With less than two weeks until the start of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) transitional period (1 October 2023 – 31 December 2025), the European Commission published the CBAM Implementing Regulation on the reporting obligations in the Official Journal of the European Union on 15 September 2023. During the transitional period, declarants are required
On 13 September 2023, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in her annual State of the Union Address that the European Commission (Commission) will launch an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese subsidies to electric vehicle (EV) makers in China under EU trade rules. The Commission’s concern is that “global markets are now flooded with
During her annual State of the European Union speech on 13 September 2023, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that “the Commission is launching an anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles coming from China.” An anti-subsidy measure (i.e., countervailing duties) is one of the trade defence instruments that a World Trade
Following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, a Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK1 has been concluded, providing for duty-free trade of goods originating in the EU or in the UK.2 The TCA foresees a specific set of rules of origin (ROO) for hybrid,3plug-in hybrid
The text of the new European Battery Regulation (referred to as the Regulation) has now received formal approval from both the European Parliament (14 June) and the Council of the EU (10 July). Aiming to ensure the safety, sustainability, and competitiveness of batteries, the Regulation will target the entire life cycle of batteries, from their
Since February 2022, following the outbreak of the war against Ukraine, the EU adopted its 11th round of sanctions against Russia on 23 June 2023.
The latest sanctions package centres around a newly introduced anti-circumvention tool, described by the European Commission as a measure of last resort that “will allow the EU to restrict
On 23 June 2023, the EU published its 11th sanctions package.
We set out below a summary of key highlights in this latest update. These are all subject to further interpretative guidance provided by the EU, where applicable.
The new round of sanctions extends the categories of persons that may be subject to an asset freeze, to include not only natural or legal persons, entities or bodies facilitating infringements of the prohibition against circumvention but also those that are significantly frustrating the provisions laid out by EU sanctions.
Over 100 additional individuals and entities have been added to the list of entities and individuals subject to asset freezing measures, including senior military officials, decision makers, Russian IT companies, banks, businesspersons, judges etc. In total 1572 entities and 244 individuals are currently listed as being subject to asset freezes.
Two new banks are designated, MRB Bank and CMRBank. An authorisation may be granted to release frozen funds or resources belonging to them if such funds or economic resources are necessary for the purchase, import or transport of agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilizers.
The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a measure to ensure that imported goods pay a price for their carbon emissions that is comparable to the price paid by EU domestic producers under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The CBAM Regulation entered into force on 17 May 2023. During the transitional period (1 October 2023 – 31 December 2025), declarants must submit quarterly CBAM reports to the CBAM Transitional Registry no later than one month after the end of the relevant quarter.
On 13 June 2023, the European Commission communicated a draft implementing regulation (IR) on reporting obligations. Below, we review the key elements of the draft IR. Interested parties can submit their comments to the Commission until 11 July 2023.
The CBAM Regulation entered into force on 17 May 2023. During the transitional period (1 October 2023 – 31 December 2025), declarants must submit quarterly CBAM reports that include: (i) the total quantity of imported goods; (ii) the direct and indirect emissions embedded in the imported goods; and (iii) any carbon price effectively paid in the country of origin for the embedded emissions. The CBAM Regulation empowers the Commission to adopt an implementing regulation on reporting obligations. On 13 June 2023,the European Commission published a draft IR on reporting obligations, which will be applied during the transitional period.
To understand the basic features of the CBAM, please see our previous alert.
In May 2023, the European Union (EU) adopted Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on the making available on the Union market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation (the Regulation). The Regulation was officially published on 9 June 2023 and will enter into force on 29
On 17 May 2023, the European Commission published its proposals to reform and modernise the Union Customs Code. These proposals follow years of discussions and calls for a structural change to the Union Customs Code, which was no longer adequate to meet new challenges and contained weaknesses that led to the emergence of obstacles to