This multi-national report, prepared by foreign law specialists and analysts at the Law Library of Congress, covers the regulation of stem cell research in the select jurisdictions of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, and Panama. The report focuses on regulation of scientific research in general, regulation of stem cell research, and relevant legislative developments. The report will further examine the legislation and provisions set by each country as it pertains to stem cell research. (Nov. 2023)

This multi-national report, prepared by foreign law specialists and analysts at the Law Library of Congress, covers lobbying and foreign agent registration laws in the select jurisdictions of Czechia, France, Greece, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden. The report focuses on legislative developments in the jurisdictions with regards to (1) the regulation of lobbying, and (2) the registration of foreign agents. Furthermore, the report includes information on (3) the extent to which China is referred to in the discussions on the need to pass such laws (or to amend them, if they already exist). (Oct. 2023)

This report, prepared by foreign law specialists and analysts at the Law Library of Congress, examines the cybersecurity legal frameworks of 10 countries to assist in assessing the impact of foreign language translations of the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (US NIST Cybersecurity Framework, or NIST CSF) on the regulations and policies of other countries. (Sept. 2023)

This report, prepared by research staff at the Law Library of Congress, explores various investment incentives and the tax treatment of investments in the following jurisdictions: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, India, Iran, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Jurisdictions have been chosen based on the size of their economies, and the report addresses the primary incentives for making equity investments to corporations, from both a corporate and individual investor perspective. (Aug. 2023)

This report, prepared by the research staff of the Law Library of Congress, provides a list of jurisdictions in the world where legislation that specifically refers to artificial intelligence (AI) or systems utilizing AI have been adopted or proposed. (Aug. 2023)

This report surveys the safety and security of artificial intelligence systems (AI systems) in five selected jurisdictions, namely Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom (UK), and the European Union (EU). (July 2023).

This report, prepared by staff of the Law Library’s Global Legal Research Directorate, analyzes the laws of China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia regulating the right of foreign companies and individuals to acquire land and other real estate, with a particular focus on whether United States persons are specifically prohibited. (Feb. 2023)

This report addresses the responsibility for covering the costs of repatriating the remains of foreign nationals who died in immigration detention to their home countries in the following jurisdictions: Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (UK). (Feb. 2023)

This report surveys the asylum application processes, in particular, processes involved in
determining whether an asylum seeker is in need of international protection, in nine selected
jurisdictions, namely, Canada, Germany, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey, the United
Kingdom (UK), and the European Union (EU).

This report looks at the regulation of hemp in select jurisdictions around the globe, namely,
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Israel, India, Japan, New Zealand,
Russia, the Slovak Republic, the United Kingdom (UK), and the European Union (EU). In an
appendix to the report, we have also included a table of countries that have legalized the
production of hemp. The report covers when cultivation/production of hemp was legalized, how hemp is defined (in terms of allowable delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) level), under what
restrictions/circumstances (if any) hemp can be cultivated/produced, and what some of the
licensing and registration requirements are. The report also discusses testing and sampling
requirements that farmers are required to observe. In addition, the report briefly discusses rules
for the processing/manufacturing of hemp and hemp-containing products. (Nov. 2022)

This report examines antitrust enforcement cases concerning the pharmaceutical sector in
selected foreign jurisdictions since 2010 that resulted in fines or other sanctions. It summarizes
cases in Australia, Denmark, the European Union, France, India, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands,
South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. An appendix to this report identifies other countries we researched to locate pharmaceutical antitrust cases since 2010 that involved fines or other sanctions, but where no such cases were found, namely Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, and Sweden. The appendix provides information regarding antitrust regulation and enforcement in these countries. (Nov. 2022)

This report provides an overview of global jurisdictions and their legislative and policy frameworks concerning the use of mass timber in construction. The foreign law specialists and analysts of the Law Library of Congress undertook a global survey, and the countries included here are those for which relevant legislation was identified. (September 2022)

This report reviews the history, key provisions, and contemporary use of Canada’s Emergencies Act. It outlines the constitutional allocation of emergency powers, and the history of the predecessor statute, the War Measures Act. It explains the reasons for the reform of federal emergency powers and the introduction of the Emergencies Act. It
discusses the key provisions of the Emergencies Act, including types of emergencies, permissible orders, and oversight provisions. Finally, it explains the 2022 invocation of the Emergencies Act and subsequent oversight procedures. (November 2022)

This report shows the 57 jurisdictions around the world that the Law Library of Congress has identified as having a net zero emissions or climate neutrality goal enshrined in legislation. The report (table) highlights the most recent legislative developments and reports on laws amended after the COP 26 conference in 2021 as well as recently proposed climate-related legislation under consideration in national parliaments. This includes the European Union (EU) and its 27 member states, where a June 2021 regulation sets 2050 as the target date for climate neutrality. Eleven EU member states have passed their own legislation in addition to the directly applicable regulation, including two that have set an earlier target date. To date, 20 countries outside the EU have passed legislation containing a net zero emissions goal, with five jurisdictions setting a target date earlier than 2050. At least four other countries have introduced or are expressly developing legislation that includes the goal. Three countries enacted laws at the national and subnational level introducing regional goals for reaching carbon neutrality. (October 2022)

This report examines the use of mass timber, also known as cross-laminated timber, in the construction of buildings in ten countries. According to Natural Resources Canada, mass timber is “a transformative technology made by affixing or gluing together many pieces of wood veneers, flakes or dimension lumber to form larger, stronger pieces such as panels and beams.” The report consists of a comparative summary followed by individual country surveys for ten countries. The countries surveyed are Australia, Austria, Canada, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. (September 2022)

This report addresses economic espionage laws and the regulation of fraudulent filing of corporate, import-export, and banking documentation. In addition to describing relevant legislation, the report provides examples of convictions and law enforcement activities regarding economic espionage and the violation of export control requirements from the past five years. In addition to this summary, the report consists of individual country surveys for the following countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Peru, South Korea, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Uzbekistan. (July 2022)

This report summarizes recent environmental law developments in the United Kingdom and the United States. In both jurisdictions, environmental law refers to the area of law concerning environmental protection. In general,  environmental law focuses on the main areas of clean air, clean water, the conservation of species, and the preservation of natural resources. This report addresses clean air and water as well as aspects of national environmental governance and international environmental cooperation in each country. (October 2022)

The report provides a high level overview of how these countries’ laws and policies require them to handle nuclear technology and information, including in the context of meeting some of the obligations contained in the new AUKUS agreement on the exchange of naval nuclear propulsion information, which was signed by Australia, the UK, and the United States (US) in November 2021. (Feb. 2022)

The Law Library has published a report on the development of laws on abortion, genetic consultation, and assisted reproduction online. The report covers the laws in this area from 1945 to the current day for eleven countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and the United Kingdom. All of the countries surveyed in the report permit abortions. The dates that the countries legalized abortion vary significantly: Romania and Bulgaria were the first two countries to legalize abortion in 1936, while Spain was the last to legalize it in 1985. The time limits for and circumstances under which abortions are allowed vary from country to country. (July 2022)

This report discusses the Global Magnitsky Act as it was implemented in the United States (US), and provides comparative information about foreign laws that operate in a similar manner. Individual country reports, when applicable, are also included after the comparative section. These countries include Australia, Canada, Estonia, the European Union, Gibraltar, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, and the United Kingdom. The report begins with an explanation of the Global Magnitsky Act in the United States and its implementation, via statute and executive order, into the U.S. legal framework. It provides an overview of the criteria that must be satisfied for sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act. The analysis then compares how the included foreign jurisdictions have implemented their versions of the legislation. Individual country surveys include an introduction and overview of their specific Global Magnitsky laws. In general, the same criteria used in the United States are also used in the selected jurisdictions, however, in some instances, other jurisdictions go beyond the scope covered by U.S. law. The individual surveys also generally cover the administration of the act by the domestic government. The surveys include national government resources and secondary sources when available. (July 2022)

This report shows those countries that participate in the United States visa waiver program, and whether or not they have an investment migration program. Such programs enable applicants who make investments in the country to obtain either a visa to reside in the country or, more rarely, citizenship. The Law Library found that 28 of the 40 jurisdictions that participate in the visa waiver program offer such investment migration programs. In addition, the United Kingdom operated an investor visa program that was recently closed to new applicants. Most of the programs specify the minimum amount and types of investment that must be made in order to qualify. One jurisdiction, Austria, both offers an investor visa program and provides for immediate “citizenship-by-investment.” Malta also has a program that specifically enables citizenship to be granted to investors but requires residence for a period that varies depending on the level of investment. In addition, two countries, Slovakia and Slovenia, allow investor visa holders with significant investments to obtain citizenship in a shorter period than is otherwise required. The majority of the other jurisdictions with investor visa programs provide a pathway to citizenship if a minimum period of residence and other conditions for naturalization, such as permanent residence status, are met. (March 2022)

This report aims to provide a brief overview of the Turkish presidential decree (CBK),
a regulatory act that the president of the republic can issue without prior authorization
or delegation from the legislature. The power to issue CBKs was granted to the
president by constitutional amendments adopted in 2017. Being novel to Turkish
constitutional law tradition, the power has since been a focal point of interest in legal
scholarship and a matter of controversy in practice. This report explores in light of
recent scholarship and Constitutional Court decisions what we know and do not know
regarding the scope and limits of the president’s power to issue CBKs. Finally, the
report examines a recent controversy that arose from the use of a CBK to authorize the
president to withdraw from international treaties. (January 2022)

This report examines the Constitutions of Portugal and Romania and other legal frameworks in each country. The Portuguese Constitution recognizes that everyone has the right to privacy and legal protection against discrimination. The rights to freedom of expression, assembly, association, and of the press are also protected by the Constitution. The Constitution of Romania recognizes and protects the right of access to public information, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and association, freedom of religion, and the right to privacy. (November 2021)

This report addresses the lifecycle of parliamentary documents in Australia, Canada, the
European Parliament, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Portugal, Sweden, and the UK. The report contains individual jurisdictional surveys prepared by foreign law specialists in the Global
Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress based on researching legal sources
published in the jurisdictions surveyed, where applicable in the native languages. (Dec 2021)

This table updates a more comprehensive 2018 Law Library of Congress report on the regulation of cryptocurrencies around the world and adds the United States to the surveyed jurisdictions. It focuses on two topics. First, the legal status of cryptocurrencies, meaning whether a country either explicitly or implicitly bans cryptocurrencies. Second, the table shows the regulatory framework surrounding cryptocurrencies, in particular the application of tax laws and anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism laws (AML/CFT laws) to cryptocurrencies. The accompanying two maps visually represent findings from the table on the legal status of cryptocurrencies and the regulatory framework surrounding cryptocurrencies.
It is worth noting that, since the publication of the 2018 report, the number of countries found to have issued cryptocurrency bans has increased significantly. While the 2018 report identified 8 jurisdictions with an absolute ban and 15 jurisdictions with an implicit ban, the November 2021 update identifies 9 jurisdictions with an absolute ban and 42 with an implicit ban. (Nov. 2021)