WESTERN EUROPE

Pioneering Predictive Analytics at AFF 2019

15 February 2019

UK Plans to Introduce UKCA Symbol to Replace CE Marking in Case of a “No Deal” Brexit

14 February 2019

In case of a “no deal” Brexit, the UK government announced, on 2 February 2019, that it will introduce its own marking for conformity assessment, used to certify household products such as kettles or lightbulbs, electronics such as televisions, smartphones as well as toys. More

hktdc research

France Investigates Safety of Babies’ Nappies

11 February 2019

On 23 January 2019, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (“ANSES” or “the Agency”) published an Opinion based on a Report relating to the safety of babies’ nappies. In its Opinion, ANSES assesses the risks of chemicals found in babies’ nappies, highlighting several chemicals for which safety thresholds are seen to have been exceeded, and provides a range of recommendations directed at manufacturers and at lawmakers. More

hktdc research

Google Fined Extraordinary Amount by French Authority for Breaching Data Protection Rules

08 February 2019

On 21 January 2019, the French Data Protection Authority (Commission Nationale Informatique et Liberté – the CNIL) imposed a fine of EUR 50 million on Google for infringing General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (the EU’s GDPR). More

hktdc research

Britain’s Future Hanging on a Thread

21 January 2019

On 15 January 2019, the British Parliament rejected the withdrawal agreement negotiated between Prime Minister Theresa May and her European counterparts with an overwhelming vote of 432 to 202. This is the worst political defeat in British parliamentary history. More

hktdc research

French Minister Announces Implementation of a Digital Services Tax

15 January 2019

Towards the end of 2018, Bruno Le Maire, the French Minister for the Economy and Finance, announced that France would be implementing a national digital services tax (“DST”) as of 1 January 2019, to the extent that it would apply to all income generated in the year 2019. More

hktdc research

France Adopts New Information Requirements for Automotive Parts Derived from the Circular Economy

27 December 2018

In April 2019, an Order issued by the French Ministry for Economy and published in France’s Official Journal will enter into effect, relating to the information which professional service and repair providers must furnish to customers, in relation to cars parts derived from the circular economy. The Order seeks to foster the use of such automotive spare parts, so as to prevent waste. More

hktdc research

U.S.-UK Trade Agreement to be Focus of USITC Investigation

13 December 2018

The USITC has initiated an investigation of the probable economic effect of the proposed U.S.-UK Trade Agreement. More

hktdc research

Court of Justice Decides That UK Can Unilaterally Cancel Brexit, While Business Leaders Fear Supply-Chains Disruption Under Any Brexit Scenario

11 December 2018

A number of Members of the Scottish, UK and European Parliament had lodged a petition for judicial review to a UK court (in Scotland) to determine whether the notification under Article 50 (to leave the EU) could be unilaterally revoked. More

hktdc research

Advocate General Delivers Formal Opinion: UK Can Unilaterally Cancel Its Withdrawal from EU

07 December 2018

On 4 December 2018, an Advocate General (Mr. Manuel Campos Sanchez-Bordona) at the Court of Justice of the EU issued his formal (non-binding) opinion that the UK would be able to unilaterally cancel its withdrawal from the EU. According to Mr Sanchez-Bordona, if a country decided to leave the EU, it should also have the power to change its mind during the two-year exit process specified in Article 50 TEU. The Court of Justice still needs to rule on the matter. More

Page of 35