On 4 June 2025, the European Commission published a decision recognising 13 critical raw material projects located in non-EU countries as “Strategic Projects” under the Critical Raw Materials Act (“CRMA”, Regulation (EU) 2024/1252). This first set of Strategic Projects based outside the EU adds to the 47 Strategic Projects based within the EU announced
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Launching 150 billion euro for defense and technology
On May 29, 2025, the European Union established its new €150 billion defense fund through the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) regulation. The European Commission will soon launch a call for interest for SAFE loans and EU Member States will have up to two months to submit their applications.
In comparison to the
Trump Rescissions May Revive Dormant Process to Fast Track Spending Cuts
On June 3, President Donald Trump sent a package of $9.4 billion in rescissions to Congress for expedited consideration under Section 1017 of the Impoundment Control Act (ICA) of 1974. The House of Representatives reportedly plans to introduce, debate, and pass a bill to implement the President’s proposed rescissions as soon as next week. The
Covington recently issued several client alerts regarding the Trump Administration’s actions related to drug pricing.
On April 15, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Lowering Drug Prices By Once Again Putting Americans First” and an accompanying “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Announces Actions to Lower Prescription Drug Prices.” The President directs a wide range of drug pricing actions, including Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Programs,
House Republicans Push for 10-Year Moratorium on State AI Laws
House Republicans have passed through committee a nationwide, 10-year moratorium on the enforcement of state and local laws and regulations that impose requirements on AI and automated decision systems. The moratorium, which would not apply to laws that promote AI adoption, highlights the widening gap between a wave of new state AI laws and the
April 2025 AI Developments Under the Trump Administration
This is part of an ongoing series of Covington blogs on the AI policies, executive orders, and other actions of the Trump Administration. This blog describes AI actions taken by the Trump Administration in April 2025, and prior articles in this series are available here.
White House OMB Issues AI Use & Procurement Requirements
EU Consults on New Tariffs on €95 Billion of U.S. Imports
On 8 May 2025, the European Union launched a public consultation on potential countermeasures in response to U.S. automotive tariffs and the potential imposition of a 20% “reciprocal” tariff on EU-origin goods—covering around €379 billion of EU exports to the U.S. In particular, the EU is considering imposing tariffs on U.S. imports worth approximately €95
Trump Administration Issues Executive Order on “Most-Favored-Nation” Prescription Drug Pricing
On May 12, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients” and an accompanying “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Announces Actions to Put American Patients First by Lowering Drug Prices and Stopping Foreign Free-riding on American Pharmaceutical Innovation.” The May 12 Executive
AI in the Workplace: Best Practices for U.S. Employers
As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become increasingly integrated into hiring and other workplace decisions, businesses must navigate a rapidly evolving legal landscape regulating the use of AI. To stay compliant and build trust within the workforce, employers can consider the following best practices for responsible AI deployment in employment contexts.
- Maintain human oversight. Use AI
U.S. Congress Passes Bill Establishing Notice and Takedown Regime for Publication of Nonconsensual Intimate Visual Depictions
On April 28, the House of Representatives voted 409-2 to pass the Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks Act (“TAKE IT DOWN Act”), which criminalizes the publication of nonconsensual intimate visual depictions (“NCII”) and requires online platforms to establish a notice and takedown process for NCII. The Act,