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At over 1200 pages, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) signed by the UK and EU in December 2020 does not make for an easy read. This guide breaks it down into the key topics of interest to business. Alongside our commentary on each topic, you will also find links to the relevant provisions of the TCA. As our own analysis of the deal progresses, we will be adding further commentary, so please check back in for updates.
We have recently updated our cross-practice area guide to the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which breaks it down into key topics of interest to business. Our commentary has been fully updated to reflect developments such as the EU's recent data adequacy ruling regarding the UK.
Travers Smith LLP has advised American investment firm Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners (AJ Capital Partners) on its acquisition of the historic Slieve Donard Hotel Resort & Spa, which adjoins the world famous Royal County Down Golf Club.
2021 has seen the UK Government and regulators engage in a blizzard of consultations and draft legislation, proposing reforms across a wide range of areas. The sheer volume makes it difficult for businesses to keep on top of changes that might affect them.
An industry-led Project has been launched with the publication of a standardised set of ESG metrics and a mechanism for comparative reporting.
The UK is set to host COP26 in November 2021. The summit is seen as the first real chance for the world to assess what has been achieved since the implementation of the historic Paris Agreement and to enable countries to come together and set meaningful targets for reducing global carbon emissions in response to the climate crisis.
Welcome to the first episode in a series of short videos in the build up to COP26.
Although the UK Government has recently announced that certain border requirements are being postponed until the middle of next year, it is currently sticking to its plans to require full customs declarations on goods imported from the EU as of 1 January 2022. This change has the potential to disrupt UK supply chains.
Travers Smith LLP has advised an investment vehicle backed by the founders, longstanding client Inflexion and all other shareholders, on the sale of Medivet Group Holdings Limited ("Medivet") to CVC Capital Partners VIII.
It has been reported that two German NGOs (Greenpeace and Deutsche Umwelthilfe) have written a letter of claim to Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz and independent oil and gas company Wintershall Dea, alleging that the companies need to put in place measures to reduce their CO2 emissions by 45% (as against 2019 levels) by 2030.
In the last few weeks there have been a number of stories relating to COP26 in the international press; from alarmist headlines of hotel room shortages in Glasgow to calls to reschedule the conference again as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. With COP 26 only 45 days away, we have selected two of the most significant talking points from recent days.
On 22 July 2021, the House of Commons International Trade Committee ("ITC") launched an inquiry targeting the international trade aspects of COP26 ("Trade Inquiry").
On 9 August 2021, Working Group I of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ("IPCC") presented its report on the physical science basis of climate change (the "Report"), the first of three parts that will together form the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report ("AR6"), due to be released in full in spring 2022.
While in recent months the approaching COP26 has been occupying the bulk of government and media attention, the 15th meeting of the UN Conference of the Parties ("COP15") to the Convention on Biological Diversity ("CBD") is also due to take place in 2021, which is seen by many as being just as critical to the future of the planet.
On 22 February 2021, the UK Government published its original "Roadmap out of Lockdown" for England, which was initially due to see a "cautious but irreversible" lifting of all legal limits on social contact by 21 June (if certain strict conditions were met) (the "Roadmap"). Following a delay in the introduction of Step 4, from 19 July the majority of remaining COVID-19 restrictions in England have been lifted, including no longer instructing people to work from home wherever possible. Step 4 has, however, coincided with an increase in the prevalence of the COVID-19 'Delta' variant across the UK, leading to increasing numbers of infections and cases of individuals being required to self-isolate.
Last week, the EU unveiled its 'Fit for 55' proposals, which if adopted would substantively revise the EU's climate and energy policies in order to enable a net greenhouse gas emissions reduction by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
Two climate change related cases made global headlines in recent weeks: a Dutch case, brought by a group of activists, against Royal Dutch Shell that imposed carbon emission limits on the oil producing multinational and an Australian case that found the Minister for the Environment had a duty to protect young people from the effects of climate change. In this article, we look at these decisions in their wider legal context, and consider how the law may continue to develop in this area, including in the UK.
On 1 July, which marks the 10th anniversary of the UK's Bribery Act coming into force, the Serious Fraud Office ("SFO") secured court approval for a Deferred Prosecution Agreement ("DPA") with Amec Foster Wheeler Energy Limited ("AFWEL"). This latest DPA concludes yet another significant multi-year corruption probe and highlights the importance of continued ABC compliance measures for multinational organisations.
On 24 June 2021, the UK's Climate Change Committee ('CCC') delivered a report on the UK's progress in reducing emissions and adapting to climate change. This report followed the CCC's damning climate risk report (read our briefing here) just a week earlier.
Among a number of tech sector related proposals announced in the recent Queen's Speech, were the Government's plans, 'as soon as parliamentary time would allow' to legislate to create a legal obligation of 'security by design' in respect of consumer Internet of Things connected devices ("Consumer Connected Devices"). In this briefing we take a look at what sort of devices and who the proposed legislation will apply to, and what will be required to comply.