The UK DMO (the body responsible for the design and delivery of the DRS across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland) has announced:
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‘A New Vision for Water’ – Defra’s White Paper and Other January 2026 Developments
It has been a busy start to the new year for water law and policy with various developments published in the last couple of weeks. Following the release in December 2025 of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), which lists a number of commitments on water, Defra published a long awaited Water White Paper this week
Omnibus I Reforms
After over 12 months of legal uncertainty, the EU has finalised the Omnibus I reforms and there is certainty as to who will need to report under the EU Corporate Sustainability Directive (CSRD) and EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D).
To recap and in summary, CSRD required around 46,000 companies established in the EU,
The EU AI Act and The Automotive Sector: Why Are Product Conformity Regimes Relevant to High-risk AI Systems?
Introduction
From autonomous-driving to ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), to the potential for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform the aftermarket, AI is much-discussed as being transformational in the automotive sector; and there are numerous reported examples of AI being used already, for design, validation and performance management, connected with the manufacturing process.
However, automotive businesses
Important Updates on California’s Climate Disclosure Laws
California’s climate disclosure laws continue to present novel challenges and twists and turns to regulated businesses, and the past month is no exception. Since our last blog post on this topic, there have been significant developments regarding the implementation of SB 261 and SB 253. On November 18, 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Publishes Guidance on Advertising of Less Healthy Food and Drink Products
The highly anticipated ASA guidance on the advertising of less healthy food and drink products (Guidance) was published on 5 December 2025. This follows the ASA’s autumn 2025 consultation on the implementation of the less healthy food and drink advertising restrictions, and in particular how this would affect brand advertising.
Legal Context for the
The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) Has Issued a Public Consultation on the Proposed Ban of Bisphenol A (BPA) and Other Bisphenols on Food-contact Materials and Articles (FCMs) in the UK
The consultation was launched on 2 October, and is open until 24 December 2025.
This consultation applies to England, Northern Ireland (NI) and Wales, and the FSA is seeking views on a proposed ban on the use of:
- Bisphenol A (BPA)
- Other bisphenols (BPS, BPF)
- Bisphenol derivatives
in FCMs (i.e. materials and articles that are
Supply Chain Transparency: UK Government Responds to Joint Committee Recommendations on Modern Slavery Laws
The UK modern slavery regime has faced scrutiny in recent years for failing to keep up with requirements in other jurisdictions. A recent UK government publication offers a timely and illustrative example of how UK modern slavery laws are being reviewed. The document outlines the Government’s response to various recommendations made by the Joint Committee
House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee Considers the Brand Advertising Exemption Regulations
As we reported in the last edition of newsBITE, the Advertising (Less Healthy Food and Drink) (Brand Advertising Exemption) Regulations 2025 (Brand Advertising Exemption Regulations) were published in September 2025.
The Brand Advertising Exemption Regulations came into force on 31 October 2025. They provide that “brand” advertising that does not identify a specific, less healthy
Unraveling California’s Web of Climate Disclosure Laws, Part 3: Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures Act (AB 1305)
California is forging a path for climate disclosure with its series of related legal frameworks requiring covered entities to disclose climate-related information, supporting documentation for certain net zero claims and financial risk frameworks.
In October 2023, California became the first state to enact such broad climate disclosure legislation, with the passage of the:
- Climate Corporate