UK Knowledge Collection | OTSI's enforcement powers, 'less healthy' food and drink ad restrictions, and AI in pharma and medtech

The Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI), a new body launched in September to "strengthen the UK's implementation and enforcement of trade sanctions", has been granted extensive enforcement powers. Our Insight considers their impact and the practical steps businesses should take to ensure compliance.

This week, the government published guidance in relation to the advertising restrictions on food and drink deemed "less healthy", and laid the regulations implementing the regime before Parliament. The new rules will apply from 1 October next year. Our Insight looks at which products will be in scope and how businesses can prepare.

Our next webinar in our Life Sciences series will discuss the impact of artificial intelligence in pharma and medtech: how AI tools can be protected under IP laws, the challenges of protecting training data and trade secrets, and case studies illustrating some of the regulatory issues raised.

Finally, our Eating Compliance for Breakfast series looks in more detail at the new offence of failure to prevent fraud, introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, with a first webinar exploring to whom the offence applies, enforcement and the risks of getting it wrong and a second looking at the overlap with other compliance expectations and obligations and at what businesses should do in practice.

Recent Insights

Employment Law Coffee Break

Our weekly round-up for employers features coverage of a decision on dismissal for "some other substantial reason" where there was an irretrievable breakdown in the employment relationship, tax risk for end users and suppliers of agency workers, and our business immigration podcast series. 
Read more >

Why isn't every loan sustainability linked in the UK?

Sustainability-linked loans have declined in popularity in the UK debt market. There are six factors that can shed light on this development. 
Read more >

COP16 summit delivers international call to action for biodiversity

Global businesses and leaders were urged at the United Nation's biological diversity COP16 summit in Colombia to back large-scale financial and practical solutions to tackle ecological degradation. 
Read more >

UK government lays regulations and publishes guidance on HFSS advertising restrictions

The government has laid the Advertising (Less Healthy Food Definitions and Exemptions) Regulations 2024 before Parliament and published guidance on them. 
Read more >

OTSI: new UK trade sanctions enforcement body adds compliance burden for regulated firms

The establishment of the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation is a significant development that will affect all UK firms exporting goods internationally, as well as financial services and legal firms. 
Read more >

Upcoming Events

Life Sciences Academy | AI in pharma and medtech: case studies

10 December | 16:00-17:00

A webinar on the practical uses of AI in the sector, IP rights, contractual protection, and case studies on the regulatory landscape around clinical trials, marketing authorisation, and pharmacovigilance and post-market surveillance.
Register now >

Pensions Coffee Break Webinar

11 December | 11:00-11:30

The webinar includes what the tax changes announced in the Autumn Budget mean for pensions trustees, employers and members, as well as the announcements made in last month's Mansion House speech.
Register now >

Eating Compliance for Breakfast | Failure to prevent fraud (part one)

17 December | 09:00-09:30

A look at the new offence of failure to prevent fraud, introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act.
Register now >

Eating Compliance for Breakfast | Failure to prevent fraud (part two)

19 December | 09:00-09:30

In this second webinar on the new offence, we discuss the overlap with other compliance expectations and obligations, what businesses need to do to implement reasonable fraud prevention procedures and the approach of different regulators/prosecutors.
Register now >

GDPR for HR | 12-month glance back and look forward

12 February | 17:15-19:30

Our in-person seminar, taking place at our London office, considers recent developments and what is on the horizon for the processing of HR-related data, including AI in the workplace, data subject access requests and ICO enforcement.
Register now >