Eu Law

The European Union is to use interest accrued from frozen Russian assets worth around €210 billion to support Ukraine. The decision by the EU's General Affairs Council will benefit Ukraine to the tune of between €2.5 billion and €3 billion per year.

Northern Ireland will join the rest of the UK in increasing the age of sale for tobacco by one year every year in spite of concerns that it could fall foul of post-Brexit agreements. MLAs yesterday approved a legislative consent motion allowing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently making its way th

The EU AI Act is to become law following its final approval by the Council of the European Union yesterday. The first of its kind in the world, the flagship legislation aims to set a global standard for AI regulation. Its risk-based approach sees AI systems subject to different levels of regulation

The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to assess whether Facebook and Instagram owner Meta may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to the protection of minors. The Commission is concerned that the systems of both Facebook and Instagram, including their algorit

Ireland cannot follow the UK in introducing a "generation ban" on tobacco sales due to EU law, according to legal advice obtained by the Irish government. The UK government has said it will seek to create a "smokefree generation" by increasing the age of sale by one year each year to prevent future

Ireland and Germany have secured the backing of nine other EU member states in a bid to have the proposed Nature Restoration Law (NRL) approved next month. France, Spain, Denmark, Luxembourg, Czechia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Estonia and Cyprus have signed up to approve the NRL ahead of the next Environ

Dr Filippos Proedrou and Dr Maria Pournara highlight the shortcomings of the EU's new ecocide law. The EU recently passed a law that criminalises actions “comparable to ecocide”. It’s a revolutionary legal development — the first law of its kind to be adopted by a political e

Poland's nearly decade-long rule of law crisis is over, the European Commission has declared. Around six months after an election which removed the country's right-wing Law and Order (PiS) party from government, the Commission has said it believes there is "no longer a clear risk of a serious breach

European trade unions and employers' organisations are being consulted on the possibility of new EU rules on remote working and the 'right to disconnect'. The first-stage consultation of European social partners launched by the European Commission this week follows a vote by MEPs in 2021 which calle

The European Commission has launched action against 20 airlines for allegedly spreading "vague or false" claims about the environmental impact of their flights. The airlines, which have not been named, have been told to bring their practices in line with EU consumer laws within 30 days.

Fast fashion retailer Shein has been designated by the European Commission as a very large online platform (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Because Shein's European head office is in Dublin, the Commission will supervise Shein's compliance with the DSA in co-operation with Coimisiú

EU member states have been urged to take action to protect children from violence. The European Commission has adopted a new recommendation on developing and strengthening integrated child protection systems in the best interests of the child, fulfilling a commitment in the EU Strategy on the Rights

The European Commission has opened a second set of formal proceedings against TikTok under the Digital Services Act (DSA) in relation to a 'task and reward' programme which it says "could be as toxic and addictive as cigarettes". Under the DSA, designated very large online platforms (VLOPs) such as

The Irish government has welcomed the EU's approval of major reforms to European migration and asylum policy, despite fierce criticism from human rights campaigners. In a series of votes passed by varying margins, the European Parliament yesterday adopted 10 legislative texts which collectively impl

A public consultation is seeking views on the introduction of geographical indication protection for craft and industrial products. An EU regulation which entered into force in November 2023 requires member states to put in place a legal framework for geographical indication (GI) protection for craf