With its preliminary ruling of 28 November 2024, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has set clear limits to Germany’s special approach of exempting self-consumption facilities (Kundenanlagen) from grid regulation. Self-consumption facilities not only comprise facilities generating energy for self-consumption, but also facilities for supplying energy to adjacent customers without using the public grid. The ECJ’s reasoning is likely to have general consequences for decentralized supply concepts (at least for the supply of third parties other than the operator of the generating installation), e.g., in commercial and industrial parks.

The proposed amendments to the Consumer Protection Act Regulations in South Africa aim to enhance consumer privacy by regulating direct marketing practices. Open for public comment until 15 January 2025, these changes focus on creating an opt-out registry managed by the National Consumer Commission, allowing consumers to block unsolicited electronic communications. Direct marketers will be required to register, renew annually, and cleanse their databases regularly to comply with the new rules. The amendments also introduce enforcement mechanisms for non-compliance and align with the Protection of Personal Information Act, ensuring comprehensive consumer protection against unwanted marketing.

US employers can expect material changes to employment laws under the Trump administration, with impacts felt across their business operations. President-elect Trump’s first term, his campaign platform, and the typical shifts in a Democratic to Republican transition provide clues about what’s to come: federal agencies, policies and rules will become more business-centered and many of the Biden-era worker-focused protections will be rolled back.

Singapore and the European Union (EU) have formalized their collaboration on Artificial Intelligence (AI) safety with the establishment of a new Administrative Arrangement (AA). This arrangement aims to enhance cooperation in promoting technological innovation and the development and responsible use of safe, trustworthy, and human-centric AI. The AA was signed by Mr Joseph Leong, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Development and Information of Singapore, and Mr Roberto Viola, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology of the European Commission.