Die Investitionskontrolle wird seit Jahren ausgeweitet. Im Zentrum der Wahrnehmung standen dabei meist das Ergebnis der verwaltungsrechtlichen Prüfung durch das Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE) – Untersagung, Erlass von Anordnungen oder Freigabe. Weniger im Blick war bislang, dass Verstöße gegen die Stillhaltepflichten während des Prüfverfahrens nicht nur zivilrechtliche, sondern auch strafrechtliche Folgen haben können.

The European gaming industry, like many digital sectors, is currently facing a perfect storm arising from an arguably incomprehensible – some might even say incoherent – patchwork of EU regulatory requirements. Driven by the European Commission’s (Commission) ambition to establish digital sovereignty, the regulatory net has tightened, moving from general data protection (GDPR) to specific technical and behavioural obligations for companies. The following briefing breaks down the key legislation on consumer protection as well as its implications on the European gaming industry.

The steel safeguards are dead, but steel protection lives on. On 30 June 2026, the safeguard measures that have protected European and British steel industries for eight years reach their legal limit. Both jurisdictions unveiled new instruments designed to tackle global steel overcapacity while sidestepping the constraints that apply to safeguards. Similar objective, different architecture. This briefing examines how the EU and UK have reinvented steel protection as from 1 July and what their new approaches reveal about the evolution of trade defence policy.

The recent surge in gaming M&A activity (see Drake Star Report, available here) has been matched by a sharp increase in regulatory complexity and unpredictability. No deal illustrates this better than the proposed USD 55 billion buyout of Electronic Arts by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund; a transaction simultaneously navigating merger control, screening by the US Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and FDI scrutiny. This convergence of three distinct regulatory regimes on a single transaction is no anomaly: It reflects a structural shift in how gaming deals are regulated. Companies pursuing transactions in this environment must navigate an increasingly dense web of regulatory hurdles, including merger control, FDI and potentially even the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), depending on the scale of the transaction and whether or not it involves state-backed parties. As authorities tighten their scrutiny, successful deal planning hinges on aligning transaction strategy with the current regulatory landscape.

Mit der Ende 2024 beschlossenen Verordnung (EU) 2024/2847, auch Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), legt die Europäische Union weitere verbindliche Standards für die Cybersicherheit fest. Während es bei der Umsetzung der NIS-2-Richtlinie vor allem die Cybersicherheit von Unternehmen und kritischen Infrastrukturen adressiert, steht beim CRA die Produktsicherheit im Fokus.

Summer is finally here. Sunlight is breaking through, sidewalk cafés are filling up, and the city is buzzing with energy. As we dust off our favourite pair of shades, we also look back at an incredibly inspiring week: Berlin just hosted the Games Industry Law Summit, bringing together the brightest minds in the sector. The atmosphere at the event made one thing clear: Games do more than entertain. They tell stories, spark imagination, and connect people across borders. However, as the fruitful discussions in Berlin highlighted, it is not all fun and games. They are also increasingly at the centre of regulatory scrutiny that directly affects growth, monetization, distribution and deal strategy.

This briefing provides an overview on the European Commission’s latest move to impose higher provisional anti-dumping duties by setting aside the lesser duty rule. Its approach goes further than the usual practice, looking beyond direct inputs to capture raw material distortions deeper in the supply chain. This includes upstream inputs, in other words, raw materials of the raw materials, where they significantly affect costs.

Die EU könnte die Regeln für den Export von Dual-Use-Gütern in den kommenden Jahren deutlich verschärfen. Darauf deutet zumindest eine aktuelle Studie hin, die am 18. März 2026 im Rahmen einer regulären Sitzung des Ausschusses für internationalen Handel (INTA) des Europäischen Parlaments vorgestellt und diskutiert wurde.

The Commission published its long-awaited simplification review package yesterday (4 May 2026). The headline: the EUDR legal text is not being reopened, and there are new FAQ and Guidance in town. What is changing is Annex I (the list of in-scope products) and the supporting documents. There is a public consultation on the draft Delegated Act revising Annex I running until 1 June 2026. Here is what you need to know.

Viele Unternehmen sehen sich zunehmend mit Anforderungen des Geheimschutzes konfrontiert – etwa als Bieter bei öffentlichen Aufträgen im Verteidigungs- und Sicherheitsbereich oder als Zulieferer für Kritische Infrastrukturen. Die veränderte Sicherheitslage in Deutschland und Europa führt zu neuen Compliance‑Pflichten für die Privatwirtschaft. Dieses Briefing richtet sich sowohl an Unternehmen, die erstmals mit geheimhaltungsbedürftigen Informationen arbeiten, als auch an Unternehmen, die schon heute über entsprechende Erfahrungen verfügen.