Africa: International Law

Advocate General Kokott has delivered a significant opinion recommending the annulment of provisions in the revised Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive that require pharmaceutical and cosmetics producers to finance 80% of quaternary wastewater treatment costs. While accepting the legitimacy of the polluter-pays principle, the AG concludes that the EU legislature failed to adequately substantiate the scientific basis for selecting these industries to bear such substantial financial burden.

The European Court recently dismissed a challenge to an EU sanctions designation, providing crucial clarification on how far the Council's power extends when targeting individuals who facilitate sanctions circumvention. The case centered on a fraudulent scheme to sell frozen shares through a subsidiary structure, raising fundamental questions about jurisdiction and the definition of circumvention. This judgment establishes important precedent for understanding what activities fall within the EU's sanctions

As globalization expands commercial footprints across borders, securing a favorable verdict in a UK or US court is often only half the battle. For multinational corporations, financial institutions, and international judgment creditors, the ultimate success of litigation depends on asset recovery. When a judgment debtor's assets are located within Nigeria, creditors must navigate the intricate framework of the Nigerian judicial system to achieve enforcement.

Senegal's Madd from Casamance and Cameroon's Penja Pepper have achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first geographical indications from the OAPI region to receive international registration under the Lisbon System. This development opens new pathways for protecting and commercially leveraging Africa's distinctive regional products in international trade.

The increasing digitalisation of global commerce fundamentally transforms how Trade Finance is deployed and accessed by businesses. The International Chamber of Commerce (“the ICC”) defines Trade Finance as the invisible bridge that makes global trade flow. Trade Finance connects entities across continents, mitigates payment risks and is enzymatic to market progression and economic stability.

Nigeria's maritime sector undergoes a major regulatory transformation with the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026, which establishes a comprehensive framework for economic regulation of ports, introduces stricter tariff controls, enhanced enforcement powers, and transitions the Nigerian Shippers' Council into a dedicated economic regulator with expanded authority over port operations, terminal operators, and shipping services.

The European Union's 20th and 21st sanctions packages against Russia mark a fundamental shift in enforcement strategy, moving beyond traditional designation lists to systematically target the financial infrastructure enabling Russia's war economy. Financial institutions now face heightened compliance obligations requiring them to identify how transactions, financing arrangements, and digital assets may indirectly facilitate sanctioned economic activity across payment channels, banking relationships, crypto-

Investment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to expand across mining, energy, infrastructure, telecommunications and other strategic sectors. Alongside commercial potential, investors must address a question from the outset: how can capital, cash flows and expected returns be protected throughout an investment?

The European Court recently dismissed a challenge to an EU sanctions designation, providing crucial clarification on how far the Council's power extends when targeting individuals who facilitate sanctions circumvention. The case centered on a fraudulent scheme to sell frozen shares through a subsidiary structure, raising fundamental questions about jurisdiction and the definition of circumvention. This judgment establishes important precedent for understanding what activities fall within the EU's sanctions