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R (Greyhound Board of Great Britain Ltd) v Welsh Ministers [2026] EWHC 670 (Admin) What are the practical implications of this case? The ruling reinforces the constitutional divide between the courts and the legislature. It explains that the scheme and framework of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (GWA 2006) embody that separation of powers, and that any judicial attempt to recognise and enforce a common law obligation on Welsh Ministers to consult prior to introducing legislation in the Senedd would trespass upon that boundary. This is not a departure from established principle; case law has already upheld comparable rules for lawmakers in Scotland and at Westminster. However, this is the first express confirmation of the position for Welsh lawmakers, and the first time this dimension of the GWA 2006 has been analysed in such depth. The court examined earlier
The solution arrived through the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), a quasi‑judicial body handling mass claims, created under UN Security Council Resolution 687. By addressing environmental harm—most notably via its ‘F4’ claim class—the UNCC set a seminal benchmark shaping how international law and contemporary arbitral panels allocate financial responsibility for wartime ecological devastation. With present-day wars in areas such as Eastern Europe and the Middle East bringing dam breaches, strikes on chemical facilities, and the burning of farmland, the UNCC’s legacy endures as an essential reference point for states, global investors, and companies engaged in post‑conflict arbitration. The F4 claims: Quantifying the unquantifiable Prior to the 1990s, mechanisms in international law for war reparations overwhelmingly favoured property loss, foregone earnings, and bodily injury. The natural world was commonly treated as a mute, non-compensable victim of armed hostilities...
Understanding the farming business as a business Many farms still use long-standing structures that arose by habit, not strategy. Sole traders, informal partnerships and outdated partnership deeds are common. While once effective, such setups can cause major issues around succession, tax planning and involving the next generation. A corporate team can take a fresh, business-led view of the farm, asking: Who owns the land and other critical assets? Who manages daily operations? Who carries the risk and who enjoys the return? What is the enduring plan for succession? From this review, the team can confirm whether the current setup is fit for purpose or if an alternative — for example an updated partnership agreement, a company, a limited liability partnership, or a blended model — would better meet the family’s aims. Tax efficiency through joined-up advice Tax sits at the centre of most
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In this issue: Banking and finance Competition and state aid Corporate Free movement, immigration and employment Financial services Energy Environment Insurance and insurance IP Life sciences TMT International trade Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Trackers Banking and finance AML/ CTF— EBA issues opinion on risks to the EU financial sector The European Banking Authority ( EBA) has released its 2025 Opinion on anti‑money laundering and counter‑terrorist financing ( AML/ CTF) risks across the EU financial sector. Using evidence from 52 competent authorities and insights from the EBA’s Eu Re CA database, it shows how fast‑paced innovation, regulatory change and adapting criminal behaviour are reshaping AML/ CTF risk. While certain industries have strengthened safeguards, others—especially those linked to developing...
The UPC’s Court of First Instance imposed an injunction on three Eastman Kodak Company subsidiaries on 25 July 2025 under the UK Patents Act 1977, supplementing an order that Fujifilm Corp had also secured covering Germany. In February 2025, in BSH Hausgeräte Gmb H v Electrolux AB ( Case C-339/22), the Court of Justice expressly confirmed, as noted by the Mannheim Local Division, that the UPC is competent to hear patent infringement actions involving patents granted outside the EU. As there is no case currently pending in the UK concerning the alleged infringement or the validity of the patent-in-suit in the UK, there is therefore no justification to suspend the proceedings at this......
The Commission has issued its ‘ Guidelines on the scope of obligations for general‑purpose AI models’. Though not legally binding, they explain how the Commission reads and applies Regulation ( EU) 2024/1689 (the EU AI Act), which will underpin its enforcement practice and thus offer significant practical clarity. They succeed a prior draft circulated in April 2025 for consultation (see: LNB News 18/07/2025 40 and LNB News 22/04/2025 37). The final text concentrates on four central and closely linked themes: defining GPAI models, what counts as a provider placing a GPAI model on the market, the open‑source exemptions to the obligations for GPAI models, and certain considerations on the enforcement of the GPAI model framework. What is a GPAI model? The guidelines set out three key elements about GPAI models: an indicative benchmark for when a model qualifies as a GPAI model, how the...
During an appearance with von der Leyen in Scotland, Trump hailed the pact as “the largest deal ever struck”, noting that 15% tariffs would cover most goods entering from the EU. In exchange for dialling back a threatened 30% levy, the EU will buy hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of US energy and increase investment in the American market. Trump argued the agreement would draw the EU and the US closer and settle long-running trade disputes between his administration and Europe. “ It’s a very powerful deal,” he said. “ It’s the biggest of all the deals.” Von der Leyen likewise sounded upbeat, admitting there was “heavy lifting” at the outset but saying both sides had arrived at a satisfactory settlement. She noted the EU had long run a trade surplus with the US and that the aim was to rebalance commerce so the...
Official data indicate a sharp rise in inquiries into suspected unfair imports, largely linked to China, with 33 fresh anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases launched in 2024, compared with 12 in 2023 and five in 2022. By the close of last year, authorities were also handling 21 expiry reviews, four interim reviews, three anti-circumvention cases and a single new safeguard probe. Since early this year, 13 additional anti-dumping and anti-subsidy actions have been initiated, implying the momentum has continued since US President Donald Trump began his second term and imposed trade tariffs on China and numerous other nations. This has fuelled EU debate over whether to speed up procedures for tackling imports that stem from unfair foreign subsidies or are sold at artificially low prices, the practice known as dumping. Cutting the length of trade-defence inquiries is possible, but could impinge upon the right of...
MLex understands that the ballot, held on morning of 24 July 2025, sailed through, with 26 Member States in support and only Hungary objecting. The adopted measures consolidate two earlier tariff bundles: one aimed at 50% US levies on steel and aluminium, and......
Huk- Coburg Haftplicht- Unterstützungs- Kasse Kraftfahrender Beamter Deutschlands A. G. In Coburg v Check24 Vergleichsportal GMBH and others, Case C-697/23, ECLI: EU: C:2025:338 What are the practical implications of this case? The Court of Justice’s strict formalism in construing the notions of ‘competitor’ and ‘comparative advertising’ within Article 2(c) of Directive 2006/114/ EC can be regarded as pulling against core aims of permissible ‘comparative advertising’: enabling an objective presentation of the merits of comparable products and invigorating competition between suppliers for consumers’ benefit (recital 6), while guarding against misleading comparative advertising (see, for example, recitals 2, 3, 7 and 8 of Directive 2006/114/ EC). When Directive 2006/114/ EC took effect, online comparison service platforms like Check24 were not common in the market, and typically only the provider promoted its own products. Yet, from the consumer’s viewpoint, such comparison platforms perform the very same role as...
On 14 July 2025, the European Commission ( EC) released its final Guidelines, explaining in detail how it interprets Article 28(1) of the EU DSA. This followed a period of public consultation on draft Guidelines that began in May 2025. They outline the steps online platforms should take to deliver a high standard of privacy, safety and security for children, and they also clearly offer insight into the EC’s approach to online child safety and the measures it expects from providers. Legislative background Article 28(1) of the EU DSA is the key clause aimed at safeguarding minors online. It obliges providers of online platforms that minors can access to put in place ‘appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security of minors’. Because the provision is broadly framed, the Guidelines, issued under Article 28(4) of the EU DSA, explain what...
In this issue: EU fundamentals Banking and Finance Competition and state aid Data protection and cybersecurity Free movement, immigration and employment Financial services Environmental Insurance and reinsurance IP Life sciences TMT International trade Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Trackers EU fundamentals Commission proposes €2 trillion long-term EU budget for 2028–2034 The European Commission unveiled on 16 July 2025 a new Multiannual Financial Framework ( MFF) for 2028–2034, amounting to almost €2 trillion. It seeks to reinforce the EU’s resilience and competitiveness across defence, climate, migration and innovation. The draft budget brings in fresh revenue sources and simplified National and Regional Partnership Plans to provide stronger, more efficient support throughout Member States. See: LNB News 17/07/2025 34. European Commission releases July 2025 infringement package The Commission has issued the July 2025...
When concluded, these standards will establish the compliance framework in full across the whole of the EU and are anticipated to deliver significant changes for all AML-obliged entities. The RTS will centre on four core areas of AML compliance: risk profile evaluation, the choice of entities to be directly overseen by the newly created AMLA, customer due diligence, and a new penalties regime. On 6 March 2025, the EBA opened a consultation on the draft RTS, during which stakeholders could submit feedback. It closed on 6 June 2025, and it is unclear whether, and in what manner, the EBA will reflect the input from stakeholders received and act on it in shaping the definitive RTS ( EBA launches consultation on AML/ CFT RTS, LNB News 06/03/2025 41). Regulatory steps After the AML package was published, the European Commission sent the EBA a call for advice. Such a call is a...
The conclusive edition of the General- Purpose AI ( GPAI) Code of Practice appeared on 10 July 2025. It succeeds three prior drafts, issued in November 2024, December 2024, and March 2025. Pending scrutiny and validation by the European Commission and Member States, the 10 July text is treated as definitive in advance of the GPAI provisions of Regulation ( EU) 2024/1689 (the EU AI Act) taking effect on 2 August 2025. Commission guidance clarifying key notions linked to GPAI models, released on 18 July 2025, sits alongside the Code of Practice as an accompaniment. This Code is a voluntary instrument, supported by the EU AI Office and produced by a consortium of academics and industry participants, intended to assist GPAI model providers in fulfilling the corresponding obligations of the EU AI Act (see: LNB News 18/07/2025 40, LNB News...
What does the Market Standards Trend Report cover? The Market Standards Trend Report delivers detailed analysis of FTSE 100 companies’ sustainability disclosures and climate transition plans during 2024, and sets out forward-looking expert commentary on the outlook for these themes for the 2025 season. To capture the multi-faceted character of sustainability reporting, the report seeks to pinpoint which sustainability areas companies are disclosing across their public materials and, subsequently, to infer why they are doing so in practice. While this year’s publication places primary emphasis on environmental disclosure, mirroring prevailing regulatory and market priorities, it also recognises the increasing salience of social and human rights matters across the corporate agenda. Topics addressed in the report include: sustainability reporting and disclosures......
A cohort of members within NDP Nieuwsmedia, the national trade association representing 95% of the Dutch commercial news sector, will voluntarily pool together their editorial content so they can bargain together collectively with AI developers. The consortium has concluded its first licensing deal with GPT- NL, an open, publicly funded large language model. GPT- NL already holds an agreement with the Dutch judiciary to......
On 18 July 2025, the Commission issued administrative guidance on the EU AI Act’s rules for GPAI models, designed to clarify scope, core concepts and how these interact with a related code of practice. The guidance sets out key legal terms to map the reach of the EU AI Act’s global partnership and artificial intelligence ( GPAI) regime and pinpoint which businesses must comply. An initial draft was released in April 2025 to gather views from stakeholders. Following that consultation, the Commission’s AI Office outlined the principal revisions to EU Member States at a European AI Board meeting in late June 2025. The GPAI provisions will apply from 2 August 2025... Definition of GPAI models The guidance introduces a quantitative test to determine whether a model qualifies as a GPAI model—and is therefore within the AI Act’s remit—based on the computing power used for...
Under new guidance from the Commission pursuant to the EU DSA, online service providers must implement age-assurance measures that are proportionate to the level of risk their services present to minors. In parallel with the guidance, the Commission has introduced a prototype age-verification app that confirms whether a user is over 18 before accessing adult content, without exposing personal information such as precise age or identity. The recommendations centre on four areas: addictive design cyberbullying harmful content unwanted contact from strangers Although not exhaustive, a Commission official indicated they set a demanding bar for compliance. The official emphasised these are practical recommendations for all platforms, not just Very Large Online Platforms ( VLOPs), intended to steer providers of every size in addressing the harms and risks their services may pose to minors. See: LNB News 25/06/2025 2, LNB News...
In this issue: Banking and finance Commercial Competition and state aid Corporate Data protection and cybersecurity Financial services Environment Insurance and reinsurance IP Life sciences Regulatory TMT International trade Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Trackers Banking and finance EBA consults on prudential framework for third-country branches The European Banking Authority ( EBA) has opened three consultations setting out fresh guidance and regulatory requirements for third-country branches active in the EU and operating in the Union. The package comprises draft guidelines on capital endowment instruments and two draft regulatory technical standards ( RTS) covering booking practices and supervisory cooperation. The initiatives give effect to provisions in the Capital Requirements Directive 2013/36/ EU, as revised by Capital Requirements Directive ( EU) 2024/1619 ( CRD VI). Once...
The dispute centres on Ballmann’s bid to obtain internal EDPB materials—the coordinating body for EU data protection regulators—used in drafting a binding ruling that obliged the Irish privacy authority to decide against Meta’s Facebook over alleged ‘forced consent’ for online ads. Represented by the Austria-based privacy organisation NOYB, Ballmann contended that the EDPB’s refusal to disclose the papers underpinning its December 2022 binding decision breached her right of access to the file under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Meta joined the proceedings to back the EDPB’s stance in turning down the access application, supporting the decision to reject the request......
Ferrari Sp A persuaded the EU General Court to reinstate its entitlement to use the Testarossa brand on cars amid a dispute with German toymaker Kurt Hesse. The court found that sales of second-hand Testarossa models through authorised dealers constitute ‘genuine use’, enabling Ferrari to hold on to the trade mark. The General Court drew a clear line between an independent third-party retailer and a dealer that a manufacturer has authorised to sell its vehicles. That difference carries particular weight where the cars concerned are vintage, high-end models, the judgment states. ‘ The fact that a second-hand car bearing the Testarossa mark is sold by a dealer or distributor authorised by [ Ferrari] constitutes an indication that the sale is conducted with consent, albeit implied’, the......
The EU General Court rejected Spin Master Toys UK Ltd’s bid to reinstate its protections after Greek competitor Verdes Innovations SA successfully challenged its trade mark. The court explained that the Rubik’s Cube’s colours allow users to distinguish each face of the cube from the others, a necessary condition for achieving the technical result of completing the puzzle. In consequence, the sign falls foul of the EU’s trade mark regime, which, in essence, excludes signs that consist exclusively of the shape of goods where that form is required to obtain a technical result, the General Court said. In the end, the court upheld the EU Intellectual Property Office’s ruling, concluding that the essential characteristic—namely that every face (and each small square) of the cube can be identified by means of six different, contrasting colours—was functional, that is to......
Online Following IOSCO’s statement, on 28 May 2025 the European Securities and Markets Authority ( ESMA) revealed it had contacted a number of social media and platform firms, urging proactive measures to curb the promotion of unauthorised financial services and drawing attention to IOSCO’s drive (see: ESMA urges social media platforms to prevent unauthorised financial promotions, LNB News 28/05/2025 39). “ An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Credited to Benjamin Franklin amid fire risks in Philadelphia in 1736, the maxim is equally apt for online harms in financial services, an area of mounting regulatory concern as digitalisation accelerates and retail involvement in capital markets expands. Thus far, supervisors have struggled to take effective action against those behind fraud, unauthorised activity and deceptive advertising enabled by social media. The cross‑border nature of many offenders’ operations, coupled with the practical...
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When evaluating a general damages claim, the practitioner ought initially to refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG)...
This Practice Note This Practice Note reviews mechanisms used in settling litigation. A Tomlin order consists of a consent order paired with a schedule. It operates to stay proceedings on terms that have been agreed. The provisions contained in the schedule may remain confidential. This Practice Note describes the scope of confidentiality attaching to the schedule and sets out how it differs from a standard consent order. Sample wording for a Tomlin order is included, alongside links to precedents, as well as guidance on court approval. It also addresses varying, setting aside and enforcing a Tomlin order, including the considerations the court will take into account when handling applications for each. Further guidance is provided on interpreting and applying the relevant provisions of the CPR; however, some courts and divisions impose very specific requirements for both drafting and approval, and for approaching the schedule and confidentiality issues. Accordingly, you must consider the particular rules and court guide provisions in the forum where your claim is proceeding when drawing up the Tomlin order...
Date [ date ] Parties [ name of Landlord ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Landlord) [ name of Tenant ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Tenant) [ [ name of Guarantor ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Guarantor) ] [ [ name of Mortgagee ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Mortgagee) ] Definitions Within this Deed, the terms below shall be interpreted as follows: [ Annual Rent • the annual sum reserved under the Lease; ] [ Insurance Rent • the Tenant’s share of the Landlord’s costs of insuring the Property (as set out in the Lease); ] Lease • the lease of the Property dated [ date ], entered into between (1) [ the Landlord OR [ name ...
I, [ name ], of [ address ], solemnly and sincerely state that: [ Matters to be verified, set out in numbered paragraphs ] I make this solemn statement in good conscience, believing it to be true, and pursuant to the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835. DECLARED at [ details ] this [ day ] day of [ month and year ] Before me ................................................................................ [ signature of the person before whom the declaration is made ] A [ commissioner for oaths OR [ solicitor OR [ insert other qualification ] ] authorised to administer oaths ]...
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