“Semplificazioni” Decree-bis (Law Decree No. 77 of 31 May 2021) was converted into Law No. 108 of 29 July 2021.Upon conversion into law, the text of the Decree was subject to further amendments and adjustments. The most significant changes regarding public contracts, environment, renewable energy, town planning and construction, and administrative procedures are set forth in this article.
High-polluting leaded petrol was recently eradicated from the world, eliminating what was identified as a huge threat to human health and well-being, as well as its devastating effect on nature. This is just the latest development in the Environmental, Social and Governance and climate change story, which has evolved at ferocious speed over the past two-three years and has now become a key focus for both governments and organisations alike.
On 1 July 2021, Russia adopted a paradigm-shifting law that establishes, among other things, new physical presence requirements for major foreign technology companies doing business in the Russian Internet space. Affected technology companies are required to open either a representative office, a branch, or a subsidiary in Russia. This article provides a brief overview of this radical regulatory development and its Russian tax implications, reviews the compliance alternatives, and suggests means to mitigate the associated tax risks.
Reclassification of individuals or activities for one purpose can have knock on consequences to business models and can lead to issues and liabilities in areas such as employment, wage tax, pensions, tax and regulatory. A decision or change in one area of law may be a time to re-assess the business model and consider whether that determination might have wider commercial implications.
On 25 August 2021 the EU Commission published guidance on the transitional rules of origin in the pan-Euro-Mediterranean area. The EU is currently amending 21 origin protocols within the pan-Euro-Mediterranean area by implementing an alternative set of rules of origin which will apply alongside the rules of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin.
The Recast Dual-Use Regulation published as Regulation 2021/821 entered into force on 9 September 2021. EU producers of dual-use goods now face new export control rules, which we have analyzed in further detail in a recent post. For more detail on the Regulation, please contact Alex Phillips to receive our full client alert and analysis.
On 12 August 2021, the Spanish Agency of Medicinal Products and Medical Devices published a briefing note on the new regulatory framework applicable to antiseptics intended for the disinfection of the surgical site prior to surgery or to the injection point. Said products had been regarded by the Spanish regulator as biocidal products until the publication of a Resolution dated 2 June 2021 which reclassified them as medicinal products.
Following the example of companies in other countries, a number of companies in the Netherlands recently announced the requirement for employees to be vaccinated before they can return to the workplace. The announcement led to major discussion in the Netherlands, as a vaccination obligation would be a breach of fundamental rights. In this monthly feature, we discuss the possibility of requiring employees to be vaccinated.
In December 2019, the European Commission launched the Green Deal, a comprehensive sustainability strategy with specific measures to make Europe climate neutral by 2050. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), commercial aviation is responsible for 2-3% of the global carbon emissions. In terms of the European Union, aviation accounts for 3% of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Due to the steady increase in emissions in the aviation sector since 1990, action in this area to address climate change is essential.
Belarus-related sanctions restrictions were recently introduced by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland and Ukraine. The objective of newly introduced sanctions is to mount international pressure against the current oppressive regime in Belarus by preventing international companies from doing business in selected economic sectors of this country.