European Union

On February 26, 2026, the European Union published Directive (EU) 2026/470 on the simplification of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (“CSDDD”) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”) in its Official Journal, clearing the final step in the Omnibus I legislative process.

This blog post: (i) summarizes the substance…

Continue Reading EU CSDDD/CSRD Omnibus Published in Official Journal: Transposition, Delegated Acts, and Guidelines Are Next

In its public consultation on the review of the Market Surveillance Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, the European Commission suggests the possibility of “establishing an EU Market Surveillance Authority” to improve enforcement against products that do not comply with EU legislation regulating the environmental and safety requirements of products (“product legislation”).…

Continue Reading A Product Market Surveillance Authority for the European Union?

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

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

The following interview originally appeared in the National Law Journal.

What you need to know

  • One of the significant issues many of their multinational clients have is the growing divide between how they operate and what’s expected of them in the U.S. versus Europe.
  • At the same time the legal field has experienced this anti-ESG backlash over the last year in the U.S., the EU has moved full speed ahead on many ESG initiatives with significant consequences for businesses, including the EU Taxonomy, the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.
  • There is also growing litigation risk because with so much more scrutiny, and so much more information in the public domain, there are a range of stakeholders and potential plaintiffs on ESG issues, from state officials to NGOs

The Biden administration has set clear policy goals to establish effective corporate net-zero strategies on the one hand, yet there has also been growing pushback against the climate aspect of ESG in many red states. How do you advise clients on climate regulation in this very fluid environment?

Jayni Hein: We are all witnessing this summer, yet again, record-breaking land and ocean temperatures and pervasive wildfire smoke. It’s undeniable that climate change is affecting how we live today and how businesses operate. How both the government and the private sector respond is critically important.Continue Reading Q&A: Navigating Climate and ESG Amid Regulatory Uncertainty

Funding incentives under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) to transition to a clean energy economy are unleashing opportunities for key U.S. allies and partners around the world. In particular, tax credits exceeding 10% of the price of average electric vehicle (EV) sold in the United States are leading to new investments in Mexico and Canada, and have triggered high-level political negotiations from U.S. partners such as the European Union and Japan.Continue Reading Global Spotlight: the IRA’s Implications for Key U.S. Allies

On March 22, 2023, the European Commission (“Commission”) presented its proposal for a Directive on substantiation and communication of explicit environmental claims (“Proposed Green Claims Directive”).  The Proposed Green Claims Directive is intended to work in tandem with the Commission’s 2022 Proposal for a Directive empowering consumers for the green transition through better protection against unfair practices and better information (“Proposed Greenwashing Directive”).  Both Proposed Directives are intended to contribute to the EU’s green transition towards a circular, climate-neutral and clean economy by enabling consumers to make informed purchasing decisions based on reliable information about the sustainability of products and traders.  In particular, the Proposed Green Claims Directive would create a common methodology for substantiating green claims about the environmental footprint of products, services and companies and require companies making environmental claims to secure a certification of compliance from an independent national “verifier.”Continue Reading Greenwashing: EU Unveils Ambitious Proposal on Green Claims