July 2018 White Paper
Digital Digital is a fast evolving, innovative, sector that is driving economic transformation across the world. Digital sectors contributed £116.5 billion to the UK economy in 2016, representing 6.7 percent of GVA. ...
Author Archives: Paul McMahon
Broadcasting & Digital
Broadcasting The Audio-Visual Media Services Directive underpins the single market in broadcasting. It covers both traditional broadcast and on-demand services. It sets minimum regulatory standards that states and ...
Postal Services
Liberalisation The European Union Directive on postal service liberalizes access to the postal market. The directive established a timeframe for progressive liberalization in two stages: On 1st January 2003 letters ...
Privacy & Communications
Data Protection Law The EU has been central in promoting data protection laws. The EU data protection directive applies to data processed by an automated means such as a computer or contained in or intended to be ...
Electronic Communications Services
Independent Regulation and Competition The EU has sought to introduce competition into the provision of electronic communications. The liberalisation also extends to directories, telephone enquiries, frequencies, TV, ...
E-Privacy
Unsolicited Communications to (Persons) I A person shall not use or cause to be used any publicly available electronic communications service to send to a subscriber or user who is a natural person an unsolicited ...
Distance Contracts
EU Consumer Rights Directive The Consumer Rights Directive 2011 modifies and supplements the law set out in the earlier Distance Selling and Doorstep Contracts Regulations. There are five principal categories of ...
Information Society Services
Directive on Information Society Services The EU Directive on e-commerce facilitates the sale of goods and supply of services over the internet within the EU. It is designed to contribute to the proper functioning of ...
E-Commerce
Overview E-Commerce is business conducted over the internet. For the most part, the general legal rules apply to E-Commerce. The law of contract, the Sale of Goods Act and the consumer protection rules apply in the ...
GDPR & Data Protection
Data Protection Legislation and Reform Data protection law restricts the collection, storage and use of personal data. Personal data is that which concerns a living person. The objective is to protect privacy and to ...
Food Safety Controls
Overview The importation of food products from outside the EU requires compliance with EU and UK hygiene safety, labelling and food composition regulations. The hazard analysis and critical control point after the ...
Food Safety Pre-Consumer
EU Food Hygiene Law The purpose of food legislation is to prevent or eliminate risks arising either directly or via the environment for humans and animals and reduce risks to an acceptable level. to guarantee fair ...
Importation and Movement
Import of live animals. There are a number of directives dealing with both the import and transit of animals. One category of directives deals with imports from outside the EU whereas another category deal with ...
EU Food Labelling
Labelling and presentation of foodstuffs. EU directives deal with the labelling, packaging, and presentation of prepackaged foodstuffs. It applies to foodstuffs to be delivered to a final consumer or to ...
Proposed Economic Partnership
Economic partnership Following the decision of the people of the UK in the referendum, the UK is leaving the EU, and as a result will leave the Single Market and the Customs Union – seizing new opportunities and ...
Institutions
Summary A relationship as deep as the one that the UK envisages will require a broad range of cooperation between the UK and the EU in the future. In order to ensure that this cooperation can function properly, that ...
Resolving Disputes
Resolving disputes The institutional framework should prevent disputes arising but in the unlikely event that they did, it should be designed in a way that facilitates dialogue. But where international agreements ...
Administrative Cooperation
Administrative provisions To ensure the future relationship is administered effectively, the UK and the EU will need to agree arrangements for regulatory cooperation. This includes: an upfront choice to maintain a ...
Cooperation in Various Areas
Cooperation There are a number of areas where cooperation supports or complements our proposals for the economic or security partnerships. . For each of these areas, the UK and the EU should agree specific ...
CAP Price Support
The Common Agricultural Policy The Common Agricultural Policy consumes a large part of the EU budget, through the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF). The Guarantee element finances the ...
CAP Income Supports
Cohesion Funds The Cohesion Funds (2007 to 2013) support measures under the convergence objectives. The aim is to accelerate convergence in EU states where development is lagging behind by improving conditions for ...
CAP Development and Reform
Background Agriculture has been at the heart of the European Union since its foundation. This reflects the post-war food security requirement and the strong political influence of France in the 1950s and 1960s with ...
Import & Export of Animals
General There are a number of directives dealing with both the import and transit of animals. One category of directives deals with imports from outside the EU whereas another category deal with imports between EU ...
Intra-EU Trade
Bovine and Swine There exist intra-EU controls on trade in certain animals. There is a directive on trade within the EU in bovine animals and swine for breeding, production, or slaughter. The transport of bovine ...
Animal Health
General EU laws on animal health and welfare are adopted by the Parliament and the EU Council, the latter acting by qualified majority voting. The rules usually reflect international standards including, in ...
Registration of Animals
Identification and registration There are a number of EU regulations dealing with the identification and registration of animals. The purpose is to create a comprehensive tracing system to protect animal health and ...
EU Competition Law
EU Competition Law Competition policy has been a central element of the European Union Treaties since the outset. The completion of the customs union, common market and later the single market required a system of ...
Public Procurement & Brexit
Effectiveness of EU Procurement Law The EU has enacted procurement legislation which is applicable to most public works above a certain value. The EU procurement rules apply above a relatively low project threshold ...
Broad Procurement Principles
Public Procurement Law European Union Law binds member states and public authorities. Such authorities and bodies are significant purchasers of goods and services. The common market for goods and services in the ...
Procurement Processes
Types of Process There is a number of types of procurement procedures permitted under the 2014 directives. The most common procedure is the open procedure by which all interested parties may tender a single fully ...