As of 1 January 2022, Germany has set up a mandatory public lobbying register. Its broad scope covers – similar to the EU transparency register – every entity which regularly communicates with the German federal executive or legislative to represent and further its interests. As a result, every company with a public affairs department may fall under its scope. Such companies will need to complete their initial registration by 28 February 2022.
The Department for International Trade and the Export Control Joint Unit published a notice to exporters on 10 January 2022 regarding compound penalties imposed on ten UK exporters for unlicensed exports of dual-use and military items and breaches of export license conditions between March and November 2021. The compound penalties imposed by HM Revenue & Customs ranged between GBP 1,000 and GBP 54,000 and related to unlicensed exports of dual-use goods, military goods and related activity controlled by The Export Control Order 2008.
The New York State Senate this month unveiled the “Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act”. The Act, if enacted, will require every fashion retail seller and manufacturer that does business in New York and has over USD 100 million in annual worldwide gross receipts to make a number of sustainability and social disclosures.
The UK’s Plastic Packaging Tax is due to take effect from 1 April 2022 and will be payable by manufacturers and importers of plastic packaging containing less than 30% recycled plastic content at a rate of £200 per metric tonne where certain thresholds are met.
On 11 January 2022, the Office of Government of Vietnam issued Document No. 229/VPCP-CN to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam for the next steps of updating the draft regulations on the implementation of the pilot program on the direct power purchase agreement mechanism between renewable energy power generation companies and major power consumers.
Royal Decree-Law 32/2021 of 28 December 2021 contains the measures agreed on 23 December 2021 within the scope of social dialogue between the Spanish government and the most representative trade unions and business organizations state-wide. This new regulation is the result of a reform process undertaken at the initiative of the government and has basically concluded with significant amendments in three regulatory fields: (i) Temporary employment contracts; (ii) collective bargaining, and (iii) internal flexibility measures or temporary lay-offs.
Federal decree No. 10.936/2022, which regulates the National Solid Waste Policy, was published on 13 January 2022.. The new regulation institutes the National Reverse Logistics Program, integrating the National Information System on Solid Waste Management and the National Solid Waste Plan.
Russian Federation: New reporting – Requires that foreign companies to disclose direct and indirect shareholders
The Ministry of Health and Social Protection issued Resolution 392 of 2021, by which it modified Article 2 and sections 4.1 and 5 of the technical annex of Resolution 666 of 2020, recently modified by Resolution 223 of 2021 regarding biosafety protocols.
On 6 January 2022, the Congress of the Republic enacted Law 2191, which aims to create, regulate and promote the labor disconnection of workers in order to guarantee the effective enjoyment of free time and rest times, licenses, leaves and/or vacations to reconcile personal, family and work life.