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Cándido García Molyneux

Of Counsel

Brussels +32 2 549 5261

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    Cándido García Molyneux provides clients with regulatory, policy and strategic advice on EU environmental and product safety legislation. He helps clients influence EU legislation and guidance and comply with requirements in an efficient manner, representing them before the EU Courts and institutions.

    Cándido co-chairs the firm’s Environmental Practice Group.

    Cándido has a deep knowledge of EU requirements on chemicals, circular economy and waste management, climate change, energy efficiency, renewable energies as well as their interrelationship with specific product categories and industries, such as electronics, cosmetics, healthcare products, and more general consumer products. He has worked on energy consumption and energy efficiency requirements of AI models under the EU AI Act.

    In addition, Cándido has particular expertise on EU institutional and trade law, and the import of food products into the EU. Cándido also regularly advises clients on Spanish food and drug law.

    Cándido is described by Chambers Europe as being "creative and frighteningly smart." His clients note that “he has a very measured, considered, deliberative manner,” and that “he has superb analytical and writing skills.”

    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters

    EU Chemicals Legislation

    • Successfully helped a large life sciences manufacturer to obtain an exemption for the continued use and marketing of a substance restricted under the EU Regulation on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
    • Represented a large manufacturer of medical devices in its application before the European Chemicals Agency and Commission for an authorization for the continued use and marketing of a substance under the REACH Regulation.
    • Provides regular advice to a major European association of manufacturers of chemicals on the discretion of the European Chemicals Agency and Commission when interpreting the REACH Regulation, Biocidal Products Regulation, and CLP Regulation.
    • Provides regulatory and policy advice to an EU association of medical devices on the classification of borates under the CLP Regulation and its impact under the restrictions of the REACH Regulation.
    • Successfully represented the European Chemicals Agency in more than fifteen cases before the General Court of the European Union.

    Circular Economy, Waste Management and Plastics

    • Provides regulatory and policy advice to a large manufacturer of plastics on the Single-Use Plastic Products Directive and other EU and Member State initiatives on plastics.

    • Filed complaints before the European Commission against Member States and regional restrictions on plastic packaging.
    • Advised large manufacturers of electronic equipment on EU and Member State requirements on the shipment of electronic waste.
    • Provides advice to large manufacturers of consumer goods on packaging marking schemes in Italy and other EU Member States.

    Climate Change and Clean Technologies

    • Provides regulatory and advocacy advice on the revision of the EU’s Emissions Trading System and the Member States Effort Sharing Decision to an environmental services company.
    • Provides regulatory and advocacy advice to a major European electricity company concerning the allocation of emission allowances under the Emissions Trading System Directive.
    • Provides advice to a large association of Ukrainian manufacturers on the EU’s upcoming carbon border adjustment mechanism.
    • Provides advice to a large Middle East company on the EU regulation of green hydrogen and upcoming legislative initiatives.
    • Provides advice to a large manufacturer of electronic products on carbon footprint schemes and methodologies in the EU and Member States.
    • Provides regulatory advice to a successful manufacturer of electronic vehicles on EU rules on vehicles and emissions pooling.

    Specialized Advice to Manufacturers of Electronic Products

    • Provides advice to large manufacturer of electronic consumer goods on EU product safety, notification and recall requirements in the EU Member States and numerous jurisdictions around the world.
    • Provides regulatory and strategic advice manufacturers of medical devices on requirements imposed by EU waste-take back legislation (e.g., Batteries, WEEE, RoHS, Packaging) and their national implementing laws.
    • Drafting submissions to the European Commission requesting and commenting upon exemptions from the restrictions of the RoHS Directive on behalf of aerospace and information technology manufacturers.
    • Provides regular advice to a large manufacturer of IT equipment on EU eco-design and energy efficiency requirements.

    EU Trade Law

    • Successfully helped a large non-EU manufacturer of poultry products gain and maintain additional access to the EU market by providing regulatory and key strategic and policy advice.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Credentials
    Education
    • European University Institute, Ph.D., 1999
    • Georgetown University Law Center, LL.M., 1994
        • cum distintium
    • Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, 1993
        • ten honors
    Bar Admissions
    • Madrid
    • Brussels
    Languages
    • French
    • Italian
    • Spanish
    • English
    Accolades
    • Legal 500 EMEA, EU Regulatory, Chemicals (REACH) (2010-2020; 2023-2024)
    • Chambers Europe, Environment (2017-2025)
    Previous Experience
    • Vesallious College UVB, External Professor of EU Environmental Law (2017)
    • College of Europe, Natolin, External Professor of EU Environmental Law and Policy (2001-2016)
    • Law Department of the European University Institute, Italy, Research Fellow (1997-2000)
    • New York University, Florence Campus, External Professor on EU Law (2000)
    • Commission Directorate General for Trade, Trainee (1997)

    Areas of Expertise

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