. Often, the only option is to go private, but with sessions estimated to be between £10-£70 per session, that is not always feasible for everyone ...
The Procurement Bill has now had its third and final reading and has passed the Report Stage in the House of Commons. The House of Commons’ latest amendments that have been added to the Bill include the following: If a supplier or a connected person poses a threat to the national security of the UK, this would be a mandatory exclusion ground. This is a change from previous versions of the Bill which classed this exclusion ground as discretionary ...
According to a recent TUC poll of over 1,000 women, 58% have experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse at work, with the perpetrator in 39% of most recent instances of harassment being a third party. Clearly, this needs to change. Harassment is still an issue at work As a result of the findings from the poll, the TUC is supporting the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill 2022-23 which is currently passing through Parliament ...
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has sought to consider as many voices as possible in its assessment of the vast human impact the pandemic has had on both individuals and organisations. Every Story Matters is the Inquiry’s way of doing so, enabling those in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to share their experiences of the pandemic with the Inquiry, via an online form. To date, around 6,000 people have shared their stories ...
A Bill’s fate is never sealed until it has been through all the necessary approval stages and the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill is no exception. Whilst numerous concerns have been raised about the speed and impact of the Bill, there were comparatively few amendments made to it as it sped through the Commons ...
Good governance counts because without it a charity’s impact can be much diminished, but it is also important not to be overwhelmed by all the detail and to focus on what matters. There is a lot of guidance on governance for charities Someone once said, “With proper governance, life will improve for all ...
