Insights

What impact will the new Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive really have on the pharma and cosmetic industries?

There are business opportunities abound in and with the US. You just have to know where to find them and how to navigate through the rules and regulations. Crowell launches a series of webinars in which we will help you to successfully do business in and with the US. Don’t miss out on this series where our practitioners will guide you through the intricate legal landscape to ensure you can establish and conduct your business in a fast and easy way. We will cover what you need to think about before expansion, launching in the US and then ensuring long term success.The topics to be discussed in this series will include:

There have been many recent changes in Belgian labor and employment law - changes that are likely to significantly impact your daily HR practice. 

On June 1, 2022, the various governments of Belgium reached a cooperation agreement on a screening regime for foreign direct investments (FDI). The new regime aims to protect Belgium’s national security, public order, and strategic interests. To that end, transactions in a wide range of sectors, and regardless of their size, will be subject to mandatory and suspensory notification to a new body, the Interfederal Screening Commission (ISC). The new regime is currently expected to enter into force by mid-2023.

Traditionally, space law was mainly limited to States and international organizations, but now the “commercialization” of Space is steep and accelerating.  In a report dated May 2022, Citi expects the space industry to reach $1 trillion in annual revenue by 2040, after the global space economy’s value reached $424 billion in 2020, having expanded 70% since 2010.  Whereas State actors were the only real driving forces behind the development of Space activities until about 15 years ago, private interests have no doubt driven the development of this nascent industry. 

The new Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) and accompanying Vertical Guidelines were finally adopted in May 2022 after four years of consultations and review. The new competition rules applicable to distribution and other vertical agreements take into account the specific challenges brought about by the growth of e-commerce and online platforms in the “digital age.” 

The legislative framework for contract drafting is rapidly evolving. A revised Book of the Belgian Civil Code on obligations (which is likely to be adopted after the Easter holidays), a recent change in the law to combat late payment between companies, and the existing rules on B2B contracts in the Code of Economic law all need to be taken into account. 

Expectations for the data economy are high: data will fuel innovation and growth in various sectors, especially in the life sciences, automotive and energy industries. The EU has the ambition to become the leader in a data-driven society by creating a digital single market in which harmonized rules apply. The Data Governance Act and the Data Act are cornerstones in this strategy and will encourage the sharing of non-personal data between governments (B2G) and businesses (B2B).

Please join us for a discussion to explore key issues in the business community as the war in Ukraine continues to reverberate through the global supply chain.

In Collaboration with the IBJ/IJE Intellectual property and information technology law has a broad scope and raises numerous concerns for company lawyers. Furthermore, the question often arises whether traditional concepts can still be applied in a digital environment. Our Technology & IP team will address some of the questions raised in the day-to-day practice, such as:

In Collaboration with the IBJ Reserving a vacancy for male candidates only, or refusing to promote a pregnant woman? Of course, your company would never do such a thing - that is discrimination! But what about only advertising a vacancy internally in your company, so that employees can look for new colleagues from within their own networks? Well-intentioned, but perhaps also a form of discrimination?

In Collaboration with ACC Europe International trade and customs rules bring both risks and opportunities in their wake. In order to properly serve their company, in-house counsel must be fully informed about supply chain compliance. In this webinar, experienced Crowell & Moring partner, Vassilis Akritidis and the Brussels Trade Team, will highlight the key points to remember and discuss in more detail the following topics: 

International trade and customs rules bring both risks and opportunities in their wake. In order to properly serve their company, in-house counsel must be fully informed about supply chain compliance. In this webinar, experienced Crowell & Moring partner, Vassilis Akritidis and the Brussels Trade Team, will highlight the key points to remember and discuss in more detail the following topics: 

Businesses are under increasing pressure to measure, improve, and disclose their environmental performance to investors, to consumers, and to regulators. And their efforts are reaching into every area of their operations, as are the risks and opportunities that follow. 

Many sectors are currently facing supply shortages and price increases for inputs. Companies are looking for strategies to tackle these issues and maintain profitability. However, in doing so, they have to be careful not to fall foul of competition rules.

For any company marketing a product, managing the risks associated with defective or non-compliant products is a key part of the process, both prior to and during commercialization. In particular, you will first need to determine which regulatory framework applies by mapping out the context in which the product is to be made available. Then, once the product has been placed on the market, you will need to know how to handle the various issues that could arise in relation to safety or regulatory non-compliance. 

Climate change is a global challenge that demands a global response. Global standards are vital in a number of areas to tackle the cross-border problems that many organizations face from forced labor issues, global initiatives, and disclosure requirements to greenwashing. Among the pressing issues are how plastic packaging and waste is regulated on a global level, and how the recent EU initiatives apply to companies established outside of the EU territory. Level-setting will need to go beyond what environmental, social and governance (ESG) basics address and so called “green” or sustainable investments that claim to pursue environmental goals will begin to see more scrutiny. Beyond climate change, forced labor in the supply chain is another significant risk for multinational companies as they expand their sourcing to countries where labor practices are less transparent. Governments around the globe are working on numerous voluntary standards and a wave of new ESG regulation calls for more extensive and detailed corporate disclosures including that ESG risks are appropriately managed by third parties, such as supply chains and other business relationships.