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] Delays in the implementation of the IA Regulation by Member States will force the European Commission to introduce simplification measures and practical adjustments during 2026. ECIJA
• [New] EU's BCI regulation emphasizes the supremacy of human rights; it issues legislation to establish a series of rights to protect users' psychological integrity, freedom of thought and neural data rights, thus achieving comprehensive control of medical BCI risks. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Regulation should focus on capability, risk and enforceable controls rather than model openness alone, while recognising that resilient institutions must adapt to a world where powerful AI tools are widely available. Mishcon de Reya LLP
• [New] The European Commission expects to roll out regulations requiring minimum WUE performance standards for data center operators. AI Business Weekly
• [New] European Union forced labour regulations due to go into effect later in 2027 are also contributing. / India WHEC.com
• [New] Regulatory Uncertainty: Lighter's token is classified as a utility token in most jurisdictions, but evolving regulations in the EU and US (SEC) could impact trading. BitcoinWorld Media
• [New] German law will, external require stricter reporting and licensing fees. BBC News
• [New] In August, a new Europe-wide packaging, external and packaging waste regulation kicks in ordering that all packaging should be minimum 70% recyclable by 2030, rising to 80% from 2038. BBC News
• [New] Georgia's Technology Authority mapped how AI could supplement key agency roles, from caseworkers to legal and HR. National Governors Association
• [New] California's SB 53 and New York's RAISE Act are recently passed state-level laws that require large AI companies to disclose critical safety incidents, but only if an incident risks causing more than 50 deaths or serious injuries, or more than $1 billion in property damage. Time
• [New] Albania will repeal the controversial Strategic Investments Law, while the Law on Protected Areas will be revised and brought into line with European Union standards. Center for Western Balkans Studies
• [New] Expect major ecosystem announcements, with a focused push to attract European institutional capital, family offices, and the legal infrastructure that defines global capital markets. Crossmint
• [New] Geopolitical fragmentation is one of the dominant macro-trends reshaping risk and compliance in 2026, with data localization mandates proliferating faster than most enterprise legal teams can track. PlusClouds
• [New] The Trump administration continues to push for federal preemption of state AI laws, arguing that a fragmented regulatory landscape will undermine U.S. competitiveness. Carta
• [New] The outgoing commissioner of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned crypto developers against trying to duck regulation by moving activity on to blockchains. Central Banking
• [New] South Carolina expanded its bathroom ban to universities, causing its risk to rise to Worst Laws Passed. Erin In The Morning
• [New] The source reduction regulation requires producers to collectively cut single-use plastic packaging by 25% by 2032, using 2023 data as a baseline. Pet Sustainability Coalition
• [New] French lawmakers have adopted a - bill that will create a legal right to assisted dying for adults with incurable illnesses, following an intense ethical and political debate. Al Jazeera
• Connecticut enacted S.B. 5, an omnibus AI law that would require large frontier model developers to establish employee reporting procedures for certain public health or safety risks and create employee reporting protections for all frontier model developers. Global Policy Watch
• 2026 will bring a major push for crypto reform, tokenized securities regulation, and additional crypto product approvals in the U.S. X
• The SEC's shift toward formal rulemaking could reduce legal risks for exchanges, custodians, and token issuers. / USA CryptoRank
• The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is gearing up for a massive regulatory overhaul in July 2026 with the release of its highly anticipated Regulation Crypto agenda. Investing News Network (INN)
• Washington's Organics Management Laws set an ambitious target: reduce organic materials going to landfill by 75% or more by 2030 through food waste prevention, rescue, and recycling. WORC

Last updated: 04 August 2026