Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), which can be prompted to create wholly novel content, is a hot topic all around, from news and social media to policymakers and businesses. Image-generating AI models that create (digital) paintings inspired by van Gogh or other famous artists in seconds, or text-generating AI models like ChatGPT that pass university exams with ease are fascinating the internet community. Fact is that many generative AI-based applications have been made available to the public in the last months, from machine translations to image recognition and music generation. Yet, this is just the beginning of a ground-breaking technology, which will sooner than later be deployed in a wide spectrum of activities and become a critical infrastructure for many businesses.

On 18 April, the European Parliament adopted the CBAM, an unprecedented carbon border adjustment charge, which takes into account the greenhouse gas emissions embedded in imported goods of emissions-intensive sectors with a high risk of so-called “carbon leakage”. Carbon leakage takes place when, for reasons of costs related to climate policies in the EU, businesses transfer their production plants to other countries outside the bloc with less costly climate policies (see our briefing from July 2021). The initiative is part of the 2030 Climate and Energy “Fit for 55” legislative package under the European Green Deal, an ambitious plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% until 2030 compared to the levels of 1990.

On 19 April, the European Parliament approved the Regulation on deforestation-free products, which prohibits the placement of a number of agricultural and livestock products originating from deforested or degraded forest areas on the EU market (text will be available here). The Regulation aims to block imports associated with deforestation, particularly cattle (whether live, meat or leather), cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy, timber and rubber (read our briefing from November 2021).

BLOMSTEIN engagiert sich weiter gemeinsam mit der Berliner Architektenkammer für eine wettbewerbsfreundlichere Vergabe von Architektur- und Planungsleistungen in Berlin.

Mit Urteil vom 9. März 2023 in der Rechtssache C-571/21 hat der EuGH klargestellt, dass Stromproduzenten für eine Vielzahl von Vorgängen, die der eigentlichen Stromerzeugung vor- und nachgelagert sind, gemäß unionsrechtskonformer Auslegung des nationalen Rechts Anspruch auf Stromsteuerbefreiung haben. Damit setzt der EuGH der bisher vorherrschenden Auffassung in der Zollverwaltung und Rechtsprechung Grenzen.

After a reportedly heated debate among EU leaders, the EU has adopted its long announced tenth package of sanctions at the anniversary of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The latest package introduces yet another set of comprehensive sanctions, including additional financial sanctions on individuals, companies, and three additional Russian banks, the expansion of export and import bans, measure aimed at strengthening enforcement and preventing circumvention, as well as further measures. No additional measures were taken with respect to Belarus. Here are the details:

BLOMSTEIN ist stolzer Sponsor der diesjährigen deutschen Nationalrunden des Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Wettbewerbs.

At the beginning of February, the European Commission (Commission) presented its Green Deal Industrial Plan, a package of measures designed to help the EU industry to make progress in the transition to climate neutrality and strengthen its position in global competition.

Die 12. Auflage von Getting the Deal Through: Foreign Investment Review ist erschienen. Roland Stein und Leonard von Rummel haben wieder, wie für die vorherigen Jahresausgaben, das Kapitel zur deutschen Investitionskontrolle beigesteuert.

On 6 February, the European Commission (Commission) published a draft Implementing Regulation on detailed arrangements for the conduct of proceedings pursuant to the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) including relevant notification forms. Interested parties have the possibility to provide the Commission with feedback on the draft regulation until 6 March 2023 via an online portal.