Recent Articles

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  05/07/2024

  United Kingdom

  What we can expect from Labour in relation to Planning policies

  Following Labour's victory in yesterday's general election, significant changes are on the horizon for the UK's planning system, housing sector, energy landscape, and infrastructure development. We take a look at the key policies we can expect from the new Labour government, starting with likely immediate actions in the coming weeks to turbocharge housebuilding.Expected immediate actions before the summer recess:Angela Rayner, as the new Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, is expected to publish a revised draft of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to reinstate...

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  05/07/2024

  Luxembourg

  ESAs’ final reports on Greenwashing in the financial sector

  BackgroundMandated by the European Commission (the “EC”) in May 2022, the European Supervisory Authorities (“ESAs”) published their individual final report (the “Final Report”) on greenwashing risks and sustainability-related supervision, complementing the progress report issued in June 2023 (the “Progress Report”).While the Progress Report aimed to define greenwashing risks and outlines the key drivers and key areas of occurrence of greenwashing within the financial markets, the Final Report investigates further the role of supervision in the mitigation...

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  05/07/2024

  Bulgaria

  Bulgaria decreases FiT reference prices for solar plants

  On 30 June 2024, the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) published a Decision regarding the determination of Feed-In Tariffs (FiTs) for electricity produced by renewable energy sources, which updates FiTs to include electricity produced by biomass and determines the premiums for renewable energy producers with an overall installed capacity of 500 kW and exceeding 500 kW for the regulatory period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025. The EWRC has determined the estimated market price (i.e. reference price) for producers of electricity from solar energy to be BGN 141.49//MWh. Based...

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  05/07/2024

  United Kingdom

  Writing requirements for variation claims under the JCT

  A TCC decision earlier this year appears to be the first case to consider whether the need for a written instruction or CVI is a condition precedent to a claim for additional payment in relation to varied work under the JCT form of contract. The Court’s finding in favour of a condition precedent is likely to result in an increase in disputed variation claims, particularly in light of the support given to contractual variation requirements by the Supreme Court in the Rock Advertising case. Contractors operating under such terms should ensure that all requests for varied work are properly documented...

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  05/07/2024

  Türkiye

  New Turkish AI Law on the horizon

  On 24 June 2024, a long-awaited Draft Artificial Intelligence Law (Draft AI Law) was submitted to Türkiye’s Grand National Assembly.The Draft AI Law reflects Türkiye’s objective of harmonising its regulations with international standards in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as set down in Türkiye’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for the years 2021-2025, published by the Digital Transformation Office. (Türkiye closely monitors legal developments in a global scale, with particular attention to the EU, including initiatives like the EU AI Act,...

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  04/07/2024

  United Kingdom

  Could Supreme Court sewage decision open the floodgates?

  A judgment of the Supreme Court, handed down earlier this week, could lead to an increase in claims against sewage companies initiated by private companies and individuals.Summary and backgroundIn The Manchester Ship Canal Company Ltd (Appellant) v United Utilities Water Ltd (Respondent) (No 2) [2024] UKSC 22, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether the existing statutory framework governing the supply of water and provision of sewerage prevented the owner of a waterway from taking action against a utility company responsible for discharging sewage into the water.The judgment marks the conclusion...

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