Insights

Last month, Chinese technology company Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) was added to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) provisional watchlist, the latest development in a longstanding clash between the U.S. and China around audit oversight of foreign companies. The purview of the SEC and other regulatory bodies such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the…

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the fragility of the public health systems that we take for granted. As the virulence of the pandemic begins to abate across much of the world, how exposed – or prepared – are counties for the impact of war, economic sanctions, political isolation and new migratory patterns on existing health structures and systems? 

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been ramping up scrutiny of Big Tech companies ever since Chair Lina Khan – an avowed critic of Big Tech – arrived in June 2021. To date, the FTC has struggled to find ways to combat the rising influence of the technology industry using its limited set of enforcement tools. However, a recent new settlement with WW International,…

This year’s Amsterdam Drone Week and EASA High Level Conference wrapped up last week, bringing together the annual gathering of policymakers and industry to discuss unmanned aircraft regulation and the technology’s roll-out in Europe. It has been a number of years since the last one was held, due to covid, so the conference was a flurry of activity. The conference hall…

You might not have heard of Newport Wafer Fab (NWF) before reading this article. In global terms it is not a major player in the semiconductors sector, but the south Wales-located manufacturer now finds itself at the heart of a heated political debate about the UK’s technological competitiveness, openness to foreign investment and relationship with China.

The Russia-Ukraine war was the elephant in the room at the inaugural Tashkent International Investment Forum in late March. While not mentioned directly by the speakers, it was clear to anyone that the conflict will impact Uzbekistan as it tries to position itself as a gateway for foreign corporates and investors to the rest of Central Asia.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has entered its second month, and Global Counsel continues to go beyond the headlines to cover the crisis through interactive events, in-depth analysis, and daily briefings.

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Transport Rule was published in the Federal Register on April 6th. Also known as the “Good Neighbor Rule”, it is sweeping in its geographic scope and breadth. The rule would affect 26 US states; set lower emissions standards for coal and gas fired electricity generators, create new emissions standards for multiple…

 As England moves towards the establishment of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) later in 2022, opportunities are emerging for NHS organisations to collaborate more closely on system-wide challenges that can have a substantial, but indirect effect on health and wellbeing, such as climate change. 

5G and gigabit-broadband rollout have often been heralded as the means by which the UK becomes a truly digitally connected and inclusive nation. Whilst the Conservative Government initially set out a bold commitment to deliver full-fibre and gigabit-capable broadband to every home and business by 2025, this was soon rolled back to an aim of 85% coverage by 2025, with a…

Poland has found itself taking centre stage in the global arena as the Russia-Ukraine war persists. As one of NATO’s most exposed frontline states, Poland has become a key route for the supply of weapons, ammunition, fuel and other assistance to Ukraine. The country has been at the forefront of taking the most hawkish approach towards Russia in the EU, with prime minister…

While the repercussions of the Russian invasion of Ukraine can be felt globally, the surrounding region is undoubtedly the most affected. The Baltics and Central European countries face an existential threat and are looking for security guarantees from the international community. A reprioritisation of public spending is inevitable due to economic worries and the strain…

Global Counsel Advisor Denzil Davidson is joined by historian Mary Elise Sarotte, author of the new book 'Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of the Post-Cold War Stalemate.

As most of the world’s major economies learn to live with covid-19, China remains committed to a strategy of suppressing even single-digit caseloads of the virus. Until recently, the policy could be credited as a relative success in both epidemiological and economic terms. As mounting caseloads and more infectious variants prompt officials into renewed lockdowns in China…

Russia is now the most sanctioned country in history. Since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on 24th February, 4,860 new measures have been applied to 519 entities, 4,309 individuals, 30 vessels and 3 aircraft. The 7,614 sanctions applied in total is more than double the number applied to the next most sanctioned country, Iran. No matter how the war ends, many of these…

Global Counsel Managing Director Benjamin Wegg-Prosser is joined by Owen Matthews, Newsweek’s former Moscow correspondent, and Sergii Drobysh, a Ukraine-based political analyst, to discuss Russia's shifting internal politics and the mood inside a besieged Ukraine.

‘Top in tech’ is a monthly episode from the GC tech policy team. Each month, the team lift the lid on the latest in Europe’s ‘techlash’, identifying where the debate is heading in London and Brussels, the politics behind it, and what this might mean for the apps and online services we use every day.

At the start of this year, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) launched a consultation on its proposals for legislative changes to clinical trials. The consultation marks the latest in a series of efforts to reform the UK’s life sciences regulatory landscape post-Brexit and create a “world-class sovereign regulatory environment for clinical…