On 29 June 2022, the European Commission revealed its updated Blue Guide on the implementation of product rules in the EU. This contains some important changes, reflecting current market surveillance rules, and fills some...more
On 23 February 2022, the European Commission ("Commission") issued its long-awaited Proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence to tackle human rights and environmental impacts across global value...more
On 13 December 2021, the EU imposed sanctions against the Wagner Group, a private military entity based in Russia, as well as related entities and individuals, citing human rights abuses and destabilising activities in...more
The European Commission has unveiled its newly proposed Generalised Scheme of Preferences ("GSP") for the period 2024-2034 – aiming at a more effective system which delivers benefits to where they are needed, and at the same...more
The EU has introduced a new asset freeze regime against Lebanon, but without designating any persons under the new regime as of yet. On 30 July 2021, the EU adopted legislative acts establishing a new sanctions framework...more
On 22 March 2021, the European Union ("EU") designated a total of 22 individuals and 4 entities as subject to an asset freeze under the EU sanctions regimes relating to Global Human Rights Sanctions and Myanmar/Burma.
...more
On 2 March 2021, the United States and European Union ("EU") imposed coordinated sanctions in response to the poisoning and imprisonment of Russian opposition politician Aleksey Navalny (and the related US determination that...more
On 30 December 2020, the EU and China agreed in principle on a Comprehensive Agreement on Investment ("CAI"). The text of the agreement is not yet available,1 but the European Commission called it "the most ambitious...more
In this alert, we focus on the key takeaways for trade in goods under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement ("EU-UK TCA"). Bilateral trade between the UK and EU will be duty free and quota free provided the relevant...more
1/4/2021
/ Cooperation Agreement ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Customs ,
EU ,
Exports ,
Imports ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Agreements ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
Value-Added Tax (VAT) ,
WTO
After countless deadlines have come and gone, with a deal 90% done but three intransigent sticking points, on 24 December 2020 the UK and EU finally announced "agreement in principle" had been reached on their future...more
On 7 December 2020, the EU Council adopted a landmark decision and a regulation setting up for the first time a global human rights sanctions framework for the EU. The EU can now respond to serious human rights violations and...more
The EU has recently made certain notable EU asset freeze designations in relation to Belarus1 and Syria, focusing on various government officials – including President Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus -
The Belarusian and...more
11/11/2020
/ Asset Freeze ,
Belarus Sanctions ,
Due Diligence ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Exemptions ,
Member State ,
National Security ,
State-Owned Enterprises ,
Syria ,
Travel Ban
The European Commission and the EU's Foreign Policy High Representative have put forward a proposal for a new, non-country-based sanctions programme to address human rights violations and abuses with asset freezes and travel...more
On 14 October 2020, the EU designated under its asset freeze six Russian officials and one research institute, in response to the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in August 2020. Separately, it also...more
On 2 October 2020, the EU adopted sanctions against Belarus in response to the repression and intimidation against peaceful demonstrators, opposition members and journalists in the wake of the 9 August 2020 presidential...more
On 28 September 2020, the European Commission unveiled an ambitious Action Plan with 30 concrete actions intended to make the EU customs union smarter, more effectively digital, and more agile by end 2025. Key aims (once...more
On 30 July 2020, the EU designated the first individuals and entities under its 2019 sanctions framework targeting parties involved in cyber-attacks that undermine the EU’s integrity, security and economic competitiveness....more
8/10/2020
/ Asset Freeze ,
China ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cyber Threats ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
List of Specified Persons (LSP) ,
Member State ,
Misappropriation ,
Russia ,
Travel Ban
A new landmark free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Union entered into force on 1 August 2020.
The agreement provides expansive preferential treatment for both goods and services, recognition and protection...more
8/10/2020
/ Climate Change ,
Country of Origin ,
EU ,
Exports ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
Goods or Services ,
Imports ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investment Funds ,
Investor Protection ,
Market Access Rule ,
Popular ,
Preferential Trade Status ,
Procurement Guidelines ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ,
UK Brexit ,
Vietnam
Over four months into the formal bilateral negotiations between the EU and the UK to reach agreement on their future relationship, is there land ahoy? What are the realistic chances of a deal by the end of this year?...more
8/3/2020
/ Bilateral Agreements ,
Boris Johnson ,
EU ,
European Court of Justice (ECJ) ,
Fishing Industry ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
No-Deal Brexit ,
State Aid ,
Transitional Arrangements ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
Withdrawal Agreement
The European Commission has launched a consultation to help shape the next Generalised Scheme of Preferences ("GSP") from 2024. Stakeholders have until 3 June 2020 to comment....more
Business goes on as much as possible, despite the COVID-19 pandemic – and one question is how this affects Brexit. While a "Hard Brexit" was avoided when the UK left the EU on 31 January 2020, a common misconception is that...more
On 31 March 2020, the Governments of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (the so-called "E3") confirmed that the first transaction was completed through the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges ("INSTEX"),...more
4/3/2020
/ Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Exports ,
Food Supply ,
Imports ,
INSTEX ,
Instrument for Supporting Trade Exchanges (INSTEX SAS) ,
Iran ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
Medical Supplies ,
Payment Systems ,
Swiss Banks ,
United States
In an effort to secure continued supply of goods within the EU during the COVID-19 crisis, the EU has taken a number of initial actions with a focus on essential health products and food. So far, these EU actions include 1)...more
This is a special newsletter with our selection of key EU customs developments in 2019. It is not intended to provide an exhaustive summary.
...more
1/29/2020
/ Administrative Proceedings ,
Classifications of Goods ,
Country of Origin ,
Customs ,
Draft Implementation Regulations ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Fair Trade Agreements (FTA) ,
Nomenclature ,
Tariffs ,
Trial Court Orders ,
UK Brexit ,
Valuation
France, Germany and the United Kingdom, known as the “E3”, announced on 14 January 2020 that they had triggered the dispute resolution mechanism under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (“JCPOA”) due to concerns about...more
1/17/2020
/ China ,
Dispute Resolution ,
E3+3 ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Failure to Perform ,
France ,
Germany ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
Russia ,
UK ,
UN Security Council ,
United Nations ,
Winding Down