Category: 3. Business

Garrett Monaghan and Shani Stallard, energy experts at Pinsent Masons, were commenting after the Irish government published its renewable transport fuel policy 2025-27 (27 pages/1 MB PDF), a strategic plan to cut emissions from petrol and diesel vehicles by increasing the use of renewable fuels across the transport sector. The policy, published by the Department of Transport, is part of Ireland’s efforts to meet its national EU climate targets by 2030.

The policy includes the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO), a legal requirement for fuel suppliers to blend a certain percentage of renewable fuels into their products. Under the new plans, this obligation will increase every year, with aims to ensure a steady rise in the share of renewables in Ireland’s fuel mix.

The new policy sets out how Ireland will reduce the environmental impact of road, rail, and public transport by blending more biofuels and other renewable alternatives into traditional fossil fuels. It also introduces a series of reforms to accelerate the transition to cleaner transport while supporting the country’s climate action plans and the EU Renewable Energy Directive. 

While electric vehicles (EVs) are central to Ireland’s long-term climate strategy, the government acknowledges that widespread EV adoption will take time. In the meantime, the government is urging the use of biofuels made from plants, waste, or residues in the vehicles already on the roads.

Monaghan said: “Using biofuels in our existing vehicles is a quick and cost-effective way to cut emissions right now. It acts as a bridge while cleaner technologies, like electric cars, are being scaled up – meaning we can start lowering transport emissions immediately without waiting for everyone to switch to electric vehicles. That said, we need to always prioritise the importance of a cohesive renewables policy across the lesser developed areas of heat and transport. The government needs to accelerate the publication and delivery of the renewable heat obligation scheme for renewable gas.”

From 2026, the RTFO will expand to include fuels used in rail transport and will also begin awarding credits for renewable electricity used to charge EVs at public charging points.

Further, the policy places a strong emphasis on advanced biofuels – those made from waste products or non-food sources – and renewable fuels of non-biological origin, such as green hydrogen and synthetic e-fuels. These ‘next generation’ fuels are seen as essential for decarbonising sectors that are harder to electrify, such as heavy goods vehicles and aviation. By 2027, a growing portion of the RTFO target must be met using these advanced fuels.

The policy comes with a detailed 19-point action plan, with deadlines between 2025 and 2027 to make sure all goals are achieved. For example, new laws will be passed in the second half of this year to enforce higher blend rates, include rail fuels in the obligation, and give credits for EV charging. There will also be support for industry guidance to improve the quality of fuel application and reduce processing delays as well as quarterly publication of performance data in a bid to ensure transparency and accountability.

A collaborative ecosystem driving real-world innovation in cancer care

IMAGINE is designed as an open innovation lab, enabling clinicians, mathematicians, AI developers, imaging scientists, engineers, design experts and medtech companies to collaborate on real-world challenges. By working within a hospital environment, the consortium ensures that innovations are informed by real patient needs and can be safely and rapidly translated into practice.

The IMAGINE consortium unites a comprehensive group of partners from across the healthcare innovation ecosystem:
 

• Academic and Research Institutions: UMC Utrecht, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital/Netherlands Cancer Institute, Radboudumc, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven University of Technology, Utrecht University and its incubator UtrechtInc, and the National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI).
• Industry Partners: Philips, Elekta, KALCIO Healthcare, and Tesla Dynamic Coils.
• Educational Institutions: Fontys University of Applied Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, and The Hague University of Applied Sciences.

Together, these partners are advancing the development, validation, and clinical implementation of image-guided technologies to improve cancer care and future-proof the healthcare system.

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is proud to announce that Partner María Pilar García Guijarro – WFW’s Energy Sector Head for Europe & Americas and Madrid Office Head – has been named ‘Lawyer of the Year – Energy, Natural Resources & Mining’ at the Women in Business Law Awards (“WIBLA”) EMEA 2025.

The WIBLA awards celebrate the achievements of leading women lawyers across the EMEA region based on a robust research and client feedback process. Held in London on 26 June, the awards ceremony brought together leading lawyers from across the EMEA region, with WFW also shortlisted for Best Firm in Spain, reflecting the strength and reputation for excellence of the firm’s Spanish offering.

María Pilar’s win recognises her prominent role advising on the most complex and high-value energy transactions, as well as her longstanding commitment to client service and fostering talent within her team. She is the first WFW partner based in Europe to receive a WIBLA award in the energy, natural resources and mining category, setting a new benchmark for excellence and marking a milestone in the growth and recognition of the firm’s EMEA energy offering.

WFW Managing Partner Lindsey Keeble, WIBLA’s EMEA Shipping and Maritime Lawyer of the Year 2021, commented: “I’m delighted by this well-deserved recognition of María Pilar’s deep sector expertise, strategic insights and consistent dedication to both our clients and the firm. She plays a key role in the ongoing growth of our energy practice and we are thrilled to see her achievements acknowledged by a leading organisation such as WIBLA”.

María Pilar said: “It is a real honour to receive this award, which reflects not only the quality of the work we do, but also the strength of the relationships we have built with our clients and colleagues across the industry. I’m especially grateful to my fantastic team at WFW, this recognition is as much theirs as mine. My thanks to WIBLA for this and my sincerest congratulations to all winners and nominees for their outstanding work across the profession”.

As part of its efforts to bring down the cost of electricity supply and make electricity bills more affordable for Europeans, the Commission has today provided new guidance to EU countries. It will facilitate the uptake of innovative renewable energy sources and forms of deployment, accelerate the rollout of grids and storage infrastructure and design future-proof electricity network charges. 

The recommendation and 3 guidance documents will support the implementation of the revised Renewable Energy Directive and Electricity Market Design, as well as the Action Plan for Affordable Energy set out earlier this year to lower energy costs by accelerating the clean energy transition. 

EU countries and the national energy regulators are invited to consider these support documents when designing national frameworks on these matters. The Commission stands ready to assist them in their efforts.

Accelerated deployment of new types of renewable energy and forms of deployment

Innovative renewable energy technologies such as ocean energy and floating offshore wind, as well as innovative forms of deployment of renewable energy such as agrisolar, floating solar and vehicle-integrated PV, have important potential, which is currently not being sufficiently tapped into. To support their roll-out, EU countries should develop clear regulatory frameworks. This will help provide legal certainty and facilitate their uptake. EU countries should design a financial framework for the support of renewable energies which is adapted to the specific needs of these technologies and forms of deployment. If applied, this will reduce the gap between the costs of these new types of renewable energy and those of conventional forms of deployment, fostering their development. EU countries should also encourage continued research and innovation to explore their potential benefits and clarify their environmental impacts. 

Faster procedures for grids and storage roll-out

The expected development of the electricity system in terms of growth in renewable energy generation, electricity demand and grid constraints requires the urgent expansion and reinforcement of the grids, combined with the accelerated deployment of storage solutions. EU countries are encouraged to facilitate this by means of designating areas for grid and storage infrastructure. Grids and storage projects located in these areas may then be exempted from certain types of environmental assessments.

Future-proof electricity network charges to reduce energy system costs

The necessary investments in renewable energy sources, grids and storage solutions require more flexibility and efficiency in the way the electricity grids are used and managed, to ensure their cost-effective operation. Energy regulators should design tariffs that reflect the needs of the electricity system and make the best use of the existing infrastructure by incentivising flexibility and encouraging consumers to use electricity when it is cheap to do so. 

Background

Europe’s high energy costs are heavily influenced by its dependence on imported fossil fuels. Expanding the amount and range of renewable energy sources would help reduce the costs of energy supply and energy prices for industry and citizens. To make this a reality, it is necessary to significantly accelerate the roll out of renewable energy projects, including innovative forms of deployment and innovative renewable energy technologies. Moreover, there is an urgent need to develop energy infrastructure enabling the uptake of the renewables, security of supply and market integration.

Earlier this year, the Commission put forward an Action Plan for Affordable Energy to lower energy costs, complete the Energy Union, attract investments and be better prepared for potential energy crises. As a key component of the Clean Industrial Deal, this Plan will not only bring relief to households facing high energy bills, but also to industries that struggle with high production costs, with  estimated overall savings of €45 billion in 2025, that will progressively increase until €130 billion in annual savings by 2030 and €260 billion by 2040. 

Dan Jørgensen, Commissioner for Energy and Housing, said:

‘The clean energy transition is not just a moral obligation towards our planet: it is a matter of security and independence for Europe. Lower energy prices and a secure energy system with a high share of renewables are the backbone of a sustainable and competitive economy. With this new guidance to our Member States, we are showing the way towards a cleaner, cheaper and more efficient energy system.’

Related links

Relevant DUA Act Provision: Section 71, Schedule 5; amends Articles 5(1)(b) and 6(4) UK GDPR and adds a new Article 8A and Annex 2 to the UK GDPR.

The DUA Act reforms the compatibility principle governing further processing of personal data by introducing statutory compatibility conditions and a new provision (Article 8A) in the UK GDPR. These provisions limit the need for a traditional compatibility assessment where certain legal and policy conditions are met.

Contextual compatibility

Under the GDPR, controllers are required to assess whether the further processing purpose is compatible with the original purpose of collection, using contextual criteria in Article 6(4) and Recital 50, such as the link to the original purpose, the context of collection, the nature of data, and data subject’s expectations.

Statutory compatibility

The DUA Act replaces this framework with a more rules-based framework for further processing, specifying circumstances in which the compatibility assessment under Article 6(4) UK GDPR is not required or is simplified. These statutory conditions are codified in the new Article 8A, which introduces a structured legal framework for compatibility by listing the exempted further processing scenarios. Article 8A(3) then refers to Annex 2, which enumerates specific categories of further processing that are also deemed compatible without a separate compatibility assessment. These exemptions from the compatibility assessment include:  

• Consent-based further use: the data subject gives consent to the further processing and the  new purpose is specific, explicit and legitimate;
• Public interest processing: The further processing is carried out for (i) scientific research or historical research, (ii) archiving in the public interest or (iii) statistical purposes, and is subject to safeguards under Article 89(1) (e.g. minimisation, pseudonymisation);
• Compliance processing: the processing is carried out to ensure that the processing complies with the principles for processing personal data under Article 5(1) UK GDPR
• Annex 2 disclosure route: the controller discloses personal data in response to a request from another person who needs it to carry out processing under Article 6(1)(e) (official authority or public interest task), with a valid legal basis under Article 6(3), and the processing is necessary to safeguard an objective listed in Article 23(1)(c) to (j) UK GDPR. This includes objectives such as public security, the protection of judicial independence, or the enforcement of civil law claims. The disclosing controller must not be a public authority performing its own tasks.

In all cases, the further processing must still comply with the principles of fairness and transparency under Article 5, and appropriate safeguards, particularly under Article 89(1), must be applied where applicable.

Where the controller relied on consent for the original purpose, the further purpose will only be deemed compatible if fresh consent is obtained for the further processing and the processing is either (i) solely to ensure compliance with Article 5(1) data protection principles, or (ii) falls within Annex 2 and the controller cannot reasonably be expected to obtain new consent.

Annex 2 is legally anchored in Article 8A(3), which delegates to it the role of specifying additional forms of further processing deemed inherently compatible with the original purpose.

Annex 2 of Schedule 5 sets out additional statutory examples of further processing that shall be treated as compatible with the original purpose. This is a limited list of processing for the purposes of:

• archiving in the public interest;
• detection, investigation and prevention of crime and apprehension of offenders;
• to protect vital interests of the data subject or another individual;
• safeguarding children and vulnerable individuals
• the assessment or collection of tax
• to comply with a legal obligation under an enactment, rule of law or order of a court or tribunal

The Secretary of State may expand or revise this list by regulation. This mechanism introduces flexibility but also raises rule of law concerns about foreseeability and the scope of ministerial discretion.

This statutory presumption replaces the open-textured compatibility balancing test for listed  purposes, enhancing legal certainty and operational efficiency. However, for commercial or non-exempted secondary uses, the compatibility analysis under Article 6(4) still applies, albeit with less detailed contextual criteria than under the GDPR. The reform thus creates a two-tier model of further processing in the UK.

Notably, the DUA Act does not alter the requirement that the further purpose be specified and transparent to data subjects under Article 5(1)(b). Nor does it diminish the relevance of fairness and accountability under Articles 5(1)(a) and 5(2). Controllers must still justify the further use on the basis of proportionality and necessity when outside the statutory exemptions.

Divergence

The UK model departs from the EU’s nuanced, case-by-case compatibility framework. It introduces a more rules-based system that simplifies assessments for certain further processing purposes, such as those listed in Annex 2 or expressly permitted under Article 8A(2) and (3), which together form the backbone of the UK’s new statutory compatibility regime. This statutory presumption replaces the open-textured compatibility balancing test for those purposes, enhancing legal certainty and operational efficiency. However, for commercial or non-exempted secondary uses, the compatibility analysis under Article 6(4) still applies, albeit with less prescriptive contextual criteria than under the GDPR. The reform thus creates a two-tier model of further processing in the UK. The scope for ministerial discretion over future categories raises regulatory concerns around legal certainty and foreseeability.

Notably, the DUA Act does not alter the requirement that the further purpose be specified and transparent to data subjects under Article 5(1)(b). Nor does it diminish the relevance of fairness and accountability under Articles 5(1)(a) and 5(2). Organisations must still justify the further use on the basis of proportionality and necessity when outside the statutory exemptions.

ICO commentary 

In its updated to the DUA Bill (prior to the Bill receiving parliamentary approval), the ICO stated that amendments, particularly for scientific research, archiving, and statistical purposes are easier to navigate and understand,” provide organisations with greater certainty, and enable responsible reuse of personal data. The ICO emphasises, however, that compliance with safeguards under Article 89(1) remains critical. The ICO intends to publish new updated relevant on Research, Archiving and Statistics with a public consultation planned, in Spring 2026.

Recommendations

• Maintain a register of all further processing activities, noting the route used (statutory vs. contextual).
• For scientific, historical, and statistical processing, document compliance with Article 89(1) safeguards.
• Use Annex 2 disclosures and consent-based tools appropriately.
• Update privacy notices to reflect new statutory presumptions and clarify how secondary purposes align with the original lawful basis.
• Monitor future changes to the statutory list and changes to Annex 2 and Article 8A via secondary legislation.