Now that the local and European elections are behind us we can begin to take stock and consider whether the outcome, particularly in Europe, will have effects on policy development and the legislative landscape. Certainly the make-up of the European Parliament has changed, although an anticipated shift to the right has not been as dramatic as expected.

As with previous Horizon Trackers our aim is to cover as much of the Oireachtas activity for this session as possible. As usual we also cover legislative and regulatory developments from the EU, in addition to regulatory initiatives from significant regulators such as the Central Bank. There continues to be a lot of activity in certain areas, most notably in relation to all aspects of our financial services practices and in relation to environmental matters broadly speaking. As mentioned in recent Trackers, the Planning and Development Bill 2023 will be a very significant piece of legislation and we have provided references in various practice area sections where relevant. We have also provided a short summary of key aspects of the Bill.

There are changes in the corporate law sphere, employment and commercial real estate, particularly regarding low carbon buildings. More broadly speaking, there is no doubt that geopolitical events will continue to shape medium term policies and legislative output. The EU continues to position itself globally as a leader in addressing climate change and as a leader in regulating the activities of large corporations where these affect individuals in matters ranging from data usage to supply chains. The effect on business will be an increasingly proactive regulatory stance. With that in mind we have focussed on EU driven policies in our Knowledge Insights events this Spring with sessions on 'An Era of Increased Regulation' and most recently on increased 'ESG Litigation' amongst others. All sessions are available to view on our Knowledge Hub.