Law & Justice

Poland Backs off Some Judicial Changes as ECJ Ruling Approaches

May 08, 2019

Politico reports that, as a judgment approaches from the Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) on a Polish law reforming the country’s Supreme Court, the ruling party in Poland has backed off on some of its changes to the institution, including on the selection of the Court’s President and judicial immunity.
ECJ Adviser Seeks Dismissal of Challenge to EU Firearms Law

May 01, 2019

Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston has advised the ECJ to dismiss the Czech Republic’s challenge of EU restrictions on the acquisition and possession of certain firearms because these EU regulations were valid under EU powers to maintain the free movement of goods.
CoE Delegates Call for “Reaction Procedure” to Enforce Standards

April 30, 2019

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (CoE) has approved a resolution calling for a “joint reaction procedure” in which CoE bodies and the organization’s Secretary General would employ a “special monitoring” mechanism to pressure CoE member states to halt alleged violations of their statutory obligations or of CoE values.
Google Bows to EC Smartphone Demands

April 30, 2019

AP reports that Google has announced it will comply with European Commission (EC) antitrust demands by offering EU consumers a choice of browsers and search apps on the company’s smartphones.
Facebook Agrees to EC Transparency Demands on Data Use

April 29, 2019

Demonstrating the power European regulators have over the behavior of internet companies across the globe, The Hill reports that tech giant Facebook has responded to pressure from the European Commission (EC) by agreeing to explain in its terms of service how it uses consumer data for targeted advertisements.
EC Charges German Car Companies with Blocking Clean Tech

April 26, 2019

Reuters reports that the European Commission (EC) has charged German car companies BMW, Volkswagen, and Daimler with unlawful collusion between 2006 and 2014 in blocking the advancement of clean energy technology.
EC Demands UK Recover Millions in Corporate Taxes

April 25, 2019

Reuters reports that the European Commission (EC) recently declared a British tax rule exempting interest income earned by offshore corporate subsidiaries between 2013 and 2018 illegal under EU law, requiring the UK government to collect millions of euros in taxes from several companies.
EU Council Supports Reinforcement of Border Guards

April 25, 2019

The Council of the EU has agreed to support a standing European Border and Coast Guard force of 10,000 border guards, highlighting the attempts of the EU institutions to persuade governments and voters in the upcoming EU parliamentary elections that it is working to control “irregular migration” into the bloc.
EU Lawmakers Pass Copyright Rules on Internet Content

April 22, 2019

Business Insider reports that the European Parliament has adopted new rules placing more responsibility on internet platforms to police user content to ensure it does not contain copyright violations and to pay publishers for the privilege of showing previews of web content.
EC Fines Google over Third-Party Web Advertising

April 22, 2019

The European Commission (EC) has fined Google €1.49 billion over allegations that the internet giant favored its own advertising services over those of its rivals on third-party websites, the third such antitrust fine levied by the EC against the company.