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Zoé Bertrand

Zoé Bertrand is an associate in the Life Sciences Practice group. Zoé advises clients across a wide range of regulatory and compliance issues in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics sectors, with a focus on EU, Belgian, and French regulatory advice. She is a native French speaker and fluent in English.

After months of uncertainty, the outlook for key EU sustainability laws is far clearer.

On November 13, 2025, the European Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (“CSDDD”) Omnibus simplification. This follows the European Commission’s Omnibus proposal in

Continue Reading The CSRD/CSDDD Omnibus Endgame: Key Points for Companies

On June 23, 2025 the Council of the EU, which represents the 27 EU Member States, agreed on its negotiating mandate for the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (“CSDDD”) omnibus simplification.

This follows the European Commission’s omnibus proposal from February and is the next

Continue Reading EU Member States Agree on CSRD/CSDDD Omnibus Negotiating Mandate

On July 7, 2025, the European Commission presented its Roadmap Towards Nature Credits, setting the blueprint for biodiversity certification in the EU. The Communication was also accompanied by a Q&A and a call for feedback by 30 September 2025.

Nature Credits: Practical Uses Across Sectors

In short, nature credits

Continue Reading An EU Biodiversity Market by 2027?  The new EU’s Roadmap towards Nature Credits.

After its 12-month deferral, the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (“EUDR”) is set to apply from December 30, 2025.  Many companies are therefore refocusing EUDR compliance efforts. This blog provides an update on the rules and guidance and key, practical takeaways for companies.

The European Commission (“Commission”) recently provided new and updated

Continue Reading EUDR Back on the Horizon: Preparing for December 2025 Compliance

The European Union has recently published a new (recast) Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (“UWWTD”) in the EU’s official journal.  The UWWTD imposes important new Extended Producer Responsibility (“EPR”) obligations that will have a significant financial and administrative impact on companies marketing human medicines and cosmetic products in the

Continue Reading The EPR Obligations of the New Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive: Key Questions and Next Steps for Member States

Yesterday, the European Parliament approved a new (recast) Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (“UWWTD”) that will impose new additional costs on producers marketing pharmaceutical and cosmetic products in the European Economic Area by the end of 2027.  Some studies suggest that the costs that producers would have to collectively pay could be around €1 billion per Member State.  This is well above the figures published in the Commission’s impact assessment, which estimated the annual cost of implementing the various requirements of the UWWTD in all Member States at €3.8 billion, including €1.2 billion for micro-pollutants treatment.

The upcoming UWWTD lays down rules on the collection, treatment, and discharge of urban wastewater, and puts particular emphasis on the implementation of the polluter pays principle.  The Directive aims to address the environmental and health concerns resulting from the presence of micro-pollutants, other pollutants (e.g., heavy metals, PFAS), microplastics and antimicrobial resistant (“AMR”) bacteria in European waters.  It introduces new measures for the treatment of wastewater, including quaternary treatment for micro-pollutants, and makes producers of pharmaceutical and cosmetic producers pay for such treatment.Continue Reading New EU Wastewater Treatment Fees on Producers of Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Products