The Council reached an agreement on its position (“general approach”) on the proposed Digital Markets Act. The proposal aims to ensure the competitiveness and fairness of the digital sector in order to promote innovation, high quality of digital products and services and high quality and choice in the digital sector. Online platforms that provide basic […]
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European justice again refuses to restore Puigdemont’s immunity
The Vice-President of the General Court of the European Union refuses the new request for the suspension of waiver of the parliamentary immunity of Mr Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó, Mr Antoni Comín i Oliveres and Ms Clara Ponsatí i Obiols On 13 January and 10 February 2020, the European Parliament received requests for waiver of […]
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CJEU keeps Hamas on the European list of terrorist organizations
The General Court should not have cancelled Hamas’ listing on the ground that the Council had failed to authenticate by means of a signature the statements of individual reasons for those acts By a judgment of 4 September 2019, Hamas v Council, the General Court annulled, in an action for annulment under Article 263 TFEU, […]
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Intellectual property in the 20th century (1900 – 1961)
Intellectual property grew in importance throughout the 20th century. Legislative initiatives and jurisprudence were forced to keep pace with rapid technological developments, such as easier and cheaper ways of copying content (have you ever wondered how the photocopier, the VHS tape, CDs and now the internet have affected the protection of intellectual property rights?) At […]
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The CJEU opposes the regime in force in Poland that allows the Minister of Justice to appoint judges by hand-picking.
EU law precludes the regime in force in Poland which permits the Minister for Justice to second judges to higher criminal courts; secondments which that minister – who is also the Public Prosecutor General – may terminate at any time without stating reasons The requirement that judges be independent means that the rules relating to […]
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October infringements package: decision for Spain
In its regular package of infringement decisions, the European Commission pursues legal action against Member States for failing to comply with their obligations under EU law. These decisions, covering various sectors and EU policy areas, aim to ensure the proper application of EU law for the benefit of citizens and businesses. The decision adopted by […]
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CJEU prevents AC Milan from registering its crest as an international trademark
The General Court confirms that the sign representing the crest of the football club AC Milan cannot be registered internationally as a trade mark designating the Union for stationery and office supplies The high degree of aural similarity and average visual similarity of that sign with the earlier German word mark MILAN gives rise […]
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New road charging rules adopted by Council
The Council today gave its green light for stronger and wider road charging rules (Eurovignette directive) to incentivise cleaner and more efficient transport operations. The revised law includes a new scheme to address CO2 emissions to reduce transport’s carbon footprint in line with the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement. “These new road pricing rules and a […]
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State of the Energy Union 2021
Renewables overtake fossil fuels as the EU’s main power source Last Tuesday, October 26, the European Commission adopted the State of the Energy Union 2021 report in which, almost two years after the launch of the European Green Pact, it takes stock of the EU’s progress in the clean energy transition. While some trends are […]
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