Literally, ‘that which purifies’. One of the five pillars of Sunni Islam and ten practices of Shia Islam. An obligatory charitable contribution or form of alms-giving for all Muslims who meet a minimum wealth threshold.

The European Commission has, as part of the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) network, caused Zalando to commit to removing sustainability flags and icons displayed next to products offered on its platform to enforce consumer protection laws. This will prevent customers from being misled about the environmental characteristics of their products. Zalando will provide clear information about a product’s environmental benefits and remove the icons from 15 April 2024. After Zalando submits a report to the CPC on the implementation of its commitments, the CPC will assess the implementation and enforce compliance through fines or removing content if it is necessary.

MLex: Zalando has broadened its fight against a European Commission decision that it is a ‘very large online platform’ (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA) by lodging a new EU court case claiming the regulator has not been open enough open about its calculations of an associated supervisory fee. The fee is based on platforms’ average monthly active users, but the German e-commerce company argues there is a discrepancy between the numbers used to classify it as a VLOP and the fee calculation.

TMT analysis: On 3 September 2025, the General Court of the European Union delivered the first major judicial interpretation of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, the EU Digital Services Act (EU DSA) in its dismissal of Zalando’s challenge against its designation as a ‘very large online platform’ (VLOP) under the EU DSA. Zalando’s argument had focussed on the fact that its e-commerce platform is a hybrid service, via which the Berlin-based fashion retailer sells its own products (not an activity regulated by the EU DSA), as well as allowing third-party partners to market products (an activity that is in-scope of the EU DSA). Zalando argued that this means that users who use the platform only to buy directly from Zalando, and not to engage with listings by third-party partners, should not be counted when assessing whether the platform meets the EU DSA’s user number threshold to qualify as a VLOP. This case has captured widespread attention, not only due to its impact on Zalando but also because the decision affects how all in-scope hybrid platform providers should count, and report on, their user numbers, and how likely such providers are to qualify as VLOPs. Written by Catherine O’Callaghan of Slaughter and May.

Note—Zambia is also a member of both COMESA, which operates a supra-national merger control regime, and the Southern African Development Community. 1. Have there been any recent developments regarding the Zambian merger control regime and are any updates/developments expected in the coming year? Are there any other ‘hot’ merger control issues in Zambia? The Competition and Consumer Protection (Amendment) Act No. 21 of 2023 (Amendment Act) was passed on 26 December 2023 amending various provisions of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Act No. 24 of 2010 (the Act). These changes to the Act represent the most substantial changes since it came into force in October 2010. One of the most important changes to note is the Amendment Act finally applies COMESA Competition Regulations into domestic Zambian law. This delay has been a long-standing issue, especially in regard to merger control. Furthermore, new regulations regarding ‘Core Assets’ as defined in the Amendment Act and restriction of the movement of Core Assets without approval from the Zambian Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) are also of note. The Amendment

Immigration analysis: The Court of Appeal has partially upheld the decision of Mr Justice Mostyn in finding that the Home Office’s rules for applications by Zambrano carers under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) are unlawful. While the court held that Mostyn J was incorrect to find that the Secretary of State for the Home Department (the SSHD) misunderstood the requirements of the Zambrano jurisprudence under EU law, it agreed with Mostyn J that she had misunderstood the requirements of domestic law, and thus the rules were unlawful. The SSHD must now reconsider the rules, which may lead to some individuals being eligible for Zambrano status who previously were not. The timescale for this reconsideration is unknown, but the Home Office previously confirmed in the consent order in the High Court below to allow late applications to the EUSS by Zambrano carers who are affected by the Akinsanya judgment at least six weeks after the reconsideration takes place. Written by Charles Bishop, barrister at Landmark Chambers.

ARCHIVED: this Practice Note is no longer maintained as it covers the implementation of EU free movement law in the UK prior to IP completion day, on which date domestic legislation implementing EU free movement law was revoked, subject to certain savings and modifications. For further details, including of the relevant savings and the position of CJEU case law, see Practice Note: Brexit and the end of EU free movement law in the UK. The Practice Note has been retained in archived form for historical interest, because EU law as previously implemented in the UK remains relevant in certain limited situations. For historical versions of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016, SI 2016/1052, including immediately prior to revocation, see Legislation.gov.uk. For the ongoing development of EU free movement law in EU Member States, see: Immigration, employment & share incentives (EU Law)—overview. This Practice Note considers: • how the principle of EU citizenship rights, which was recognised by the EU Court of Justice in Ruiz Zambrano, has been confirmed in subsequent judgments

Immigration analysis: In R (on the Application of (1) Akinsanya; & (2) Aning-Adjei) v SSHD (‘Akinsanya 2’) the High Court considered the lawfulness of the revised Rules and guidance on the rights of ‘Zambrano carers’ under Appendix EU of the Immigration Rules. The court found that guidance purporting to exclude people who have a realistic prospect of getting leave under another part of the Rules was unlawful, but that the exclusion of people who actually had leave under a different part of the Rules was not unlawful. Eleanor Sibley of the AIRE Centre & Field Court Chambers considers the background to the case and its practical implications.

[means dwellings that are designed to [maximum energy efficiency standards OR Passive House standards OR BREEAM rating outstanding] and to be heated and powered only through [on-site OR off-site] renewable technologies and where their construction has resulted in Net Zero including through efficient methods of construction, the use of materials with low Embodied Carbon and the use of Offsetting for Residual Emissions. OR means highly energy efficient dwellings where the operational energy requirements are met by on-site or off-site renewable energy technologies so that the use of the building results in zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions. OR means dwellings that have been modified to improve their energy efficiency so that following completion of the [retrofitting] works their operational energy use results in zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions and where the [retrofitting] works use materials with low Embodied Carbon.]

has the same meaning as Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes [or any successor or equivalent standard].

A zero hours contract is a contract of employment or other worker’s contract under which the worker’s undertaking to do work is conditional on the employer making work available, and there is no certainty that any such work will be made available to the worker.

means a car or light commercial vehicle (LCV) which emits [0-50g] CO2/km as measured by the World-Harmonised Light-Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP).