after release of this video the deadline of June 30th 2022 has been extended to December 31st 2022!
This is important news for companies, which sell products in the EU, but also for consumers. Packaging is boxes, bottles, jars, baskets and generally all those containers for products bought by consumers.
The origin of the issue comes from the EU Directive 851 of 2018, which has also been transposed into Italian law, defined as the “environmental labelling standard”. The aim of this legislation is to ensure that product packaging is reused as much as possible as part of the so-called circular economy.
For all packaging, therefore, an obligation has been introduced to identify the packaging materials by means of identification markings, as set out in Decision 129/97/EC, and to indicate how they can be recycled. For paper packaging, for example, there will be the abbreviation PAP followed by a number. Given the variety of packaging, the standard takes up the principle of accountability, and it is therefore possible that companies' solutions will vary, but all will be suitable for achieving the intended purpose.
Sometimes products are so small that it is difficult to add other indications on the labels: then the regulation provides that a QR code can be print, with a link to a web page, where all the information is available to the consumer.
These new indications had to be in place on products already on sale by 31st December 2021, but at the end of last year this deadline was extended to 30th June 2022 and then to 31st December 2022. However, even after that date, companies can sell products that are already on the market or that are already labelled on 1st January 2023, even though they do not have the environmental labelling requirements, until stocks are sold out.
Given that the extension came at the last minute, it is quite possible that products bearing the new packaging recycling information are already on the market.
It is important for companies to know that these are mandatory rules and that failure to comply with them will result in heavy fines. But with the deadline being extended to 30th June 2022, it is to be expected that everyone will comply, to take another step in the direction of a greener economy.
Will your social networks be disclosed to your relatives? -
With the widespread use of digital data in the most diverse spheres, the question increasingly arises: if the holder is deceased or has become incapacitated, who can obtain all the digital data of the person in question from the various entities, banks, social networks, health facilities?
The question is not one of mere entertainment, but concerns different and broad spheres of personal rights, economic and property rights as well as personality rights.
A practical solution that I suggest, is to collect access keys and passwords for loved ones in a special document: one can also think of indicating them in the will. This allows family members to access and dispose of the data. But what happens if this is not done? Who has access?
The solution adopted consistently in recent years by the Italian courts is to apply a specific rule, introduced in 2018 and namely Article 2-terdecies, of Legislative Decree 196/2003, according to which a person's rights can be claimed, in his absence, by those who have an interest of their own, or by those acting on his behalf as a proxy, or even by those acting on his behalf for family reasons worthy of protection. Moreover, the same rule prevents these third parties from accessing the digital data, if the person in question has expressly forbidden it.
Starting with the latter statement, it is reassuring to know that any of us can decide not to allow our heirs access to our digital data, especially the most confidential and personal data.
It is equally reassuring that the Italian courts, with the specificities of each individual case, normally grant this right to third parties, relatives or heirs, of the deceased person, in the event that they request not only to have access to, but also to dispose of and keep all the digital data of the person in question. This has important implications, since even after death a relative can for instance obtain the medical records of the deceased. Another case is social security and pension data, held by public and private bodies, which can be used to obtain survivor's pensions or other benefits.
To the question of what to do in this matter, that I was asked recently, I can give the same answer here as well: be aware of your digital identity, data and digital assets and think in advance about what you would like to do with them, when you won’t be around. Like family jewellery.
In order to ensure greater transparency and legality in the economic system, there is a need to identify who are the beneficial owners of companies and other entities, such as foundations, trusts and associations. Above all, there is a need to combat organised crime, money laundering, but also those who commit other serious crimes, such as terrorism. The Register of Beneficial Owners has been introduced also in Italy, the founding regulation of which came into force a few weeks ago on 9.6.2022
All these subjects will have to give the necessary information to the chambers of commerce by electronically sending a self-declaration. All subsequent changes to the beneficial owner must also be reported.
The data of the person in question, his share in the company and the powers concretely exercised must be communicated, for legal persons, whereas the person's tax code and registered office are owed for other entities.
The sanctions for non-compliance are currently limited, but it is well possible that they will be reconsidered over time, to make the rule more effective.
A privacy issue arises, however, regarding the accessibility of data. First of all, the authorities and those obliged to verify actual ownership, such as lawyers, insurance companies and banks, will have free access, albeit regulated by special agreement with the chamber of commerce. But third parties may also request to have a whole set of information, i.e. the surname, month and year of birth, country of residence and citizenship of the beneficial owner and how he qualifies as such. At least in the latter case, however, the beneficial owner may object to the disclosure of the data, although it is not a judge but the chamber of commerce that will actually decide.
This is therefore an important but also delicate instrument; it will be important to see how it is used in practice in the first months of the Register's validity and also to understand how it can be used by everyone, especially businesses and professionals .
