With just under a week remaining on the Cabinet Office’s online consultation process into the COVID-19 Public Inquiry, we explore the current stage of the Public Inquiry process, the next steps, and the importance of ensuring organisations and individuals have their say in the draft Terms of Reference (“TORs”) by 7 April 2022, which will
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Crunch Time for Critical Minerals in the US
Following up on Squire Patton Boggs’s continuing coverage of the critical minerals industry, we examine some recent reforms in the federal permitting process which aim to ease supply-side constraints by expediting the development and exploitation of critical minerals. Rapidly mounting geopolitical tensions, East/West decoupling, and longstanding supply chain stresses underlie a new reality—global logistics
UK Calorie Labelling for Food and Drink in Restaurants, Takeaways, Deli Counters and Other ‘Out of Home’
There is less than a month to go before the UK’s new Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021 (the “Regulations”) come into force (6 April 2022). The Regulations include obligations for calorie labelling for ‘non-prepacked foods’ in England, which are sold in a form suitable for ‘immediate consumption’. They will require businesses
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) Publishes Enforcement Data (UK)
The OPSS has published details of its enforcement actions during the six months from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021. Actions related to product safety included orders for forfeiture and destruction, compliance notices and the issue of mandatory withdrawal and recall notices. Relevant businesses included businesses based in Great Britain, but also a significant
A “Made in America” Supply Chain for Critical Minerals
The Biden administration recently announced major investments in the domestic production of key critical minerals and materials.
The minerals targeted by the Administration are the rare earth elements, lithium, and cobalt—found in products from personal rechargeable electronics and television screens, to household appliances, as well as those used in clean energy technologies like batteries, electric
February 2022 Update: EU Sustainability Outlook: Key Developments In EU Sustainability Law and Policy
Our European Public Policy team is pleased to share with you our monthly newsletter, Sustainability Outlook – European Union which looks at key developments in EU sustainability law and policy. This month’s edition includes the following:
Biden EPA Backtracks on Trump-Era Water Policy – Will the New Stance Lead to Efficiency or Add to Administrative Backlog?
US EPA recently issued two memoranda announcing a more flexible timeline for its review of state and tribal water quality standards (WQS), replacing a Trump-Era policy that set defined deadlines for these reviews. On February 4, 2022, US EPA Assistant Administrator Radhika Fox issued a memorandum entitled “Rescission of Memorandum Titled: ‘Policy for the EPA’s Review
Consultation is opened on the Office for Environmental Protection’s (OEP) draft strategy and enforcement policy (UK)
The consultation seeks views on the new regulator’s plans, which set out how it will protect and improve the environment by holding public authorities to account.
The draft strategy defines what the OEP considers to be a “public authority” and this includes the government, government agencies, local authorities and similar organisations, and private companies carrying
Two UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) food law consultations opened – Novel Foods and Precautionary Allergen Labelling
The consultations seek views on regulated product applications for six novel foods that have been submitted for authorisation to the FSA and on precautionary allergen labelling and precautionary allergen information, such as “may contain”, on many types of food.
The Trend Toward Heightened Cybersecurity for the US Water Utility Sector
With high-profile cybersecurity attacks in 2021 such as those at Colonial Pipeline and JBS Foods, there is no doubt that cybersecurity is of utmost importance to our nation, and cybersecurity for our water sector is no exception. The potential ramifications of a cyber attack on the water industry are disconcerting—in one 2021 attack, hackers