COVID-19 Key EU Developments, Policy & Regulatory Update No. 23

The European Union has unveiled its most comprehensive sanctions package against Russia to date, targeting 216 individuals and entities across energy, financial services, and cryptocurrency sectors. With unprecedented measures including shadow fleet vessel restrictions, crypto-asset service provider bans, and enhanced legal protections for EU operators, this 21st package represents a significant escalation in economic pressure designed to disrupt Russia's war economy and close circumvention channels through

The European Union has adopted a targeted "mini" sanctions package against Russia, introducing 87 new designations across multiple regimes while creating a specific derogation for transactions with Chinese chip trader Yangzhou Yangjie Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. This rolling sanctions approach marks a shift in EU strategy, targeting entities across eight jurisdictions including China, UAE, and Turkey, while addressing supply chain disruptions caused by previous designations.

The European Union has adopted its 20th package of sanctions against Russia, alongside parallel measures targeting Belarus, marking a significant escalation in economic pressure.

On 15 January 2020 President Donald J. Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He signed a "Phase One" agreement between the United States and China,...

The Customs Tariff Commission ("CTC") of the Ministry of Finance of the PRC on 11 September 2019 announced its first batch of tariff exemptions...

On 13 October 2011, the Council of the European Union (EU) adopted further amendments to the EU sanctions measures against Syria – this time imposing an asset freeze on the Commercial Bank of Syria – in Council Decision 2011/684/CFSP.

On 18 February 2020 China's Tariff Commission announced a new tariff exclusion process in which importers can apply for exclusions from Chinese retaliatory tariffs

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a measure to ensure that imported goods pay a price for their carbon emissions that is comparable to the price paid...

On February 23, 2024, the EU adopted the 13th package of sanctions against Russia with the occasion of the 2nd year mark of the full-scale invasion.

Belgium offers businesses a uniquely central location at the hub of European trade and the heart of European decision-making. Situated close to France, Germany, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, Belgium is ideally located to offer local and international businesses access to the most densely populated area in Europe.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a preliminary injunction against Perplexity AI, determining that when an AI agent acts at a user's direction, it is the user—not the AI company—who "accesses" computer systems under federal and California computer fraud statutes. This landmark appellate decision addresses how existing computer-access laws apply to agentic artificial intelligence and has significant implications...

The Code is voluntary, but it will likely become an important reference point for demonstrating compliance with Article 50 of the AI Act.

The Situation: Surging interest in digital tokens has caught the attention of regulators in Hong Kong.

A federal court has struck down New York's Climate Change Superfund Act, which sought to recover $75 billion from fossil fuel companies based on historical emissions. The ruling found the Act preempted by the Clean Air Act, marking the first judicial decision on state climate superfund legislation and establishing that EPA's rescission of the endangerment finding does not alter preemption analysis.

On April 9, 2018, the PDPC issued new advisory guidelines on in-vehicle recordings by transport services for hire.

China has recently taken several actions showing its commitment to counter trade restrictions imposed by other countries. In March 2025, it released regulations implementing the 2021 Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law.

The defendant argued that the CFAA does not make it a federal crime to obtain permission to use another's login credentials to access a third party's computer system.

In the January 30, 2015, Federal Register, USDA issued a final rule amending citrus fruit importation regulations to allow the importation of commercial consignments of two Unshu orange hybrids...

On February 5, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of a defendant that had been sued by a competitor for allegedly accessing the competitor's computer systems...

On August 23, 2024, the HKEx and the SFC jointly announced temporary modifications to the Hong Kong Listing Rules. These modifications, effective from September 1, 2024...