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The EU regulatory and legislative landscape presents both significant challenges and possible opportunities for business and industry bodies.

Our EU experts understand how the regulatory and legislative framework works and we can help you navigate this increasingly complex and political environment, to realise your policy and commercial objectives.

We regularly work with companies and organisations active in the EU to devise and implement effective regulatory and legislative strategies.

Our deep understanding of the EU process, and of how the EU institutions operate, is vital when advising our clients on how to influence emerging policy and legislation.

Knowledge is power, so we monitor developments across a range of key areas and provide strategic intelligence/insights and analysis throughout the process – putting you in the best possible position to assess the risks and opportunities.

We can play an active role in shaping the policy and legislative debates on the issues that impact your interests. To ensure the best possible outcome for your organisation, we will engage in advocacy and outreach with EU policy- and law-makers, including all Member States, and we can also provide formal representation before governmental, administrative and legislative bodies, as well as coordinating with trade groups and key stakeholders.

We can assist you in responding to public consultations in the EU and Member States and draft proposed text for and amendments to EU and domestic legislation in furtherance of your goals. We are currently engaging on the Digital Services Act package and the proposal for a New Competition Tool, which are at the heart of the EU’s digital strategy.

We can also help with issues arising in the context of national implementations of EU legislation, such as the Audiovisual Media Services Directive and the Portability Regulation as well as the DSM Copyright and SatCab Directives. The Member States’ exercise of their legislative discretion in implementing EU norms can have serious implications for your current and future business activities. Our lawyers also advise on infringement proceedings against EU Member States for failing to implement EU legislation as well as on important preliminary references to the European Court of Justice from national courts.

By monitoring and analysing cases before the EU Courts we will help to empower your business. We regularly prepare briefing papers to be shared with the relevant government departments in Member States with a view to encouraging them to ‘intervene’ in the proceedings and therefore increase the chances of a favourable outcome.

Following the recent overhaul by the Department for International Trade of the Expert Trade Advisory Group structure and the creation of The Trade Advisory Groups Ted Shapiro was invited to join the Cultural Industries TAG. He has also been appointed as a member of The Law Society’s EU Committee.