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The Week Ahead in the European Parliament – January 17, 2020

By Sebastian Vos

January 17, 2020

Summary Next week, Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will meet in Brussels for Committee Meetings. Several interesting debates, hearings and votes are scheduled to take place. On Thursday, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (“AFCO”) will vote on a recommendation to the European Parliament to consent to the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement (also known as the Brexit deal) during a plenary vote scheduled for January 29, 2020. This will only happen if the UK House of…

Global Policy Watch

U.S.-China “Phase One” Trade Deal

By Victor Ban, Minwoo Kim, Rishi Gupta & Christopher Adams

January 17, 2020

On January 15, 2020, President Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He signed the much-anticipated “Phase One” trade agreement between the U.S. and China. Set to take effect no later than February 14, 2020, the “Economic and Trade Agreement Between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China” (the “Agreement”) is the first formal accord concluded between the U.S. and China since the U.S. began imposing tariffs on Chinese imports in July…

Inside Energy & Environment

The Dutch Supreme Court holds that the Netherlands Has a Human Rights Obligation to Mitigate Climate Change: The Urgenda Case

By Cándido García Molyneux & Bart Van Vooren

January 17, 2020

parliament-buildings-in-the-hague-picture-id472579508

On December 20, 2019, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands confirmed the judgements of a District Court and an Appeal Court requiring the Dutch Government to achieve a reduction of greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions of 25% by 2020 compared to 1990, instead of the 20% reduction that the government had envisioned since 2011. The case was brought by the Urgenda Foundation — a Dutch NGO — and has resulted in a landmark decision that may…

Inside Privacy

French Supervisory Authority Publishes Second Guidance on Cookies and Similar Technologies

By Kristof Van Quathem & Anna Oberschelp de Meneses

January 16, 2020

On January 14, 2020, the French Supervisory Authority (“CNIL”) published a new draft guidance on the use of cookies and similar technologies on websites and applications (see here, in French). The draft guidance is open for public consultation until February 25, 2020. In its nine articles, the guidance sets out how to properly inform users and collect their consent in this context. For each requirement, the guidance provides examples and best practices.…

Inside Privacy

State Privacy Trends to Watch in 2020

By Libbie Canter

January 16, 2020

While all eyes are on California following the implementation of the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) earlier this month and the start of enforcement later this year, other states are off to the privacy races already. On Monday, Washington State became the latest entrant with the introduction of a revised Washington Privacy Act. From the proposals introduced so far this year in Washington, Virginia, New Hampshire, Illinois, and Nebraska, it is clear that states…

Inside Privacy

FTC Summarizes 2019 Changes to Data Security Orders

By Caleb Skeath & Danielle Kehl

January 15, 2020

In a recent blog post, the Federal Trade Commission highlighted three key changes it made in 2019 in its approach to issuing orders in data security enforcement matters. As stated by Andrew Smith, the Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in the blog post, the agency intends for these changes to strengthen consumer protections while providing companies with more specific and actionable guidance about how to improve their data security practices. However, the…

Inside Tech Media

AI Update: WIPO Begins Public Consultation Process on Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property Policy

By Gregory Discher

January 15, 2020

The World Intellectual Property Organization (“WIPO”) recently announced a public consultation process on Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property Policy. As part of the consultation process, WIPO concurrently published and has requested feedback on a wide-ranging draft IP Policy and AI Issues Paper that is intended to help define the most pressing AI-related questions likely to face IP policy makers in the areas of patents, copyright, and data. The Issues Paper follows other recent WIPO…

Inside Tech Media

AI Update: White House Issues 10 Principles for Artificial Intelligence Regulation

By Inside Tech Media

January 14, 2020

On January 7, 2019, pursuant to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence, the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a draft Guidance for Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Applications, including ten principles for agencies to consider when deciding whether and how to regulate AI. The White House announced a 60 day public comment period following the release of the Guidance, after which the White…

Global Policy Watch

Trump Administration Renews Focus on Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts

By Jennifer Plitsch, Frederic Levy & Alexander Hastings

January 14, 2020

The Trump Administration has declared this month National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, calling on industry associations, law enforcement, private businesses, and others to work toward ending modern slavery and human trafficking. This proclamation follows the Administration’s efforts to combat human trafficking, which we have previously discussed here, and comes on the heels of an OMB memorandum released last fall aimed at “enhanc[ing] the effectiveness of anti-trafficking requirements in Federal acquisition while helping…

Inside Government Contracts

Trump Administration Renews Focus on Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts

By Jennifer Plitsch, Frederic Levy & Alexander Hastings

January 14, 2020

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Covington & Burling LLP Blogs

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The Week Ahead in the European Parliament – January 17, 2020

U.S.-China “Phase One” Trade Deal

The Dutch Supreme Court holds that the Netherlands Has a Human Rights Obligation to Mitigate Climate Change: The Urgenda Case

French Supervisory Authority Publishes Second Guidance on Cookies and Similar Technologies

State Privacy Trends to Watch in 2020

FTC Summarizes 2019 Changes to Data Security Orders

AI Update: WIPO Begins Public Consultation Process on Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property Policy

AI Update: White House Issues 10 Principles for Artificial Intelligence Regulation

Trump Administration Renews Focus on Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts

Trump Administration Renews Focus on Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts

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