Insights

Since Omicron was first located just over a week ago – first reported to be found in South Africa, although reports have suggested that the variant was present in the Netherlands earlier than this – several countries have stepped up and responded quickly to reduce international travel and reintroduce domestic restrictions.

After almost two years of build-up, COP26 finally took place during the first two weeks of November. The expectations were high and the media attention significant – both positive and negative. Amidst the flurry of pledges, side agreements and negotiated texts, it is challenging to decipher whether COP26 was ‘a success’ and what it means for global (and local) climate…

‘Top in tech’ is a monthly episode from the GC tech policy team. Each month, the team lift the lid on the latest in Europe’s ‘techlash’, identifying where the debate is heading in London and Brussels, the politics behind it, and what this might mean for the apps and online services we use every day.

Singapore hosted its first major international conference last week since the start of the pandemic.  After aborting the mini-Davos, which they had planned for last August, this event was an even bigger deal. With Hong Kong closed off to international travellers and now a more challenging environment politically for global businesses, the Singaporeans know they have…

On a recent Global Counsel event, Practice Lead Alex Dawson is joined by a distinguished panel to explore how small businesses have adapted and transformed during the pandemic, and whether these changes are here to stay.

The covid-19 pandemic has seen a rapid rise in new and sophisticated types of financial scams in the UK, typically targeting ordinary consumers. People are more likely to be the victim of financial fraud than of any other crime – not just including the vulnerable and elderly – with more than two thirds of people in the UK (36 million) being targeted by a scammer in the…

GC was pleased to act as technical advisors to the ABPI in producing a strategic vision for the future of UK life sciences regulation. As the UK and the World grapple with the ongoing pandemic there are opportunities to take advantage of new scientific advances and new ways of working. Developing a robust, forward-looking and streamlined approach to regulation is one…

The long-awaited package of EU banking reforms presented by the European Commission on October 27th faces a basic challenge of reconciling demands for safeguarding of EU banking competitiveness and upholding the EU’s international commitments. The proposal was fated to face criticism from the outset. The commission, however, has sought to avoid a political stalemate by…

What do recent events in Poland tell us about the rule of law in the EU? Stephen Adams, Anikó Zsebik and Denzil Davidson look at how the question of EU-level legislation has collided with current events in Poland and what it means for other member states and the wider debate on sovereignty.

The Web Summit is done and dusted for 2021. At a mere 40,000 attendees packed into the waterfront Altice Arena in Lisbon, it may have been much smaller than its pre-pandemic peak. But it has lost none of the glitz that made it a highlight of the global tech calendar, and this year its organisers carefully navigated the choppiest waters of European – and global – tech…

The UK’s presidency of the climate change conference COP26 was seized as an opportunity to define themselves as a leader in this space on the global stage. The key goals set out by Alok Sharma, COP26 President, was “cars, coal, cash, and trees”, with other important areas requiring resolution being the finalisation of the emissions trading chapter of the Paris Agreement.

Chris Rinkus, Practice Lead, US Political due diligence; Miranda Lutz, Senior Associate; and Ben Bassett, Associate, discuss how the elections on November 2nd will affect the Biden administration’s agenda.

The November 2nd US election results represented a wake-up call to President Joe Biden and other Democratic leaders, and will push near-term policy in Congress toward the moderate end of the spectrum. Tuesday’s gubernatorial races were the most impactful. In Virginia, Republican newcomer Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe by a two-point margin in a state in…

The practically uncontested victory in Uzbekistan of incumbent president Shavkat Mirziyoyev on October 24 with 90% of the vote means the country is likely to further open its economy to foreign investors, a course steadfastly pursued since he came to power in 2016. This includes an ambitious privatisation programme, which was announced in 2020, soon stalled because of…

‘Top in tech’ is a new monthly episode from the GC tech policy team. Each month, the team will lift the lid on the latest in Europe’s ‘techlash’, identifying where the debate is heading in London and Brussels, the politics behind it, and what this might mean for the apps and online services we use every day.

The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook highlights how the “great vaccine divide” continues to impede Africa’s recovery. Undelivered donation pledges, the launch of boosters, India’s export ban and an overreliance on the global vaccination initiative COVAX culminated in half of the continent vaccinating less than 2% of their population. This is well below the World Health…

For several years tensions around the conduct of the PiS government have buffeted bilateral relations between Warsaw and Brussels and other members of the European Council without quite reaching breaking point. In part this is because both sides have tiptoed around pushing it there. However, in the wake of the Polish Constitutional Court’s (PCC) ruling on the supremacy of…

With artists pushing for reform to the music streaming economy, and rates of pay for streaming the lowest they have ever been, it’s been only a matter of time before the industry caught the attention of UK policymakers.