In der unternehmensinterne Compliance wird Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) zunehmend eingesetzt. Besonders in der Exportkontrolle und im Zollrecht lassen sich durch KI signifikante Zeit- und Effizienzgewinne erzielen, etwa bei der automatisierten Zuordnung von Produkten zu Zolltarifnummern, dem Abgleich von Kunden mit Sanktionslisten oder der Identifizierung relevanter Regelwerke. Eine besonders sorgfältige, rechtlich einwandfreie Vorgehensweise ist unerlässlich. In diesem Briefing erläutern wir, wie KI auch in reaktiven Compliance-Prozessen der Exportkontrolle und des Zollrechts Chancen bietet. Die rechtlichen Herausforderungen, die dabei berücksichtigt werden müssen, haben wir bereits in unserem Briefing „KI in internen Untersuchungen“ aufgezeigt.

“We are no longer at peace – we are under daily attack.” – Lieutenant General André Bodemann

Germany is increasingly the target of low-threshold (hybrid) attacks. These range from disinformation and espionage to sabotage. Critical infrastructure is frequently affected – such as energy and water supply, transportation, and information and communication technology. As a result, the resilience of companies, particularly those operating critical infrastructure, is coming into sharper focus in legal regulations. This is reason enough to examine to what extent businesses in Germany are currently and will in the future be held responsible for protecting themselves against such attacks and responding appropriately.

At the Competition and Public Procurement Dialogue hosted by the Berlin Chamber of Architects, the final report of the joint procurement monitoring project was presented. BLOMSTEIN has been working alongside the Berlin Chamber of Architects for many years to advocate for a more competition-friendly approach to the procurement of architectural and planning services in Berlin.

Auf grundlegende technologische Innovationen folgen oft spezialisierte Anwendungen – so seit einigen Jahren auch im Bereich der künstlichen Intelligenz (KI). KI gewinnt auch für interne Untersuchungen zunehmend an Bedeutung. Unternehmen stehen unter wachsendem regulatorischem, gesellschaftlichem und wirtschaftlichem Druck, Compliance-Verstöße frühzeitig zu erkennen und angemessen zu adressieren. Gleichzeitig explodieren die unternehmensintern erzeugten Datenmengen, die mit herkömmlichen Mitteln kaum noch zu durchdringen sind. KI-Systeme versprechen hier eine große Hilfestellung: Sie können riesige Datensätze analysieren und Muster erkennen, die Menschen übersehen würden. Zudem bieten sie neue Möglichkeiten der Automatisierung, Skalierung und Effizienzsteigerung.

We continue to grow and strengthen our team with outstanding talent. As of July 1, 2025, Christopher Wolters and Leonard Freiherr von Rummel will become partners; Ramona Ader, Laura Louca and Philipp Trube will join the counsel ranks. With these promotions, we foster continuous, organic growth and strong individual development opportunities for all career levels across all practice groups.

Amid escalating global trade tensions, the European Union (EU) faces significant challenges as U.S. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs impacting EU exports and sending shockwaves to the capital markets. A 20% tariff on all EU imports starting April 5, 2025 were introduced. These measures are claimed to reduce the U.S. trade deficit and bolster domestic manufacturing. As an affected company, you can check this list of exempted products not subject to the 20% additional tariffs. However, please be aware that some of these products are subject to their own tariffs, such as the 25% tariff on imported automobiles and automobile parts.

As part of the Omnibus package (see our briefing here), the EU Commission suggested simplifications and improvements to the CBAM Regulation. The proposal aims to simplify and enhance the cost-efficiency of the CBAM Regulation while ensuring that its environmental objectives and core design principles remain intact. Key measures focus on easing compliance for importers by streamlining reporting requirements, particularly those involving complex calculations and extensive data collection.

Before the EU proposals become legally binding, they must go through the ordinary legislative procedure at the European level. Until this is achieved, every importer of CBAM goods should register as an authorized CBAM declarant in the CBAM registry, which is possible since 31 March 2025. We outline the details.

Two months after the European Commission published its Competitiveness Compass, we take a deeper look into its strategic vision to enhance the EU’s economic resilience and global competitiveness (following up on our first overview), namely the competi-tion law aspects. The Commission is rather clear that it seeks to establish Europe’s competitiveness as the new “North Star”. However, what is not so clear: Through which paths will the Commission lead us on our journey to this North Star?

The increased political focus on climate and environmental protection has a particular impact on trade with chemicals. In an amendment to the REACH Regulation at the end of 2024, the European Commission banned the use of certain chemicals due to the risk of contamination. In this part of our ESG Briefing series, we provide an overview of the key provisions of the REACH Regulation and its latest amendments.

The European defence industry is undergoing profound strategic transformation. Just last week, the Commission has published its White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030, attesting “changes of a magnitude not seen since 1945” and boldly stating: “History will not forgive us for inaction.” This shift has also been felt in competition law. Recent policy discussions suggest that the traditional approach to competition enforcement — focusing primarily on market dynamics and consumer welfare — may evolve to incorporate additional considerations, in particular defence interests.