Here’s a review of the significant legal acts:
1. Criminal Proceedings Transfer Regulation:
Establishes an EU-wide system for transferring criminal proceedings between member states. Sets criteria for transfers based on suspects’ nationality/residence or evidence location, ensures procedural rights, and creates a decentralized IT system for communication. Will be effective from February 2027.
2. Construction Products Regulation:
Creates harmonized rules for marketing construction products in the EU, introducing mandatory environmental sustainability assessments, digital product passports, and minimum environmental criteria for public procurement. Includes specific provisions for reused products and strengthened market surveillance.
3. Chinese Hardwood Plywood Import Registration:
Implements registration requirements for Chinese hardwood plywood imports following anti-dumping complaints. Covers specific plywood products with outer plies of tropical or non-coniferous wood, each ply not exceeding 6mm thickness.
4. Cryogenic Freezers F-gases Exemption:
Grants temporary exemption (2025-2028) for mechanical cryogenic freezers operating at -150°C from the ban on high-GWP fluorinated greenhouse gases, specifically for scientific and healthcare cryopreservation use.
5. Medical Equipment F-gases Exemption:
Provides temporary exemption (2025-2026) for blood transport boxes and plasma shock freezers from restrictions on fluorinated greenhouse gases with GWP ≥150, maintaining essential medical equipment functionality.
6. Air Navigation Services Performance Regulation:
Updates performance indicators for air navigation services, introducing new environmental metrics for climb operations, taxi time, and flight efficiency, along with revised safety and capacity monitoring measures.
7. Organic Certification Bodies Update:
Adds six new control bodies authorized to certify organic products imported from third countries, specifying their certification scope by product category and country.
Review of each of legal acts published today:
Regulation (EU) 2024/3011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 on the transfer of proceedings in criminal matters
This Regulation establishes rules for transferring criminal proceedings between EU Member States to improve the efficient administration of justice within the EU’s area of freedom, security and justice. It provides a comprehensive framework for one Member State to transfer ongoing criminal proceedings to another Member State that may be better placed to prosecute the case.The Regulation consists of 4 chapters and 6 annexes covering:
- General provisions on scope and definitions
- Detailed procedures for requesting and executing transfers of proceedings
- Legal effects of transfers in both requesting and requested states
- Communication methods and administrative provisions
Key provisions include:
- Criteria for when transfers may be requested, such as when suspects/accused are nationals or residents of the requested state or when evidence is primarily located there
- Rights and procedural safeguards for suspects, accused persons and victims, including rights to information and legal remedies
- Rules on jurisdiction, including specific grounds for the requested state to establish jurisdiction
- Provisions on the admissibility of evidence and applicable sentences after transfer
- Requirements for direct communication between authorities through a decentralized IT system
- Detailed forms and procedures for requesting and executing transfers
The Regulation will apply from February 1, 2027, replacing existing international agreements on transfer of proceedings between EU Member States. It aims to prevent parallel proceedings, improve efficiency of cross-border prosecutions, and ensure proper administration of justice while protecting fundamental rights.
Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 laying down harmonised rules for the marketing of construction products and repealing Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 (Text with EEA relevance)
The Regulation lays down harmonized rules for the marketing of construction products in the EU, establishing requirements for their safety, environmental sustainability and performance assessment. It aims to ensure free movement of construction products while protecting health, safety and the environment.The Regulation has a comprehensive structure covering:
- General provisions on scope, definitions and basic requirements
- Rules for performance assessment and declaration of conformity
- Obligations of economic operators
- Technical assessment procedures and bodies
- Market surveillance and safeguard procedures
- Digital product passport system
- International cooperation provisions
- Public procurement requirements
Key provisions include:
- Mandatory environmental sustainability assessment and declaration for construction products
- New digital product passport system to improve information availability
- Strengthened market surveillance and enforcement mechanisms
- Specific requirements for reused and remanufactured products
- Mandatory minimum environmental criteria for public procurement
- Enhanced obligations for economic operators regarding product safety and compliance
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3140 of 17 December 2024 making imports of hardwood plywood originating in the People’s Republic of China subject to registration
This Commission Implementing Regulation introduces registration requirements for imports of hardwood plywood from China following an anti-dumping complaint. The regulation aims to enable potential retroactive collection of anti-dumping duties if the ongoing investigation confirms dumping practices.The regulation consists of two main articles. Article 1 directs customs authorities to register imports of specific hardwood plywood products from China, with registration expiring after nine months. Article 2 establishes the entry into force provisions. The regulation includes detailed technical specifications of the products subject to registration, including thickness requirements and wood types.Key provisions include:
- The product scope covers plywood consisting of wood sheets (excluding bamboo and okoumé) with at least one outer ply of tropical or non-coniferous wood
- Each ply must not exceed 6 mm thickness
- The complaint estimates dumping margins between 89% and 335% and an injury elimination level of 224%
- Registration is implemented under Article 14(5) of the basic Anti-dumping Regulation (EU) 2016/1036
- The exact amount of potential future liability is not determined at this stage
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3120 of 16 December 2024 authorising an exemption pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2024/573 of the European Parliament and of the Council, with regard to the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases with a GWP of 150 or more in mechanical cryogenic freezers (– 150 oC)
This Regulation provides a temporary exemption for mechanical cryogenic freezers operating at -150°C from the general prohibition on using fluorinated greenhouse gases with high global warming potential (GWP). The exemption allows these specific freezers to continue using fluorinated gases with a GWP of 150 or more from January 2025 until December 2028.The Regulation consists of two main articles. Article 1 establishes the four-year derogation period for mechanical cryogenic freezers, while Article 2 sets the entry into force provisions. The act is based on a request from Dutch authorities and follows the procedure established in Regulation (EU) 2024/573 on fluorinated greenhouse gases.Key provisions of the act include:
- The exemption applies specifically to mechanical cryogenic freezers operating at -150°C used for cryopreservation in science and healthcare
- The exemption period runs from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2028
- Affected equipment must be properly labeled according to Article 12(2) of Regulation (EU) 2024/573
- The exemption was granted due to technical challenges in developing alternative solutions and the critical nature of the equipment for preserving biological materials
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3122 of 16 December 2024 authorising an exemption pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2024/573 of the European Parliament and of the Council, with regard to the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases with a GWP of 150 or more in blood transport boxes and blood plasma contact shock freezers
This Regulation provides a temporary exemption for specific medical equipment from the general prohibition on using fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) with Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 150 or more. The exemption specifically applies to blood transport boxes and blood plasma contact shock freezers, allowing their continued use of these gases until December 31, 2026.The Regulation consists of two main articles. Article 1 establishes the derogation from the general prohibition, while Article 2 sets the entry into force date. The act is based on a request from Luxembourg authorities and follows the assessment of technical challenges in developing alternative solutions for this specific medical equipment.Key provisions of the Regulation include:
- A two-year exemption period (January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2026) for blood transport boxes and blood plasma shock freezers
- The requirement for proper labeling of such equipment according to Article 12(2) of Regulation (EU) 2024/573
- Recognition of the critical nature of blood transport equipment and the need for a transition period to develop safe alternatives
- Acknowledgment that immediate prohibition could disrupt the supply of essential medical equipment
The exemption is justified by technical challenges in developing alternative solutions, the need to ensure safety in blood transport, and the essential nature of these medical devices in healthcare services. The regulation maintains the requirement for proper labeling of equipment using these gases, ensuring transparency while allowing necessary time for technological adaptation.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3128 of 16 December 2024 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/317 as regards new and revised monitoring indicators for the performance and charging scheme in the single European sky
This Regulation amends the EU performance and charging scheme for air navigation services by introducing new monitoring indicators and revising existing ones. The changes aim to improve measurement of environmental performance and network efficiency in the single European sky.The act modifies Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/317 by replacing its Annex I with new provisions on key performance indicators (KPIs) and monitoring indicators. The main changes focus on environmental performance measurement and network capacity monitoring.The key provisions include:
- New environmental indicators for continuous climb operations, taxi time, and vertical flight efficiency
- Updated indicators for monitoring airspace usage and flight efficiency
- Revised safety performance measurements for air navigation service providers
- Enhanced capacity monitoring indicators for air traffic flow management
- Modified cost-efficiency indicators for both en-route and terminal air navigation services
The regulation establishes detailed calculation methods and parameters for each indicator at both Union-wide and local levels. It covers four key performance areas: safety, environment, capacity and cost-efficiency. The indicators are designed to measure performance of air navigation services, network functions and airport operations.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3121 of 16 December 2024 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1378 as regards the recognition of certain control bodies in accordance with Article 46 of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council as competent to carry out controls and issue organic certificates in third countries for the purpose of imports of organic products into the Union
This Regulation amends the list of control bodies recognized to carry out controls and issue organic certificates for products imported into the EU from third countries. It is a technical document that updates Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1378 by adding new control bodies and modifying existing ones.The Regulation adds six new control bodies to the list: Başak Ekolojik Ürünler (Turkey), Bioagricert s.r.l. Unipersonale (Italy), DQS POLSKA, GCL International Ltd, Japan Organic and Natural Foods Association, and Sertifikācijas un testēšanas centrs (Latvia). Each control body is authorized to certify specific categories of organic products in designated third countries.The structure of the act consists of two main articles and an extensive annex. Article 1 introduces amendments to Annex II of the original regulation, while Article 2 sets the entry into force. The Annex contains detailed tables specifying which control bodies can certify which categories of products (A through G) in specific third countries.Key provisions include:
- Recognition of new control bodies for an indefinite duration
- Specific product categories that each body can certify (such as unprocessed plants, livestock, aquaculture products, processed agricultural products)
- Detailed country-by-country breakdown of certification authority
- Special provisions for products covered by existing trade agreements
