The UK Government announced on 15 December 2021 that the Rt Hon Baroness Heather Hallett DBE will be Chair of the upcoming public inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic. In the New Year, the panelists to sit alongside Baroness Hallett are due to be appointed.
The UK Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has published its response to the recent call for evidence on product safety in the UK (“Response”). In line with the government’s aim to capitalise on Brexit opportunities, the Response emphasises that the UK now has a genuine opportunity to “think boldly” about how to regulate product safety. One concern that is not addressed in detail in the Response is the risk that divergence from the EU product safety and regulatory regime could actually make the UK less attractive for business and in fact discourage innovation within the UK.
The European Commission, on 30 June 2021, proposed reforms to the General Product Safety Directive in the form of a Regulation, intended to safeguard consumers.
The European Commission, on 30 June 2021, proposed reforms to the General Product Safety Directive in the form of a Regulation, intended to safeguard consumers. The Proposal makes substantial amendments to the GPSD, which has been in place for the last 20 years, seeks to increase the protection offered to EU consumers in respect of products they purchase, both in store and online, whilst also addressing challenges posed by today’s modern world, which has been reshaped by digitalization and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In brief The UK government has set out its plans to explore changes to the UK’s product safety and product liability laws (Review). The Review, which has been commenced by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS, the UK government’s product safety body which was established in 2018) and…
On 24 December 2020, the UK Government reached an agreement with the EU on the highly anticipated Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The TCA was ratified by the UK Parliament on 30 December 2020 and will be applied provisionally in the EU from 1 January 2021, pending ratification by the EU Parliament in early 2021.
The TCA contains minimal provisions to enable the UK and EU to cooperate on the regulation of products placed on both markets and therefore most businesses will need to address EU and UK product compliance separately.
As the effects of COVID-19 continue to be felt around the world, businesses continue to face significant levels of instability and uncertainty caused by weakened financial markets and disruption to supply chains, workplace operations and business pipelines. Such instability and uncertainty will result in a growth in the number and…
The pervasive nature of COVID-19 means that businesses across the globe are facing a similar struggle: balancing the need to make critical decisions with limited time and planning for the future without knowing for certain the long-term impacts of this pandemic. As unfamiliar situations and new obstacles arise, our experts…
The pervasive nature of COVID-19 means that businesses across the globe are facing a similar struggle: balancing the need to make critical decisions with limited time and planning for the future without knowing for certain the long-term impacts of this pandemic. As unfamiliar situations and new obstacles arise, our experts…
The UK High Court adjudicated on the matter of “defective” hip implants. In doing so the High Court took a strict, and arguably more manufacturer friendly, approach.