The European Commission postpones application of the EU Deforestation Regulation and other developments

On 2 October 2024, the European Commission (“Commission”) made public its proposal to postpone application of the EU Deforestation Regulation (“EUDR”), by way of an amendment to the EUDR that would postpone (a) its date of entry into application from 30 December 2024 to 30 December 2025 (and till 30 June 2026 for small and micro-enterprises) and (b) benchmarking deadline to 30 June 2025.

On the same day, the Commission also released the long overdue EUDR Draft Guidance … Read the rest

The Status of Non-Competes in Healthcare: How the FTC Rule and Other Recent Developments Affect Non-Competes for Doctors, Nurses, and Other Healthcare Practitioners

For healthcare providers and practitioners, the rules surrounding non-competition agreements have evolved rapidly over the last two years, and that evolution accelerated even more this month.  Over the past 18 months, states and the federal government enacted several new laws that substantially limit when healthcare entities can enforce non-competes.  Then, on April 24, the Federal Trade Commission issued a rule that will bar most non-competes in the U.S. if it survives legal challenges (albeit no sooner than late August 2024).  … Read the rest

DEFORESTATION REGULATION: IMPACTS OF A POSSIBLE DELAY IN RISK CLASSIFICATION OF COUNTRIES AND OTHER RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

On 9 June 2023, the European Union published Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on the making available on the Union market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation (the “Deforestation Regulation” or the “EUDR”). The EUDR entered into force on 29 June 2023, although the main prohibitions and obligations will not apply until 30 December 2024.

Pursuant to the EUDR, beginning 30 December 2024, relevant products (derivatives of palm oil, soya, wood, … Read the rest

Investment in Transmission Infrastructure for Future Offshore Wind Developments

Given the ambitious targets for offshore wind in support of the UK’s net zero ambitions, it is recognised that the existing grid connection infrastructure may be inadequate and that it is likely that provision needs to be made for more co-ordinated grid connections that incorporate the additional capability required to connect future offshore generation projects.

The costs and investment required to support the later connection of future offshore development(s) is referred to as “Anticipatory Investment”. The UK’s Office of Gas … Read the rest

Fintech and Financial Privacy: Regulatory Developments on the Use of Financial Data

So you’re a fintech startup, buying a fintech company, or expanding the technical capabilities of your financial business. Or you’re a tech company that is getting into the payments space. Where do you start when it comes to figuring out what consumer protection laws apply to you? You should be aware that, for the past several years, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have been actively enforcing consumer protection laws in the fintech space. … Read the rest