Business Diary: UK Regulations - March 2017
Currently, two to three new Regulation entries are added to the Archive each day. Regulation Watch covers business related topics such as new legislation, changes in legislation, consultations and regulatory body announcements.
1st
Compliance Guidance
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has published the latest version of its guidance on the licensing of electronic cigarettes and other nicotine-containing products as medicines.
Published Date: 1st March 2017
Business Laws
Tougher penalties for mobile usage while driving came into force on 1 March 2017. Newly qualified drivers caught using a handheld mobile phone at the wheel will lose their licence. Penalty points and fines will double to six points and £200.
Start Date: 1st March 2017
2nd
Court Rulings
The EU Court of Justice has ruled that the cost of calls made to customer service telephone lines should not exceed the cost of a standard call. The court also found that traders may obtain profits from helpline calls.
Ruling Date: 2nd March 2017
3rd
Legal Statistics - Risks
A new survey from the Ministry of Justice has found that just 10% of people with legal problems use a solicitor, and often only after approaching other sources of advice first. The most commonly reported problems include purchasing goods or services.
Published Date: 3rd March 2017
6th
Regulation Consultations
The Competition and Markets Authority is inviting views from all interested parties on proposed changes to the way it carries out market investigations. The changes include streamlining the market investigation process by assessing potential remedies at an earlier stage.
Response Deadline: 2nd May 2017
7th
EU Laws
The EU Council has adopted new rules to improve the safety of medical devices for the benefit of patients while preserving speedy access to innovative healthcare solutions. The scope of the rules has been extended to include certain products which do not have a specifically medical purpose, such as coloured contact lenses.
Published Date: 7th March 2017
8th
Regulator Services
The Export Control Organisation has updated and amended six open general export licences (OGELs), which will take effect from 8 March 2017. The OGELs include PCBs and components for military goods, military components and exports under the US-UK defence trade cooperation treaty.
Start Date: 8th March 2017
Business Laws
The government is planning to look at how to make terms and conditions in consumer contracts clearer, simpler and shorter. The government also intends to legislate to allow the Competition and Markets Authority and other consumer enforcement agencies to ask the courts to serve businesses that breach consumer protection laws with "civil fines".
Published Date: 8th March 2017
9th
Compliance Guidance
The Committee of Advertising Practice has published new guidance to help social influencers and brands comply with the rules on affiliate marketing. The guidance provides clarity on when content should be identified as advertising so that consumers can choose whether or not to engage with it.
Published Date: 9th March 2017
Business Laws
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has called on regulators for the legal sector to set a new minimum standard on price and service disclosure. The CMA has given them until 30 June 2017 to set out action plans.
Published Date: 9th March 2017
10th
Legal Statistics
According to a new report from IRN Research, the UK legal services market was valued at £31.5 billion in 2016, down from £32.2 billion in 2015. Growth over the next two years is expected to be modest amid uncertainty over Brexit.
Published Date: 10th March 2017
13th
Court Rulings
In a legal first, the UK High Court has granted a 'live' blocking order, which will require internet service providers to block access to servers that stream Premier League football matches. It is expected that the ruling will be welcomed by rights holders as a significant step towards tackling online copyright infringement.
Ruling Date: 13th March 2017
14th
Court Rulings
The EU Court of Justice has ruled that blanket bans on religious dress and symbols in the workplace do not constitute direct discrimination. The case involved the dismissal of a Muslim employee who was prevented from wearing an Islamic headscarf.
Ruling Date: 14th March 2017
Legal Statistics
A new survey from BDO has found that technology is expected to have the greatest impact on the global legal industry over the next five years. The survey also found that 32% of global firms and 24% of UK firms expect Brexit to have the greatest impact.
Published Date: 14th March 2017
Court Rulings
Scotland's Court of Session has ruled that companies convicted of a criminal offence may be able to recover the fines imposed on them from someone else. The case involved a company seeking to recover a fine imposed on it for the death of an employee from the health and safety adviser it engaged at the time of the incident.
Ruling Date: 14th March 2017
15th
Court Rulings
The EU Court of Justice has ruled that a telephone subscriber who gives permission for their data to be published in one EU member state is in fact giving permission for their data to be used in all member states.
Ruling Date: 15th March 2017
Court Rulings
The Court of Appeal has ruled that an employer was wrong to dismiss an employee on long-term sick leave without getting further medical evidence. The ruling provides guidance on long-term sick leave dismissals when the diagnosis and timeframe for recovery are uncertain.
Ruling Date: 15th March 2017
Legal Statistics - Opportunities
Just 6% of UK marketers say they fully understand the forthcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation and what it will mean for their business, according to a new survey from YouGov and The Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Published Date: 15th March 2017
Court Rulings
EU consumers can bring a claim under the EU product liability directive alleging that a pharmaceutical product caused harm even if medical research does not establish a causal link between the product and the illness caused, according to the advocate general of the European Court of Justice.
Published Date: 15th March 2017
16th
EU Laws
The EU Parliament has voted in favour of changes to the Shareholders' Rights Directive which will make it easier for shareholders to exercise their voting rights and for companies to identify their shareholders.
Published Date: 16th March 2017
EU Laws
Businesses using automated systems can breach EU competition law if the algorithms used result in collusion, the EU's competition commissioner has warned. Businesses should take steps to ensure automated systems are designed in a way to prevent collusion with other such systems.
Published Date: 16th March 2017
17th
Compliance Guidance
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has updated its guidance on online sales of medicines both in the UK and the European Economic Area. The revised guidance urges sellers to ensure they comply with the laws of the country in which they are selling.
Published Date: 17th March 2017
20th
Compliance Guidance
Businesses including insurance, credit checking and recruitment firms will have to understand and explain the rationale of decisions made by machine learning algorithms in order to comply with new EU data protection laws, the Information Commissioner's Office has said.
Published Date: 20th March 2017
Crackdowns & Amnesty
The Competition and Markets Authority has launched an advertising campaign to crack down on illegal cartels. The campaign is offering a reward of up to £100,000 to encourage people who have witnessed illegal activity to report it.
Published Date: 20th March 2017
22nd
Court Rulings
The Supreme Court has ruled that a law firm was not liable for the entire costs of a property transaction where the firm had mistakenly provided erroneous information to a client. The ruling upheld the SAAMCO cap, which limits solicitors' liability in such cases.
Ruling Date: 22nd March 2017
Court Rulings
A Supreme Court ruling has clarified the distinction between advice and information cases, and confirmed that negligent advisers will only be liable for the full amount of a client's losses where the transaction was entered into solely on the basis of negligent advice.
Ruling Date: 22nd March 2017
Regulation Consultations
The Competition and Markets Authority is inviting views from companies on draft guidance on its use of initial enforcement orders (IEOs) and derogations in merger investigations. IEOs prevent further integration of the businesses of the parties to the merger.
Response Deadline: 12th April 2017
27th
Legal Statistics
More than 24,000 consumers have made use of a platform aimed at encouraging businesses and consumers to settle disputes through alternative dispute resolution schemes in the first year of its operation, according to the EU Commission.
Published Date: 27th March 2017
Business Laws
The Information Commissioner's Office is warning UK firms on the risk of breaching the UK's Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations when seeking to update customers' future marketing preferences in line with the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation.
Published Date: 27th March 2017
28th
Regulation Consultations
The Government Equalities Office is inviting views from employers, service providers and public authorities on a proposal to add caste to the definition of race under the Equality Act 2010. The Act protects individuals against direct and indirect race discrimination.
Response Deadline: 18th July 2017
29th
Court Rulings
A recent Supreme Court ruling has found that the correct interpretation of a contract in England and Wales depends on a range of factors including the words of the contract and the context in which they are used.
Ruling Date: 29th March 2017
Business Laws
The Competition and Markets Authority is considering a new single set of principles to regulate price comparison websites and other digital comparison tools (DCTs) which could be applied across sectors. The move forms part of a wider market study into DCTs.
Published Date: 29th March 2017
30th
Court Rulings
The Court of Justice of the EU has ruled that constraints on space may justify print advertisements inviting consumers to buy products online omitting "material information" relevant to the potential sale.
Ruling Date: 30th March 2017
31st
Legal Statistics - Risks
A new Crown Records Management survey reveals that 44% of UK firms believe the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will not apply post-Brexit and 24% have stopped all compliance preparations. The UK government has previously confirmed that it will adopt the GDPR.
Published Date: 31st March 2017
