We are pleased to announce the launch of our new online content hub, the Product Risk Radar. The hub includes the latest important legal developments in product regulatory and liability risk impacting the UK and EU and we will post regular updates to help you navigate this increasingly challenging landscape. The areas covered include regulatory requirements, product liability and market surveillance and general product safety.
Baker McKenzie’s Sanctions Blog published the alert titled UK: General Trade Licence (Legal Advisory Services) relating to UK Russia sanctions has been issued on 21 August 2023. Read the article via the link here. Please also visit our Sanctions Blog for the most recent updates.
In an article for PLC Magazine, Monica Kurnatowska explores recent case law around conflicts of belief in the workplace and how employers can approach these situations in practice.
Baker McKenzie’s Sanctions Blog published the alert titled UK Government considers proscription of Wagner as a terrorist organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000 on 25 August 2023. Read the article via the link here. Please also visit our Sanctions Blog for the most recent updates.
Welcome to the first edition of our quarterly HR Privacy newsletter brought to you by the London employment team designed to keep you updated with key cases, legal developments, trends and news relating to UK and EU-wide employment / HR data privacy matters.
Welcome to this edition of the “UK: Working with Unions” bulletin designed to keep you updated with key cases and legal developments affecting trade unions and employee representative bodies. This bulletin includes two decisions of the Court of Appeal: (i) on whether the Central Arbitration Committee has jurisdiction to hear complaints post Brexit where the European Works Council’s central management is situated in the UK, and (ii) on whether collective redundancies need a common rationale to constitute a transnational matter requiring consultation with the EWC. This bulletin also covers the successful judicial review challenge against regulations introduced in July 2022 to allow employment businesses to supply workers to cover the duties of those taking part in industrial action, and the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act, which has recently received Royal Assent following much discussion and commentary.
On 25 July 2023 the UK government announced that increased extended producer responsibility (EPR) fees for packaging waste will be deferred by a year from October 2024 to 2025. In the same week the government also launched a consultation on the draft legislation to implement the new EPR regime which will include the introduction of mandatory packaging recyclability markings for the UK market.
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 18 July 2023, HM Treasury and HMRC published draft tax legislation for inclusion in the Finance Bill 2024 and certain policy papers. The draft legislation is open for technical consultation until 12 September 2023. Finance Bill 2024 is expected to be introduced to Parliament in Autumn 2023 and to receive Royal Assent in Spring 2024.
The UK financial services regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has published a consultation to update its guidance on social media financial promotions.