EU I Digital Services Act Adopted. A political agreement was reached in record time for the DSA complementing last month's political agreement on the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Together they will create a safer digital space in which the fundamental rights of all users of digital services are protected and establish a level playing field to foster innovation, growth, and competitiveness, both in the European Single Market and globally. Read more.

EU - European Commission Proposes New IP Rules to Protect Arts & Crafts. Drawing on the success of the geographical indication system for wine-spirit drinks and agricultural products, the proposed new rules aims to enable producers to protect craft and industrial products associated with their region and their traditional know-how, such as such as Murano glass, Donegal tweed, Porcelaine de Limoges, Solingen cutlery and Boleslawiec pottery, with effects in Europe and beyond. Read more.

EU - Digital Finance Platform Launched. The Platform is part of the Digital Finance Package adopted by the European Commission in 2021. It is made of two building blocks: the Digital Finance Observatory leading to the establishment of a European Fintech Map and a gateway to national supervisors. Read more.

EU - Digitalization of Schengen Visa Proposed. The European Commission is proposing new rules toward the digitalisation of the Schengen visa process, replacing the visa sticker, and introducing the possibility to submit visa applications online through the European online visa platform. If adopted, the platform could become operational in 2026 and used by all EU Member States by 2031. Read more.

EU - Legal Migration Policy Update. The new migration policy proposed by the European Commission aims to facilitate legal migration to the EU with the objective of reducing bureaucracy, strengthening harmonisation, promoting fundamental rights and equal treatment, and preventing labour exploitation. It also also includes specific actions to facilitate integration of those fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine into the EU's labour market. Read more.

EU - Financial Services: Additional Equivalence Decisions for US Exchanges. The European Commission adopted new rules declaring that a number of United States exchanges supervised by the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) are equivalent to EU regulated markets. Derivatives traded on these US exchanges will now be treated as exchange-traded derivatives under EU law. The Commission has also amended its equivalence decision regarding US central counterparties (‘CCPs'). It now covers certain products (e.g. mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by certain government sponsored agencies traded on a ‘To-Be-Announced basis' (‘TBAs'). Read more.

EU - Speech by EU Commissionr Gentiloni in charge of the Economy: Transatlantic Economic Policy in Times of War. Read here.

EU - Americas I Deepening Cooperation in the Digital Economy. The digital economy & society is firmly part of the agenda for the EU's relations with the Americas. This includes the coordination of approaches to key global trade, economic, and technology issues and the deepening of transatlantic trade and economic relations with the US, as well as making digital cooperation central to its relationship with Latin America and the Caribbean, assisting the economies of both regions to reap the benefits of new technologies while promoting innovation and digitalisation. Read more.

EU - US I Informal Dialogue on Consumer Product Safety Launched. Consumers and authorities on both sides of the Atlantic face similar product safety issues. The European Commission launched an informal dialogue on consumer product safety with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to further strengthen a long standing, fruitful cooperation. Read more.

US I U.S. Remains Top Destination for Foreign Business Investment for 10th Consecutive Year. For the 10th year in a row, the United States ranks first on this year’s Index with Europe retaining the greatest share of the top 25 markets, with 14 economies representing 56 percent of the top-25 list. Read more.

US I Space Commerce Strategy - The Department of Commerce is leading efforts to create jobs and grow the U.S. economy by helping American companies succeed in the new frontier of space commerce.The plan states that the Department will grow the customer base for U.S. commercial space goods and services, in part by leveraging its network of domestic and overseas offices to ensure that U.S. space companies receive trade assistance for exporting. Read more.

US I House Bill Exerts Pressure on Federal Contractors to Exit Russian Market. On April 6, 2022, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform passed the Federal Contracting for Peace and Security Act, which would prohibit the U.S. government (USG) from contracting with any companies continuing to do business in the Russian Federation in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Although it remains unclear whether the Act will go into effect, it will create a very short time frame if it becomes law, and the covered period could continue indefinitely. Read more.

US I Croatia Admitted into Global Entry Program. During an official visit to Croatia, US Under Secretary Lago announced croatia's admission into the Global Entry Program,a U.S. Department of Homeland Security program that will support business and tourism travel between the United States and Croatia by allowing for expedited entry for pre-approved travelers upon arrival in the United States. Read more

LatAm I OAS Suspends Russia. The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) adopted a Resolution suspending the status of the Russian Federation as a Permanent Observer to the OAS until the Russian government ceases its hostilities, withdraws all its military forces and equipment from Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and returns to a path of dialogue and diplomacy. Read more.