MEPs have adopted new rules updating Directive 2011/98/EU (the Single Permit Directive). Under the rules, work and residence permits for nationals of third countries will be issued more quickly and their rights will also be improved. The timeframe within which a decision should be made on applications for a single permit has been reduced from four months to 90 days. This limit excludes the period of time taken to deliver the visa. Time limits in complex applications may be extended by a further 30 days. The new rules allow for single permit holders to change employers, occupation and the work sector. A simple notification by the new employer will suffice and national authorities will have 45 days to oppose the change. If a permit holder becomes unemployed, they will have up to three months to find another job before the permit is withdrawn. In cases where a permit was held for over two years, the holder will have up six months to find employment. The new rules have to now formally be approved by the Council.

The European Parliament has adopted its negotiating position on the new rules on standard-essential patents (SEPs) protecting key technologies, which will attract innovators to EU and enable access of EU consumers to goods based on the most progressive technologies. MEPs want the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to become the new EU hub that will provide information on standard-essential patents and support to companies to ensure transparency and support innovation. MEPs also want the EUIPO to establish a SEP Licensing Assistance Hub as a 'one-stop shop', which will provide free training and assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups. The European Parliament will engage in discussions with EU countries on the final shape of the legislation. The new Parliament will follow up the file following the European elections on 6-9 June 2024.

MEPs have adopted their first reading position regarding unitary supplementary protection certificates to enable longer protection of patented medicinal and plant protection products. This will ensure that EU patent holders do not have to apply for extended protection in each EU Member State. Applications for an EU certificate can be made at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and a single application to extend patent protection of medicinal and plant protection products for five years, on top of the 20-year protection, can be made. MEPs also want more transparent and efficient procedures on applications, appeals, remedies and oppositions by EUIPO. The European Parliament will engage in discussions with EU countries on the final shape of the legislation. The new Parliament will follow up the file following the European elections on 6-9 June 2024.

The Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee has adopted its proposals to improve EU pharmaceutical legislation, to promote innovation and enhance the security of supply, accessibility and affordability of medicines. The European Commission put forward a 'pharmaceutical package' to revise the EU's pharmaceutical legislation on 26 April 2023, which included proposals for a new directive and a new regulation, to make medicines more accessible and affordable. MEPs are now proposing to introduce a minimum regulatory data protection period of seven and a half years, alongside two years of market protection, following a marketing authorisation to boost innovation and are also proposing stricter requirements, which will include restrictions on prescriptions and dispensation to the amount needed for the treatment and limitations on the duration for which they are prescribed. The proposed new rules will also put obligations on companies to submit an environmental risk assessment when requesting a marketing authorisation, and want an environmental risk assessment working party to be created within the European Medicines Agency. In addition, MEPs further proposed for the separation of the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority under the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, to establish independence and address public health challenges, such as antimicrobial resistance and medicine shortages. MEPs will debate and vote on the European Parliament’s position during the 10-11 April 2024 plenary session. This file will be followed up after the European elections on 6-9 June 2024.

The European Parliament has adopted its first reading position on the proposed regulation on preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution. All entities handling plastic pallets would be required to take measures to avoid loss under the new rules. If losses occur, these entities would have to take immediate action to contain and clean up spills. Economic operators would be required to establish a risk assessment plan for each installation that handles over 1000 tonnes of plastic pellets annually. These plans would have to contain information on the number of tonnes of plastic pellets handled per year and the chemical nature of each polymer contained in plastic pellets on site. For large enterprises, this measure would start applying two years after its entry into force and three and five years for medium-sized and small enterprises respectively. All storage and transport containers carrying plastic pellets should be labelled with a specific pictogram and information linked to their danger, potential to harm the environment, the need to avoid release and collect any spillage. The file will be followed up by the new Parliament after the 6—9 June 2024 European elections.

The European Parliament has adopted its proposals to revise Directive 2008/98/EC, the Waste Framework Directive to better prevent and reduce waste from food and textiles across the EU. The proposals seek to increase the binding waste reduction targets to at least 20% in food manufacturing and 40% per capita in retail, restaurants, food service and households. The Parliament has further agreed to extend producer responsibility schemes, through which producers that sell textiles in the EU would have to cover the costs for collecting, sorting and recycling them separately. The new rules would cover products such as clothing and accessories, blankets, bed linen, curtains, hats, footwear, mattresses and carpets, including products that contain textile-related materials such as leather, composition leather, rubber or plastic. The file will be followed up by the new Parliament after the 6—9 June 2024 European elections.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have voted to adopt revamped EU consumer protection rules, previously agreed on with EU Governments in December 2023, to protect consumers from damages caused by defective products. The new rules will make compensation claims easier for victims by simplifying the burden of proof requirements for such claims and making compensation available for material damage, non-material losses and damage in the form of destroyed or corrupted data. The new Directive requires an EU-based business to be held liable for damage cause by defective products but this will not apply to open-source software. The liability period will able be extended to 25 years in exceptional cases when symptoms are slow to emerge. The Directive must now be formally approved by the Council of the EU.

The European Parliament has approved a Regulation enabling the EU to prohibit the sale, import, and export of goods made using forced labour. The approved Regulation will allow EU Member State authorities and the European Commission to investigate suspicious goods, supply chains, and manufacturers. If a product is found to have been made using forced labour, it will be withdrawn from the EU market and the manufacturer will have to donate, recycle or destroy the suspicious goods. The goods may only be allowed back on the EU single market after the company gets rid of forced labour from its supply chains. The investigation will be based on factual and verifiable information that can from international organisations, cooperating authorities and whistle-blowers. The text now has to get a final formal approval from the Council of the EU and then it will be published in the Official Journal of the EU. It will become applicable to Member States in three years following the publication.

The European Parliament has approved new cyber resilience standards to protect all digital products from cyber threats in the EU. The standards adopted will ensure critical and important products are put into different lists based on their criticality and the level of cybersecurity risk they pose. The two lists will be proposed and reviewed by the European Commission. Products that pose a higher cybersecurity risk will be stringently analysed by a notified body, while others will go through a light conformity examination process, which will be managed internally by the manufacturers. The Council of the EU will now have to formally adopt the new cyber resilience standards for it to become law.

The European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee has approved a draft report regarding EU rules on toy safety, which aims to reduce the number of unsafe toys sold in the EU single market and protect children from toy-related risks. The draft report converts the current directive into a regulation and addresses various emerging challenges, which include the changes in purchasing habits from online shops and the boost in use of digital technologies.

The European Parliament has published a press release highlighting that Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted in favour of new rules for improved digital information-sharing about companies across the EU. Under the new rules, reliable up-to-date information will be easily available across the EU through interconnected business registers. The new measures also introduce a free of charge EU company certificate which could be issued in both paper and electronic form, instead of requiring an apostille or translation of official documents in cross border contexts. Provisional agreement was adopted with 550 votes for, three against and 19 abstentions. Once it has been formally adopted by the council, it will come into force and start to apply after 42 months.

MEPs have approved a text proposing for an EU Gigabit Infrastructure Act, a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of the EU on measures to reduce the cost of deploying gigabit electronic communications networks and to repeal Directive 2014/61/EU. The Act will reduce deploying gigabit-capable networks expenses. It will streamline administrative procedures for granting permits, and reduce bureaucratic obstacles for operators and national administrations, which will allow a more efficient network deployment. In addition, the legislation aims to abolish intra-EU calls and SMS for end-users by 2029. The agreed text will extend the existing price caps on intra-EU calls until 2032, which were initially due to expire in May 2024. The text will now have to be approved by the Council before it becomes law.