Publications Archive

The safety of road vehicles as well as vehicle occupants, pedestrians and two-wheel vehicles in the EU is to be improved. For this, the EU Commission proposes a range of new technical requirements for motor vehicles as of 2024. These include the obligation to equip new vehicles with assistance systems.

The protection of workers and the self-employed by social protection schemes is to be improved and harmonised EU-wide. The EU Commission has called for this in a proposal for a Recommendation to the Member States.

The Commission is pressing for a more sustainable financial sector and has therefore submitted an Action Plan on the financing of sustainable growth. This provides inter alia for a classification system for sustainability (“EU taxonomy”) that will provide a basis for “sustainable” action by financial institutions, rating agencies, market analysts and investors.

The EU Commission wants to introduce transparency obligations for online platforms and search engines EU-wide, as well as possibilities for redress for online traders using such online platforms. The EU Commission wants to regulate this by way of a Regulation.

The EU Commission wants to contribute to the promotion of the cross-border sale of investment funds. The corresponding proposals for a regulation and a directive provide, among other things, that so-called undertakings for collective investments in transferable securities (UCITS) and alternative investment funds (AIF) may not be obliged to be "physically present" in the host Member States.

In order to reduce CO₂ emissions in the road transport sector, CO₂emission targets for lorries are to be introduced for the first time. The EU Commission has therefore submitted a proposal for a Regulation.

A new EU Directive on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers is to replace the existing Directive on injunctive relief. It is supposed to substantially expand the scope of representative actions in consumer law and thereby to promote the enforcement of consumer law whilst at the same time preventing abusive litigation.

The responsibilities and powers of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) are to be significantly widened. For this purpose, the EU Commission has proposed a Regulation. In addition to ESMA, this will principally affect investment funds, investment firms, trading venues, data reporting services, benchmark administrators and contributors, issuers and of course investors.

The EU wants to help reduce marine pollution caused by plastic products and packaging. For this purpose, the EU Commission has submitted the proposal for a Directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment. This would affect consumers, manufacturers and traders in single-use plastic products, the catering sector and fisheries.

The supervision of investment firms in the EU should be more adapted to their respective business models and risks. With this aim, the EU Commission has developed a proposal for a Directive which, by dividing investment firms into three classes, counteracts the consolidation of the sector brought about by regulation.