All posts by Cooley

New UK CMA Guidance Published – Can Fashion Companies Thread the Needle of Responsible Environmental Claims?

On 18 September 2024, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published new guidance to explain how fashion retail businesses can navigate their obligations under the UK’s Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and the Green Claims Code when making environmental claims.

Claire Temple , Fergal Duggan , Jack Eastwood

The EU’s General Product Safety Regulation: What’s New?

In the first of a series of blogs, the Cooley products team takes a look at what’s new under the European Union’s General Product Safety Regulation.

Rod Freeman, Tracey Bischofberger ,

The EU’s General Product Safety Regulation: Getting Ready for the New Rules With Cooley’s Productwise Blog Series

The European Union’s new General Product Safety Regulation is one of the most important reforms of consumer product safety laws in recent memory. In the run up to its commencement date in December 2024, the Cooley products team will explore the practical implications of the new rules in a series of Productwise blogs.

Rod Freeman, Tracey Bischofberger ,

OECD Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct: Key Considerations for Multinational Enterprises

The latest updates to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct in June 2023 thrust supply chain diligence into the spotlight.

Beth Sasfai, Juan Nascimbene , Jack Eastwood and Pia Pyrtek

Online Safety Act Update

The UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), which you can read more about in this November 2023 client alert, imposes extensive new obligations on certain types of online service providers. In some cases, the OSA will apply to online marketplaces and certain ancillary services – for example, where user-to-user (U2U) or search services are offered – and there are potential implications in respect of products that may be sold to consumers as a result.

Claire Temple, Carol Holley , Carolina Ljungwaldh and Mo Swart

PFAS Regulation: EPA Designates Two PFAS as Hazardous Substances Under CERCLA

On April 19, 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule that designates two PFAS chemicals – PFOA and PFOS – as ‘hazardous substances’ subject to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as Superfund). The rule will take effect under CERCLA, giving the EPA increased authority to investigate and respond to PFAS contamination and seek recovery of costs associated with cleanup efforts. The EPA sees the new rule as a significant step in its regulation of PFAS.

Shawn Skolky and Kathleen Goodhart

European Commission Publishes Guidance on Transition from Clinical Trials Directive to Clinical Trials Regulation

Elizabeth Anne Wright , Jessica Lauren Koffel and Alix Vermulst

On 19 July 2023, the European Commission published a guidance document concerning the steps to be taken in the transition of clinical trials from the Clinical Trials Directive (CTD) to the Clinical Trials Regulation (CTR).

European Commission Publishes MDR and IVDR Factsheet for Non-EU/EEA Countries

Elizabeth Anne Wright , Jessica Lauren Koffel and Alix Vermulst

On 12 July 2023, the European Commission published a factsheet for authorities outside the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) on the implications of the extended deadlines in Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices (MDR) and Regulation (EU) 2017/746 on in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDR).

UK Government Provides Limited Extensions to Recognition of CE Marks for Medical Devices in Great Britain 

Elizabeth Anne Wright , Jessica Lauren Koffel and Alix Vermulst

On 1 August 2023, the UK government announced plans to extend recognition of CE marking ‘indefinitely’ for certain products placed on the Great Britain market (England, Wales and Scotland).

EU Batteries Regulation Passes Final Vote

Julia Greaves and Edward Turtle

On 10 July 2023, the European Council voted to approve the Batteries Regulation text. This is the final legislative hurdle for the Batteries Regulation, which will now be translated, signed and published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) in the next few weeks. The regulation will enter into force 20 days after publication in the OJEU, with the clock beginning to run on a number of important transition periods from that date.