LATEST ALERTS
27th June 2024
Environment & Sustainability
News analysisMore News analysis
Global business and regulatory news covering the cannabis industry
Daily regulatory updates of legal changes in the cannabis sector, including monthly compilations
17th December 2024
- EU: Yesterday (16th December), the European Council formally adopted the proposal for a regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste (a revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive). The proposal aims to make packaging easier to reuse and recycle, to reduce unnecessary packaging and waste, and to promote the use of recycled content. The regulation is expected to affect packaging requirements for cannabis and hemp-derived products and will next be published in the EU’s official journal. The regulation will be applied 18 months after the date of entry into force.
14th October 2024
- EU: Today, the Council has adopted a new regulation on the classification, labelling, and packaging of chemical substances (CLP), updating the existing 2008 EU legislation. The revised regulation clarifies labelling issues, such as readability and digital labelling, and increases compliance with CLP for online sales of chemicals. The amendment seeks, among other things, to improve the harmonised classification of chemicals and clarify rules on hazard labelling, etc. This may impose additional obligations on the producers of vaping or tobacco products in relation to chemicals that may be contained in them.
14th October 2024
- Global: International E-waste Day is celebrated today (14th October). The yearly awareness-raising day initiated by the WEEE Forum – an international association of organisations of electronics manufacturers and importers – aims to highlight the growing issue of e-waste and promote responsible e-waste management. Products with electrical or electronic components, including vaping or heated tobacco devices with batteries, should be part of the recycling stream. This year’s slogan, “Join the e-waste hunt – retrieve, recycle, and revive!” highlights the importance of addressing the unused electronics stored in homes, which often contain valuable materials that can be recycled and given a new purpose.
9th July 2024
- EU: The regulation on ecodesign for sustainable products has recently been published. With the new regulation, we expect the emergence of a digital product passport (a tool that can significantly enhance the end-to-end traceability of a product, complementing the information provided in labels) for devices and other ecodesign requirements and requirements for the measure of energy consumption or performance of devices. The regulation will take effect on 18th July and apply 24 months after it enters into force.
27th May 2024
- EU: Today, the Council adopted a proposal for a regulation on ecodesign for sustainable products. With the proposal, we expect the emergence of a digital product passport (a tool that can significantly enhance the end-to-end traceability of a product, complementing the information provided in labels) for devices and other ecodesign requirements, and requirements for measuring energy consumption or performance of devices. Once signed, the regulation will be published in the Official Journal and will enter into force on the 20th day following its publication. It will apply 24 months after the entry into force.
24th May 2024
- EU: Today, the Council adopted a proposal for a directive on corporate sustainability due diligence. The proposal aims to ensure certain large EU and non-EU companies conduct due diligence on the potential impact of operations and supply chains on the environment as well as address environmental and social risks, enabling employees and stakeholders to raise any concerns. After being signed by the president of the European Parliament and the president of the Council, the directive will be published in the Official Journal and will enter into force on the 20th day following its publication. EU member states will have two years to implement the directive.
26th April 2024
- EU: On Tuesday (23rd April), the European Parliament adopted a proposal for a regulation on ecodesign for sustainable products. With the proposal, we expect the emergence of a digital product passport for devices – a tool that can significantly enhance a product’s end-to-end traceability, complementing the information provided in labels – and other ecodesign requirements, such as requirements for the measure of energy consumption or performance of devices. Once the European Council formally approves it, the proposal can enter into force.
25th April 2024
- EU: Yesterday (24th April), the European Parliament adopted the proposal to revise the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. It aims to prevent the generation of packaging waste, reduce it in quantity, ensure that all packaging is recyclable, and increase the use of recycled plastics in packaging. Once the Council formally approves it, the proposal can enter into force.
25th April 2024
- EU: Yesterday (24th April), the European Parliament adopted a proposal for a directive on corporate sustainability due diligence. The proposal aims to have certain big companies both within and outside of the EU conduct due diligence on the potential environmental impact of operations and supply chains as well as address environmental and social risks, enabling employees and industry members to raise any concerns. The proposal is expected to be approved by the Council and then to be published in the EU Official Journal.
24th April 2024
- EU: Yesterday (23rd April), the European Parliament adopted the proposal for a directive on common rules promoting the repair of goods. The proposal seeks to introduce consumer incentives to repair products rather than replace them, promoting a circular economy. We believe this would force manufacturers or sellers to have repair facilities in order to repair devices, beyond the legal guarantee period, so as to allow their use for a longer period of time. Moreover, it should enable the replacement of defective vaping devices (including cannabis and hemp-derived vapes) with refurbished or second-hand ones, rather than a new one. The proposal should be approved next by the Council to be published in the EU Official Journal.
24th November 2023
- EU: On Wednesday (22nd November), the European Parliament adopted its position on the proposal to revise the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. The directive aims to prevent the generation of packaging waste, reduce it in quantity, ensure that all packaging is recyclable, and increase the use of recycled plastics in packaging. Once the Council has adopted its position, the Parliament is ready to start talks with national governments on the law’s final form.
16th November 2023
- EU: On occasion of today’s webinar held by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) examining the EU cannabis market, the authority has launched an interactive module describing the illicit European cannabis market, from production and trafficking, to distribution and use. Today’s webinar consisted of a presentation of this module, which goes through figures on the estimated annual value of this market in the EU, cannabis cultivation, quantities seized in the last ten years, implications for organised crime, available cannabis retail channels, pricing, and the environmental consequences of cannabis production.
Regulatory reportsMore Regulatory reports
Comprehensive legal reports outlining how the sector is regulated, interpretation of the laws and relevant bodies
Regulatory databasesMore Regulatory databases
Regularly updated global regulations currently in place, compiled into easy-to-read maps and tables
