Global Scans · Legal · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Substantive regulatory change is likely to happen in the next decade as a result of the recent U.S. Presidential election, Brexit and efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change, increase trade and reduce bureaucracy while legislating for new forms of technological advancement such as robots, driverless cars and drones.

• [New] By 2040, Earth Observation is routinely used to support policy decisions, regulatory frameworks, and legal processes. Indico at ESA / ESTEC (Indico)
• [New] The Circular Economy for Plastics proposed a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation effective as of 2025 (Regulation 2025/40, 2024) that requires all packaging (including plastic) to be recyclable or reusable by 2030, and to set recycled content targets for plastics. Scientific Advice Mechanism
• [New] The short-term goal of the Net-Zero Industry Act aims to achieve net-zero manufacturing capacity to meet at least 40% of the EU's annual deployment needs by 2030 (Regulation 2024/1735, 2024). Scientific Advice Mechanism
• [New] The FBI has repeatedly warned about fraudulent cryptocurrency recovery services and fictitious law firms that approach previous victims promising to recover their funds. TechBullion
• [New] Chris Bowen insists federal Labour's new national laws on datacenter power supply will not include carve-outs for Queensland and the Northern Territory, with states that are eager to use coal and gas required to make their case to the national regulator. The Guardian
• [New] President Tokayev called for broader use of artificial intelligence to improve legislative analysis and minimize corruption risks, while stressing that digital technologies cannot replace professional legal expertise. The Astana Times
• [New] Repro Uncensored has an ongoing legal case against Meta in the Netherlands for alleged discrimination against queer accounts, and plans further action in other European countries. The Guardian
• [New] Architectures that take raw pixels and output steering commands run the risk of black box failures, and Waymo has added an independent onboard validation layer that checks every proposed trajectory against physics and traffic law - a choice it calls non-negotiable for safely scaling at L4. EV
• [New] By firm size, Large Law Firms retained 69.94% in 2025, while Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Law Firms are projected to advance at a 5.87% CAGR through 2031. Mordor Intelligence
• [New] By application, Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law held 32.69% in 2025, while Other Applications are projected to grow at 6.89% to 2031. Mordor Intelligence
• [New] The California Department of Motor Vehicles confirmed that it will be imposing new regulations for driverless vehicles. thetruthaboutcars.com
• [New] A global body for in-house lawyers is seeking to defend legal professional privilege in an EU court case that could jeopardise in-house lawyers' roles as 'trusted advisers' to colleagues. Law Gazette
• [New] The European Union has confirmed that all new passenger cars sold from 2035 must achieve zero tailpipe CO2 emissions, effectively phasing out conventional internal combustion engine vehicles, while interim regulations require a 55% reduction in emissions from 2021 levels by 2030. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Australia's packaging regulation is moving from a voluntary framework with limited consequences to a legally binding system with real financial and operational obligations and that shift is happening in stages throughout 2026 and into 2027. Carewell Group Pty Ltd
• [New] If passed, primary legal obligations are expected to take effect in the 2027 financial year, though some state-level rules (like South Australia's compostable labelling mandate) are already active in 2026. Carewell Group Pty Ltd
• [New] A law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four years ago aims to phase out 25% of non-recyclable, non-compostable plastic by 2032. CALmatters
• [New] Buyers in China, India, Turkey, Hungary and Slovakia would gain greater access to non-sanctioned crude, reducing their willingness to accept the legal, financial and operational risks associated with Russian barrels without demanding even steeper discounts. Rystad Energy
• [New] Key Opportunity: Expanding water treatment biocide applications present a significant opportunity, as utilities scale microbial control programs to comply with tightening Legionella-prevention and water reuse regulations worldwide. Persistence Market Research
• [New] A major legal case brought by 29 US states against Meta has begun, which could affect the way social media companies operate in the future. BBC
• [New] Asbestos is classified as a Category 1 A carcinogen and is prohibited in toys under both the EU Toy Safety Directive and Regulation (EU) 2025/2509. Eurofins Scientific
• [New] Dubai has regulations and requirements related to school transport, and schools and operators are expected to follow applicable standards. babalmadinabus.com
• [New] The SEC's Regulation Crypto Assets proposal and progress on the CLARITY Act in September could convert sentiment into structural inflows, and if delivered, could well become the catalyst that powers the next leg of a new bull cycle. investing.com

Last updated: 01 September 2026