The EU is heavily dependent on imports of critical raw materials from third countries, and with the growing transition to a digital economy and the increase of environmental concerns, this dependence makes supply chains vulnerable and therefore susceptible to better and more efficient regulation.

In an attempt to address this issue and providing specific dates since its first draft (see our latest Briefing here), the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) has entered into force on May 23rd, 2024, establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw material for the EU’s industry.

Increase of disclosure obligations and stricter deadlines

This briefing is the fourth in a series on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), where BLOMSTEIN addresses the key aspects that (in)directly affect businesses both within and outside the EU, explores its interplay with the existing legislation in Germany (LkSG) and examines interactions with other recently adopted EU legislation (e.g., EUDR and CSRD) which partially set overlapping obligations.

In today’s briefing we explore the main differences and points of convergence of the CSDDD and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), particularly which companies might be affected by both and how to reconcile them.

Im Zeitalter der globalisierten Wirtschaft beziehen zahlreiche deutsche Unternehmen Waren oder Produktkomponenten von Zulieferern aus aller Welt. Doch grenzüberschreitende Lieferketten bergen oft ein Dilemma: Einige Zulieferer operieren in Ländern, in denen Arbeitsbedingungen und Umweltschutzmaßnahmen nicht internationalen Standards entsprechen.

Das Gesetz über die unternehmerischen Sorgfaltspflichten zur Vermeidung von Menschenrechtsverletzungen in Lieferketten (LkSG) markiert hier einen Wendepunkt im deutschen Wirtschaftsrecht und nimmt Unternehmen in die Pflicht. Es verpflichtet sie, ihre Lieferketten im Vorfeld auf mögliche Risiken für Menschenrechte und Umwelt zu überprüfen und gegebenenfalls ihre Geschäftspraktiken anzupassen, um negative Auswirkungen zu minimieren. Die Geschäftstätigkeit wird so zu einer ethischen Gratwanderung, die nicht nur die Rentabilität, sondern auch die soziale Verantwortung im Blick hat.

In diesem Briefing werden die gesetzlichen Anforderungen an die Risikoanalyse im Rahmen des LkSG erörtert, praktische Umsetzungsfragen diskutiert und strategische Empfehlungen gegeben, um die Einhaltung der Sorgfaltspflichten sicherzustellen und rechtliche Risiken zu minimieren.

This briefing is the third in a series on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), where BLOMSTEIN addresses the key aspects that (in)directly affect businesses both within and outside the EU, explores its interplay with the existing legislation in Germany (LkSG) and examines interactions with other recently adopted EU legislation (e.g., EUDR and CSRD) which partially set overlapping obligations.

In today’s briefing we explore the main differences and points of convergence of the CSDDD and the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free products (EUDR), particularly which companies might be affected by both and how to leverage synergies when implementing compliance procedures.

This briefing is second in a series on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), which addresses the key aspects that (in)directly affect businesses both within and outside the EU, explore its interplay with the existing legislation in Germany and examine interactions with other  recently adopted acts of EU legislation (e.g., EUDR and CSRD), which partially establish overlapping obligations.

This briefing is the first in a series on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) that BLOMSTEIN will be publishing over the coming weeks. We will address the key aspects that (in)directly affect businesses both within and outside the EU, explore its interplay with the existing legislation in Germany (LkSG) and examine interactions with other acts recently adopted EU legislation (e.g., EUDR and CSRD) which partially set overlapping obligations.

Restriktive Maßnahmen oder „Sanktionen“ stellen ein wichtiges Instrument der Gemeinsamen Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik der EU dar. Insbesondere die seit Februar 2022 kontinuierlich ausgeweiteten Russland-Sanktionen haben dazu geführt, dass die sanktionsrechtliche Compliance ein neues Maß an praktischer Bedeutung gewonnen hat. Absehbare Verschärfungen mit Blick auf Russland und den Iran verstärken diesen Trend. Hintergrund der hierbei zurecht gestiegenen Sensibilität ist auch, dass Verstöße gegen EU-Sanktionen oftmals als Ordnungswidrigkeiten oder Straftaten geahndet werden und nicht nur für die beteiligten Unternehmen, sondern auch für einzelne Mitarbeiter persönliche Konsequenzen haben können.

Did you know that exporting lipstick under the wrong circumstances could get you in serious trouble? As innocent and trivial as they may seem, lipstick and many more so-called fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) are often covered by several export restrictions. As a result, the export of these goods may be subject to authorisation requirements or entirely restricted, with hefty fines and other sanctions associated with non-compliance. In this instalment of our briefing series on FMCG, we highlight how export control law applies to FMCG and what pitfalls you should be wary of.

Earlier this year, the European Commission (Commission) adopted a delegated regulation introducing binding valuation information (BVI) decisions into EU customs legislation. These decisions will complement a proven system for issuing decisions relating to binding origin information (BOI) and binding tariff classification (BTI). The adopted text amends Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446 by incorporating BVI decisions and rules for their management. Along the same lines, an amendment of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2447 is set to follow and introduce electronic data-processing for both BOI and BVI decisions.