On 1 August 2023, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) announced an indefinite extension to the use of CE marking in Great Britain beyond the previous 31 December 2024 deadline, giving businesses flexibility to choose between the CE marking and the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking for the Great Britain market for the foreseeable future.

The announcement covers the regulations falling within DBT’s remit including the regimes applicable to toys, EMC, radio equipment, PPE, machinery and LVD. It confirms that other government departments will communicate their plans in respect of other CE/UKCA marking regimes (such as Ecodesign and Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)) in due course.

On 28 July 2023, Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries was published in the Official Journal. The new Regulation repeals and replaces the existing Batteries Directive (2006/66/EC) and seeks to make all batteries placed on the EU market more durable, safe, sustainable, and efficient. It takes the extended producer responsibility (EPR) regime created by the existing Directive and expands it significantly through the introduction of more detailed mandatory design, content and conformity assessment requirements aimed at ensuring the sustainability and circularity of batteries. It also introduces new mandatory supply chain due diligence requirements from August 2025 to address the social and environmental risks inherent in the extraction, processing and trading of certain raw materials and secondary raw materials used in battery manufacturing.

On 19 April 2023, the European Parliament adopted the final text of a new EU Regulation aimed at tackling deforestation and forest degradation (the “Deforestation Regulation”) requiring companies to undertake due diligence into the source of a wide range of commodities, including cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm-oil, rubber, soya and wood, to ensure…

Our latest sustainability guide, ESG Policy Guide – The Future of Sustainability Legislation for Luxury, has been developed in collaboration with Positive Luxury, the company behind the Butterfly Mark, a unique mark awarded to luxury lifestyle brands, retailers and suppliers in recognition of their commitment and verified actions to creating a positive impact on our world. It features recent and upcoming developments in ESG legislation and policies in the US, UK and the EU and explains how these impact the luxury, fashion, and cosmetics industries.

On 6 January 2023, the European Commission published a draft amending act extending transitional provisions under the EU Medical Devices Regulation. The Proposal extends the validity of certificates issued under the previous Directives (based on certain conditions), giving manufacturers more time to obtain MDR-compliant certificates.

In a recent EPSCO meeting, the European Commission finally confirmed that it intends to extend the transitional period under the Medical Devices Regulation 2017/745. In parallel, the Medical Device Coordination Group has published a Position Paper (2022-18) which offers a supplemental or short-term solution, allowing manufacturers to benefit from an exemption under Article 97 for a temporary period.

Across sectors and industries, from start-ups to multinationals, companies everywhere are talking about their sustainability credentials — and in particular, their intention to reach net-zero. Businesses have recognized that a net-zero pledge can be a powerful public message, in the face of growing pressure to tackle the climate crisis and an expectation that business be part of the solution. But amidst all the rhetoric, how much progress are we really making? Are we on course to reach net-zero by 2050, or are businesses simply jumping on the bandwagon on the road to net nowhere? We surveyed 1,000 business leaders to find out more.

On 14 November, the UK Government confirmed that it would continue to recognize the CE marking in Great Britain for another two years (until 31 December 2024) giving businesses extra time to prepare for the mandatory introduction of the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking. Businesses can continue to use the new UKCA marking voluntarily until then, giving them flexibility to choose which marking to apply.

On 14 September 2022, the EU Commission published its proposal for a regulation introducing a ban on the placing and making available on the EU market or export from the EU market of products made using forced labor. Following on from Commission President von der Leyen’s announcement of the proposed ban in her State of the Union Address last year, under the proposed regulation, products found to have been made using forced labor cannot be sold in, exported from or imported into the EU.

The Annual Compliance Conference begins next week and attracts over 6,000 in-house senior legal and compliance professionals from across the world. This leading compliance conference will be held across five weeks from 6 September – 6 October 2022. We will be virtually delivering our cutting-edge insights and guidance on key global compliance, investigations and ethics issues. Our global experts will provide practical insights and analysis on significant developments:
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