Welcome to the Retail, Food & Hospitality Regulatory & EU round-up. Week ending 21 September 2025

This week’s regulatory developments in order of importance, so you can ensure you're up to date with the latest changes impacting your business. 

Retail, Food & Hospitality Important updates

HM Treasury publish interim report on business rates reform: HM Treasury has published an interim report setting out the key areas for reform to the business rates system. The report identifies the following priority areas for further consideration:

• Slab’ to ‘slice’ reform – exploring moving from the current tax structure (where a single multiplier is paid on the full Rateable Value (RV)) to a new structure based on marginal tax rates (where successive bands are taxed at increasing rates);
• Enhancing Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR).
• Enhancing Improvement Relief
• Exploring stakeholder concerns over the ‘Receipts & Expenditure’ methodology and options to address these ahead of the 2029 revaluation;
• Exploring the possible benefits of shortening the Antecedent Valuation Date (AVD) in the future; and
• Merger of the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) with HMRC to pursue administrative changes that help ratepayers.

Publication > Association of Convenience Stores >

Call for evidence published on cannabis products for medicinal use: The call for evidence is to explore the impact of changes made in 2018 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 on the use of cannabis-based products that have not been subject to medicinal approval. Responses are required by 17^th October. View >

Consultation on application of ‘Consumer duties’ to cryptoassets: The FCA is seeking feedback on proposals on the minimum standards crypto firms will need to comply with including how the Consumer Duty, which would require firms to act to deliver good outcomes for their consumers should apply to crypto. The regulator is also seeking views on how complaints should be managed, including whether consumers should be able to refer them to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Responses are required by 15^th October. View >

Advertising watchdog upholds misleading price advertising complaints re Ali Baba: The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld complaints about two separate advertisements on the Ali-baba market place where the prices shown did not relate to all the items pictured. Social media (paid ad) > Search (paid), Email >

Visitor levies in the spotlight: The Welsh Government has highlighted royal assent being given to the Welsh visitor levies bill. The new law gives Welsh councils the choice to introduce a small charge on overnight stays, with all funds reinvested locally to support tourism. FSB Scotland has highlighted that businesses are awaiting the publication of guidance from visit Scotland on the levy under which visitors will be required to pay a 5% surcharge on overnight stays in Edinburgh from 24 July 2026 and applying to advance bookings from 1 October this year. Press release > FSB Scotland >

EU updates

EU Commission publish evaluation of EU Pyrotechnics regulation: A review of Pyrotechnics Directive 2013/29 has identified failings including the widespread availability of dangerous fireworks, the circumvention of rules via mail order sales, the lack of an effective traceability and transfer system, and insufficient animal welfare protection. View >  

EU Decisions:

• Setting new lower maximum contaminant levels for inorganic arsenic in fish and shellfish: View >
• Postponing the expiry dates for biocide approvals: copper thiocyanate > Di copper oxide >

EU Regulations:

• Authorising biocides: BPF Propanol > CLARMARIN® 350 LD > Septihol IPA > Sterilium liquid >
• Delisting biocide approvals: Odysse Environment CMIT/MIT > Veolia water technologies CMIT/MIT >
• Renewing authorisation of low-risk plant protection product: rapeseed oil >

European Food Safety Authority opinions:

• Modifying health claim for oat and barley beta glutens: View >
• On novel food application: Rapeseed protein fibre concentrate > 

Developments to watch

DEFRA: Publish updates on disease outbreaks: Blue tongue > Avian flu >

Drinkaware: Highlight research claiming nearly one million drinks spiking incidents per year in UK. View >

Client Earth: Launch greenwashing challenges to Nestle re plastic bottle sustainability claims in the Polish courts. View >

Government Chemist: Publish guidelines for the characterisation of micro plastics. View >

For your information

Non-food product safety alerts: Office for Product Safety and Standards > EU Safety gate > US Consumer Product Safety Commission >

Gambling Commission: Publish research on consumer behaviours in the illegal gambling market. View >

US Food and Drugs Administration: Launch dashboard for the real time recording of adverse cosmetic product incidents. View >