The material is compiled by assistant lawyer Sofia Kurochka.

Employment

Directive (EU) 2023/970 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms (Text with EEA relevance)

Adopted: 10 May 2023

Date of effect: 6 June 2023

This Directive lays down minimum requirements to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women, and the prohibition of discrimination, in particular through pay transparency and reinforced enforcement mechanisms.

 

Banking & Finance

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) /… amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1675 as regards adding Nigeria and South Africa to the table in point I of the Annex and deleting Cambodia and Morocco from that table (Text with EEA relevance)

Adopted: 17 May 2023

The European Commission has updated today the list of high-risk third-country jurisdictions presenting strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regimes. Two third-country jurisdictions were added to it: Nigeria and South Africa, while two other jurisdictions were delisted: Cambodia and Morocco.

See also: Press release.

 

Trade & Customs

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/935 of 11 May 2023 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of high tenacity yarns of polyesters originating in the People’s Republic of China and produced by Zhejiang Hailide New Material Co., Ltd.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/934 of 11 May 2023 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of high tenacity yarns of polyesters originating in the People’s Republic of China following an expiry review pursuant to Article 11(2) and a partial interim review pursuant to Article 11(3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 of the European Parliament and of the Council

Adopted: 11 May 2023

European Commission adopted two Regulations which together renew, adjust and extend the scope of the existing measures on imports of high tenacity yarn of polyester (HTYP) from China. The enhanced measures renew the anti-dumping duties on imports of high tenacity polyester yarn from China for another five years and increase them to between 6.9% and 23.7%.

See also: Press release.

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Union Customs Code and the European Union Customs Authority, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 952/2013

Adopted: 17 May 2023

The reform responds to the current pressures under which EU Customs operates, including a increase in trade volumes, especially in e-commerce, a fast-growing number of EU standards that must be checked at the border, and shifting geopolitical realities and crises.

The measures proposed present a world-leading, data-driven vision for EU Customs, which will simplify customs processes for business. The reform will cut down on customs procedures, replacing traditional declarations with a data-led approach to import supervision. At the same time, customs authorities will have the tools and resources they need to properly assess and stop high-risk imports.

See also: Press release.

 

Information & Communication Technology

European Media Industry Outlook

Published: 18 May 2023

The European Media Industry Outlook is a European Commission report aiming to explore media trends and analyse their potential impact in the EU media markets. It looks into three media sectors (audiovisual, news media and video games), providing market overviews, technology trends and emerging production and consumption patterns at EU 27 level.

The Outlook relies on consumer surveys, questionnaires, structured stakeholders input and secondary sources, around the common theme of the competitiveness of the EU industry.

See also: Press release.

Guidelines provide guidance to EU and national lawmakers, as well as to law enforcement authorities, on implementing and using facial recognition technology systems

Adopted: 17 May 2023

Among others, the guidelines stress that facial recognition tools should only be used in strict compliance with the Law Enforcement Directive (LED). Moreover, such tools should only be used if necessary and proportionate, as laid down in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. In the guidelines, the EDPB repeats its call for a ban on the use of facial recognition technology in certain cases.

 

Environment

Regulation (EU) 2023/957 amending Regulation (EU) 2015/757 in order to provide for the inclusion of maritime transport activities in the EU Emissions Trading System and for the monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions of additional greenhouse gases and emissions from additional ship types

Adopted: 10 May 2023

Date of effect: 5 June 2023

Regulation amends to Regulation (EU) 2015/757 to include maritime transport activities in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and establish monitoring, reporting, and verification requirements for additional greenhouse gases and ship types. The regulation is in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal, which aim to limit global warming and achieve climate neutrality in the EU.

Regulation (EU) 2023/956 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism (Text with EEA relevance)

Adopted: 10 May 2023

Date of effect: 1 October 2023

Regulation establishes a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) as part of the European Green Deal and the Union’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The regulation aims to address the risk of carbon leakage, where businesses transfer production to countries with lower climate ambitions, undermining the effectiveness of emission reduction policies.

The EU’s CBAM is a first-of-its-kind border adjustment mechanism for CO2 emissions, which aims to ensure that the cost of those emissions is adequately reflected in the price of product imported into the EU.

Regulation (EU) 2023/955 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 establishing a Social Climate Fund and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1060

Adopted: 10 May 2023

Date of effect: 1 October 2023

Regulation establishing a Social Climate Fund and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 is aimed to achieve the objective of a climate-neutral Union by 2050 and contribute to the goals of the Paris Agreement. The size of the Social Climate Fund will correspond to a dedicated share of the revenues from the auctioning of emission allowances under the new system.

The Fund will provide funding to Member States to support measures and investments in increased energy efficiency of buildings, decarbonisation of heating and cooling of buildings, including the integration of energy from renewable sources, and granting improved access to zero- and low-emission mobility and transport. These measures and investments will to principally benefit vulnerable households, micro-enterprises or transport users.

 

Other

EMA’s recommendations for industry on good practices to ensure continuity in the supply of human medicines, prevent shortages and reduce their impact

Published: 17 May 2023

The recommendations of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) include:

  • informing national competent authoritiesof potential or actual shortages as early as possible and providing detailed information to better predict the possible impact and implement preventive measures;
  • establishing robust shortage prevention and shortage management plans;
  • optimising pharmaceutical quality systems and increasing resilience of complex, multinational supply chains;
  • timely communication between the various stakeholders in the medicine supply chain;
  • general principles to promote fair and equitable distribution of medicines to meet the needs of patients.

See also: Press release.