Global Scans · Standards · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Improving standards are likely to be driven more by business and technological improvement than governments in the future. The latter will be under severe pressure to cut bureaucracy, speed policy making and improve their nation's productivity performance.

• [New] The Data Union Strategy will increase the availability of data for AI development, announce the simplification of EU data rules and strengthen the EU's global position on international data flows. Shaping Europe's digital future
• [New] The Digital Omnibus is part of the European Commission's deregulation agenda, which threatens key social and environmental standards in Europe. Corporate Europe Observatory
• [New] In 2026, ERP systems will move beyond bolt-on AI and begin embedding native AI features as standards like MCPs mature and stabilize. TechFinitive
• [New] The revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards are expected to be officially adopted in Q2 2026, pending final business lobbying. CSO Connect
• [New] Following the GENIUS Act, which brought new rules for stablecoins to the US in 2025, the CLARITY Act is now set to introduce further and, above all, clearer laws for dealing with cryptocurrencies in 2026 - and has therefore been eagerly anticipated by the crypto sector for some time. Trending Topics
• [New] Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple's industry-leading privacy standards. BBC News
• [New] The AI-driven applications will perform routine activities, including the creation of content, content optimization, audience segmentation, and user behaviour forecasts, in 2026. Elite Site Optimizer
• [New] The United States crypto industry entered what many are calling execution mode as legislative deadlines and new rules begin defining how digital assets will be regulated. Future
• [New] If the European Union and the US could agree on standards for data privacy and protection, they would take a giant step towards setting the global standard for digital trade. Wilson Center
• [New] MPA and Enterprise Singapore, through the Singapore Standards Council, will be upgrading the existing Technical Reference for LNG Bunkering to a Singapore Standard in Q2 2026, strengthening requirements for safe, transparent, and quality-assured LNG bunkering. MPA
• [New] Targeted reforms to the UK Money Laundering Regulations proposed by HM Treasury, expected to take effect in 2026, will impact the level of customer due diligence (CDD) firms need to conduct. Ashurst
• [New] The EU is developing cross-border AI tax standards for 2027 implementation. AI Goldrush
• [New] 2026 is the EU's digital set-up year: a time to simplify rules, set priorities, and brace for transatlantic spillovers as major legislative initiatives race toward 2027. Euronews
• [New] By H2 2026, firms are expected to have implemented new rules on operational-incident and outsourcing reporting, subject to final FCA and PRA timetables. Mondaq
• [New] The 2027 annual training requirement ensures ongoing professional development, positioning Oklahoma as a leader in medical marijuana workforce standards. American Healthy Alternatives
• [New] While SEC leadership has indicated that new, prescriptive AI disclosure rules are unnecessary, companies remain responsible under existing principles-based requirements to disclose material AI-related impacts and risks accurately. Debevoise
• [New] With new rules emerging across the world, sovereignty will become a priority for businesses sooner rather than later. Software Development Company - N-iX
• [New] Bank of America's new standards follow similar policies from Citigroup and Morgan Stanley, announced after engagement with Green Century, that strengthened financing standards for clients in forest-risk commodities. / USA Green Century
• [New] 2026 will be the year that AI, standards and live scale combine to reshape TV advertising into a medium that is measurable, interactive and increasingly outcome-driven. CSI
• [New] The EU's move toward common minimum standards will help reduce some divergence over time, but 2026 will still require careful sequencing across Member States and non-EU regimes. JD Supra
• [New] While 2026 is only a bridge year before the new EU Regulation applies from 2027, investors should plan both for the existing national regimes and the incoming EU-level minimum standards which may already influence the current EU coordination mechanism. JD Supra
• [New] More than 30 new standards relating to public data, data infrastructure, AI agents, high-quality datasets, full-scale urban digital transformation, important data catalogs for telecommunications, agriculture, aviation, aerospace and more are expected to be issued in 2026. IAPP.org
• [New] Cryptoasset businesses will need to be authorised by the FCA to do business in the UK and demonstrate that they meet the required standards. Taylor Wessing

Last updated: 22 January 2026