The Energy Charter Secretariat has issued a communication regarding recent developments in the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). It noted that amendments adopted on 3 December 2024, which include modifications to Section C of Annex NI and alterations to other annexes, have been applied provisionally without altering the current legal framework. The Kingdom of the Netherlands has confirmed that its declaration serves solely to affirm the existing legal situation and does not have any legal implications. The communication also noted that the Kingdom of the Netherlands will withdraw from the Treaty, effective 28 June 2025.

The European Court on Human Rights (ECtHR) has published an updated version of the Rules of Court which amends Rule 39 on interim measures, adopted by the Plenary Court on 23 February 2024 and accompanying Practice Direction.. The amendments to Rule 39 aim to clarify and codify existing practice relating to interim measures. The amended Practice Direction aims to provide detailed guidance as to the substantive and procedural aspects of the ECtHR’s interim-measure procedure. Both texts are effective from 28 March 2024.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) found in favour of the UK in an application brought by former MPs Ben Bradshaw, Caroline Lucas and Alyn Smith. They had argued that the UK’s failure to investigate credible allegations of Russian interference in UK democratic processes or put in place an effective legal and institutional framework to protect against it was a breach of its positive obligations to them under Article 3 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the right to free elections.

The European Court of Human Rights has held that the United Kingdom’s failure to exempt lone parents with children under the age of two from the benefit cap did not constitute unlawful discrimination, finding that the measure was justified within the state’s wide margin of appreciation under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). In doing so, it held that a legislature’s policy choice in fields such as benefits policy will generally comply with article 14 ECHR unless manifestly without reasonable foundation, except where the state is required to show ‘very weighty reasons’ to justify a difference in treatment (or failure to treat differently).

Public Law analysis: The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has held unanimously that the continued disenfranchisement of a prisoner serving an indeterminate sentence for serious sexual offences in the UK did not breach Article 3 of Protocol No 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has delivered a groundbreaking judgment, holding for the first time that a state's failure to adequately address environmental pollution violates the right to life under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The case, brought by Italian citizens affected by illegal waste dumping in the Campania region, found that the Italian government's prolonged inaction violated their rights. The Court ordered Italy to implement a comprehensive strategy, establish independent monitoring, and create a public information platform within two years. This ruling significantly strengthens environmental human rights jurisprudence and is likely to have far-reaching implications for similar cases across Europe.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled inadmissible an application brought against the UK by Rosaleen Dalton. She had argued that the refusal of a fresh inquest into her father’s death in an IRA bombing in 1988 was a breach of Articles 2 and 13 of the ECHR.

Public Law analysis: The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) found in favour of the UK in an application brought by Sir Philip Green. He had argued that Lord Hain's use of Parliamentary privilege to name him as the subject of a privacy injunction was a breach of his rights under articles 6, 8 and 13 of the ECHR.

Electricité de France: EDF has 58 reactors on 19 sites in France. The first reactors, built between 1958 and 1966, featured GCR (GraphiteModerated Gas-Cooled Reactor) technology and are now being decommissioned.

EDF Energy is the owner of EDF NGL and NNB GenCo in the UK. On 28 July 2016 EDF’s Board of Directors made the final investment decision to enter into contracts with the UK Government facilitating the construction of the first new nuclear power station in the UK for over 20 years at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. EDF Energy has stated that Hinkley Point C will be followed by Sizewell C in Suffolk.

EDF Energy (Nuclear Generation) Limited (formerly British Energy Generation Limited) is the EDF Energy group company that owns and operates the eight operational nuclear power stations in the UK.

The European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) has launched Media Literacy Guidelines to enhance media literacy initiatives across Europe. Developed by EDMO’s Working Group with input from 14 national hubs and over 100 experts, the Guidelines aim to increase societal resilience against disinformation. Endorsed by over 60 organisations, the Guidelines target civil society, educators, policymakers, and media professionals, offering best practices across various aspects of media literacy to effectively address mis- and disinformation, news literacy, digital literacy, and algo-literacy. They also set out 12 principles covering the development, delivery and review stages of media literacy projects.