Earlier this week, the Act of 2 June 2021 providing for various financial provisions relating to the combat against fraud has entered into force. This Act further enhances the combat against specific tax mechanisms by providing new criminal sanctions and by broadening reporting obligations of the FSMA and of the NBB. Context Earlier this week, on 28 June 2021, the Act of 2 June 2021 providing for various financial provisions relating to the combat against fraud has entered into force (the...

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This week, the European Commission presented its legislative proposals for the revisions of the General Product Safety Directive and of the Directive on consumer credits. According to the Commission, the updates will be vital in “enhancing consumer rights in a world reshaped by digitalisation and the COVID-19 pandemic.”  Since its inception in 2001, the General Product Safety Directive has become the EU’s key instrument of ensuring the safety of consumer products being placed on the internal market. Under the Directive, which complements other sector-specific legislation such as...

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The European Commission published a proposal for an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Regulation, aiming to set rules governing the use of artificial intelligence whilst fostering innovation across the European Union. The development and use of artificial intelligence have skyrocketed, seeing unparalleled advances in the technology's appearance in day-to-day life. Artificial intelligence can be found in everyday services such as Netflix and Spotify (allowing applications to learn users' preferences), self-driving cars, and notably, – in more recent times – disease mapping. Simultaneously, these developments...

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After falling in April and May, the US dollar rebounded in June, gaining against all the major currencies.  The move appeared to begin as a technical adjustment to positions after the two-month slide left the greenback over-extended.  However, it morphed into a powerful short squeeze after the Federal Reserve moved into a more hawkish direction. At the March FOMC meeting, the median view was for no hike until after 2023.  The June forecasts showed the median projection anticipates two hikes in 2023, and...

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Key insights Review key rules related to the ERC prior to filing. Refunds will likely come faster on timely filed 941s; however, be careful not to use wages that you need for other programs, particularly PPP loan forgiveness. Review the interplay of ERC, PPP loans, Families First Coronavirus Response Act, WOTC, and other wage-related credits to help protect yourself from issues related to double-dipping. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA 2021) broadened the applicability of the employee retention credit (ERC), bringing...

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If you are aware of the existence of so-called "patent trolls," then you are likely aware that becoming the target of one can be a costly proposition. Even if your company has not yet been the target of one of these entities, a high likelihood exists that such a demand letter may arrive in your office eventually. The state of Washington is testing its legislature's efforts to combat the tactics of these trolls with the filing of a lawsuit...

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This article is part of Portolano Cavallo’s “INFORM@Digital & IP” Newsletter. Click here to subscribe | On June 4, 2021, the European Commission issued a communication about Article 17 of Directive 2019/790 on Copyright in the Digital Single Market (the “DSM Directive”), providing non-binding guidelines to ensure its consistent transposition across Member States. Notably, these guidelines focus on cooperation between online content-sharing service providers (“OCSSPs”) and rightsholders, with a particular focus on balancing fundamental rights and the use of copyright exceptions and limitations. For...

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Belgium has concluded so-called COVID-19 agreements with Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands on the tax impact of international travel restrictions and health instructions (“work at home”) for cross-border workers and their employers. These agreements have now been extended until (and included) 30 September 2021. COVID-19 Agreement with Germany The Belgian and German authorities concluded a COVID-19 Agreement on 6 May 2020. The initial period of application of this agreement ran from 11 March to 31 May 2020 and was already extended...

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