2026 marks the year of implementation and strategic recalibration for many of the regulatory projects initiated under the previous Commission. Key regulations shift from concept to enforcement and transition to practical compliance obligations for the consumer goods and retail industry: Under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, sustainability and transparency requirements will become binding, and the Empowering Consumers Directive imposes stricter standards on packaging design and environmental claims.

Navigating expanding regulatory frontiers

The deal-making landscape is changing fast and not in ways that make life easier for businesses and their advisors. In merger control, regulators are actively exploring ways to move beyond the traditional revenue thresholds that have long defined their jurisdiction. Across Europe, the concept of call-in regimes and post-closing reviews is gaining traction. This means that even transactions involving targets without significant market presence could, in future, be drawn into review where strategic concerns arise.

In January of this year, the European Commission implemented economic measures after an anti-dumping investigation against fused alumina imported from China through the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/114. This specific anti-dumping procedure includes for the first-time considerations regarding economic security in the anti-dumping investigation and ended up combining anti-dumping duties with tariff rate quotas to balance the diverging interests of producers and users of fused alumina.

On 3 December 2025, the European Commission adopted the RESourceEU Action Plan (COM(2025) 945), a policy package intended accelerate the EU’s Critical Raw Materials (CRM) strategy under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), in response to growing geopolitical and market risks. The Action Plan marks a shift from medium-term framework objectives to the rapid delivery of operational measures, with particular focus on rare earth permanent magnets, battery raw materials and defence-related raw materials.

Several of the measures announced fall squarely within BLOMSTEIN’s areas of expertise, particularly those addressing economic security, supply chain resilience and the use of trade and funding instruments to counter non-market practices.

On 9 January 2026, the European Commission (EC) published Guidelines on the Foreign Subsidies Regulation. The Guidelines provide additional clarity surrounding the application of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), particularly with regard to (i) the assessment of distortion, (ii) the balancing test, and (iii) the EC’s powers to “call in” (i.e., request prior notification of) below-threshold M&A transactions or bids in public procurement procedures. This briefing aims to illuminate the new standards introduced by the Guidelines in order to help navigate the still nebulous regulatory landscape under the FSR.

BLOMSTEIN starts the New Year with three celebrations: Elisa Theresa Hauch is promoted to the Antitrust Partnership; Konstantin Kuhle, former Member of the German Bundestag, joins as Special Counsel, and Bruno Galvão is appointed Counsel.

Die Bundesregierung hat am 5. Dezember 2025 ein Gesetz zur Umsetzung der NIS-2-Richtlinie (EU) 2022/2555 verabschiedet. Das Gesetz ist unmittelbar in Kraft getreten und sieht keine Umsetzungsfrist vor. Mit dem „Gesetz zur Umsetzung der NIS-2-Richtlinie und zur Regelung wesentlicher Grundzüge des Informationssicherheitsmanagements in der Bundesverwaltung“ setzt die Bundesregierung vorläufig einen Schlussstrich unter einen langwierigen Prozess zur grundlegenden Überarbeitung des deutschen Cybersicherheitsrechts (zu dem holprig verlaufenen Prozess, siehe unsere Briefings vom 7. Februar 2025 und 1. August 2025). Unternehmen, die in bestimmten Sektoren tätig sind und dabei gesetzlich festgelegte Schwellenwerte mit Blick auf Mitarbeiter, Umsatz und Bilanz überschreiten, fallen künftig unter die neuen Kategorien „wichtige Einrichtungen“ und „besonders wichtige Einrichtungen“. Dazu zählen unter anderem Betreiber kritischer Infrastrukturen, digitale Dienste sowie Hersteller kritischer Produkte. Eine detaillierte Auflistung findet sich in § 28 BSI-Gesetz (BSIG).

On Wednesday, 3 December 2025, the responsible EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, together with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, presented the Joint Communication on Strengthening Economic Security to the public (JOIN(2025) 977 final). Originally referred to as a “doctrine,” the communication is intended to consolidate previous efforts to promote economic security and, according to Šefčovič, shift them “into a higher gear.” The Communication now outlines various more substantial measures.

Mit Verordnung (EU) 2025/2033 vom 23. Oktober 2025 wurden im Zuge des 19. Sanktionspakets die bestehenden Wirtschaftssanktionen gegen Russland erneut verschärft (Überblick). Dazu zählte auch die Einführung eines neuen Verbots, Dienstleistungen im direkten Zusammenhang mit touristischen Aktivitäten in Russland zu erbringen. Die Vorschrift des neugefassten Art. 5n Abs. 2 und die zugehörige Begriffsbestimmung in Art. 1 Buchst. zj der geänderten Verordnung (EU) Nr. 833/2014 werfen jedoch einige Fragen auf, die die Reisebranche vor erhebliche Umsetzungsschwierigkeiten stellt.

The recent “Nexperia crisis” sparked an initiative by the German Automotive Industry Association (VDA) which created a platform enabling carmakers and suppliers to offer and request leftover semiconductor stock. The platform is supposed to mitigate acute chip shortages (notably involving components from Nexperia), which threatens vehicle production in Germany, by effectively connecting players across the industry and efficiently matching supply and demand. The Federal Cartel Office (FCO) gave his blessing with President Andreas Mundt stating that the information exchange implied could improve the allocation of scarce chips and help delay production cuts, ultimately benefiting both the industry and consumers. The VDA semiconductor platform follows a pattern of industry-led digital trading platforms that have sought and received antitrust approval in Germany. This case is interesting as the FCO continues to show its openness for innovative platforms that improve market efficiency, provided certain reliable safeguards are built-in to prevent anti-competitive information exchanges.