The Council of the European Union on June 27 agreed to a partial negotiating mandate on reforming the EU customs framework to allow it to address trends such as "huge increases in trade volumes, especially in e-commerce," various EU standards that need to be checked at the border, and "shifting geopolitical realities and crises." The mandate allows for negotiations with the European Parliament on customs reform.

The U.K. last week warned foreign companies that it may sanction them if they’re involved in activities that could contribute to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading to “serious consequences for your business and other financial dealings.” The country’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said British businesses are also on the lookout for companies that may be doing prohibited business with Russia, and if U.K. companies can’t be "assured" that a foreign firm isn’t involved with Russia, “some UK companies may take a cautious approach (sometimes termed ‘de-risking’) and refuse to do business with you.”

The U.K.’s Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation officially began accepting formal whistleblower disclosures June 26, the agency said in an email to industry. The U.K. also put in place changes to "help whistleblowers qualify for protections at work when disclosing information about financial, transport, and certain trade sanctions to the relevant department," OTSI said. The agency updated its whistleblower guidance to outline how to make a report and how the government will treat reports.

European Parliament members this month urged the EU to step up sanctions against the Georgian government, list Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and designate Iranian officials for human rights breaches.

The European Commission's newly proposed EU Space Act includes language intended to help commercial space exporters find new customers outside the bloc, the commission said this week. The law is mainly aimed at harmonizing space-related regulations across the EU, including through new safety and sustainability rules, but it could also make commercial space firms grow "more competitive in Europe and its export markets."

Sanctioned Russian shadow fleet vessels can receive port access and services at an EU port if they’re carrying dangerous or polluting goods that need to be unloaded, the European Commission said in a new FAQ last week. Those vessels can offload “for a unique emergency port call” if they were sanctioned while they were carrying the cargo, the FAQ said, “and in any case not later than 30 days from the date of targeting.” It also said a “60-day winddown period is justified” in cases where other circumstances “do not allow for an earlier offloading of the dangerous or polluting goods and serious risks persist that could endanger human life, marine environments, and coastal infrastructure.”

The European Commission on June 20 extended antidumping duties on graphite electrode systems from China to cover artificial graphite in blocks or cylinders in an effort to combat duty circumvention, the Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security announced. The commission said it found in an investigation that the AD on graphite electrode systems from China was being circumvented by entries of artificial graphite, which is the main input material of graphite electrode systems. The AD rate on artificial graphite that is used to produce GES will be set at 74.9%.

The European Commission on June 19 decided to exclude Chinese companies from EU government purchases of medical devices exceeding $5.7 million following the first investigation under the EU's International Procurement Instrument. The decision allows no more than 50% of Chinese inputs for successful bids, the commission said. The EU said it will add exceptions "where no alternative suppliers exist."

Negotiators from the Council of the European Union's presidency and the European Parliament struck a provisional deal June 18 to exempt most importers from the bloc's carbon border adjustment mechanism, the council announced.

The European Commission on June 16 unveiled a proposal to gradually stop the import of Russian oil and gas by the end of 2027. The commission said the proposal follows a plan adopted last month to fully phase out Russian gas imports (see 2505060027).