Communiqeu

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KEITH ZAHRA

RULE OF LAW

EU report shows positive developments in Member States

The European Commission has published the second EU-wide Report on the Rule of Law. The 2021 report looks at the new developments since last September, deepening the assessment of issues identified in the previous report and considering the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite notable improvements, concerns remain and in certain Member States these have increased, for instance when it comes to the independence of the judiciary and the situation in the media. The report also underlines the strong resilience of national systems during the Covid-19 pandemic. This pandemic also illustrated the importance of the ability to maintain a system of checks and balances, upholding the rule of law.

The report has flagged concerns about Poland and Hungary, with the European Commission having already indicated that it could link access to its recovery fund of grants and loans worth a total €800 billion conditional on observing the rule of law.

With regard to Malta, the EC highlighted improvements in ensuring judicial independence, while noting the need for additional efforts to ensure further media freedom.

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KEITH ZAHRA

ENVIRONMENT

Commission adopts new EU Forest Strategy

The European Commission has adopted a New EU Forest Strategy for 2030, a flagship initiative of the European Green Deal that builds on the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

The strategy contributes to the package of measures proposed to achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions of at least 55 per cent by 2030 and climate neutrality in 2050 in the EU. It also helps the EU deliver on its commitment to enhance carbon removals by natural sinks as per the Climate Law. By addressing the social, economic, and environmental aspects all together, the Forest Strategy aims at ensuring the multifunctionality of EU forests and highlights the pivotal role played by foresters.

Forests are an essential ally in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. They function as carbon sinks and help us reduce the impacts of climate change, for example by cooling down cities, protecting us from heavy flooding, and reducing drought impact. Unfortunately, Europe’s forests suffer from many different pressures, including climate change.

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KEITH ZAHRA

PUBLIC SECTOR

Commission seeks public feedback on websites and apps

The EU has launched a public consultation on the review of the Web Accessibility Directive. Since 23 June 2021, all public sector websites and mobile apps in the EU have the legal obligation to be accessible to people with disabilities.

The consultation will gather feedback from citizens, especially those with disabilities, but also from businesses, online platforms, academics, public administrations, and all other interested parties. The online consultation will be itself accessible to screen readers, translated in all EU official languages, and available in a shorter easyto-read version for people with cognitive disabilities.

The results of the consultation will feed into the review and will help improve the impact of the directive on making public sector websites and mobile apps accessible. The consultation remains open until 25 October 2021.

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KEITH ZAHRA

TRADE

New rules seek safe and compliant products on the EU market

The EU Market Surveillance and Compliance Regulation came into force in July 2021. The new rules aim to ensure that products placed on the EU market comply with relevant EU legislation and meet public health and safety requirements.

The legislation is key to ensuring a well-functioning Single Market and helps to put into place a better structure for checks on products exchanged on the EU market by improving cooperation among national authorities and customs officers.

The Regulation, proposed by the Commission in June 2019, will now apply to a wide array of products covered by 73 pieces of EU legislation, from toys, electronics to cars. To boost businesses’ compliance with these rules, the Regulation will help to provide free of charge information on product rules to businesses via the Your Europe portal and Product contact points. The new rules will also better specify the powers of Market Surveillance authorities, giving them powers to perform on-site inspections and undertake undercover purchasing of products.

The modernised framework for market surveillance will also help address the rising challenges of e-commerce and new supply chains, by ensuring that certain categories of products can only be placed on the EU market if an economic operator is present in the EU as interlocutor for authorities. To help businesses adjust to these requirements, the Commission has already issued dedicated Guidelines in March 2021.