After the Oscar-worthy performance in its opening act, the DMA series is back with a brand-new season, packed with twists, turns, and regulatory cliffhangers. On March 19, 2025, the European Commission stepped into the spotlight with two decisive moves: First, it handed Apple a script rewrite, demanding new specified measures to meet interoperability obligations under the DMA. Second, it preliminarily found Alphabet in breach of the DMA by self-preferencing in Google Search and enforcing restrictive steering rules in Google Play.

In view of the increasingly acute threat situation, driven in particular by growing doubts about the US' loyalty to NATO and the resulting restriction of the conventional and nuclear deterrence, the question arises: How well prepared is Germany for a further escalation of conflicts, especially that with Russia? Should asymmetric warfare - including against Germany - have even more far-reaching consequences, what legal instruments are available to the state in order to remain capable of acting in an external or internal emergency (innerer oder äußerer Notstand)? This briefing sheds light on the security and precautionary laws (Sicherstellungs- und Vorsorgegesetze), which have been rather neglected to date, and which (should) provide the necessary instruments for such situations.

In times of escalating trade wars (see our latest briefing on the EU’s response to the U.S.’ steel and aluminum tariffs), businesses face significant challenges due to increased tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical uncertainties. To navigate these complexities, we have put together 8 strategies business can apply while highlighting potential risks.

Already the first Trump administration has restricted international trade by imposing tariffs of up to 25% on imports of steel and aluminium from the European Union (EU), provoking countermeasures by the EU. In 2021, these measures ceased to apply after the EU and United States (US) reached a corresponding agreement. On 12 March 2025, the US revived the tariffs. Again, the action has prompted the EU to implement countermeasures.

On 27 November 2024, Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 (Forced Labour Regulation) was published, aimed at eradicating products made with forced labour from the EU market. The Forced Labour Regulation represents a significant step in the EU's commitment to upholding human rights and promoting ethical supply chains.

BLOMSTEIN, together with lindenpartners, supported DiliTrust, a leading CLM provider in Europe, on its acquisition of the legal tech startup PACTA. The BLOMSTEIN team, led by Roland Stein and Anna Huttenlauch, advised on investment control and merger control aspects of this transaction.

With trade war between China and the US on the doorsteps, implications for EU companies will be manyfold. One possible consequence could be heavily subsidised Chinese products flooding the EU market. Particularly for medical devices, there is an increased probability that this might happen. However, such a development would not meat European companies defenceless.

Trump is back and so are his tariffs (see our previous briefing on his return to office). As the EU has once again entered his crosshairs, the trading bloc is gearing up to defend its economy. For instance, President Trump has announced 25 % tariffs on steel and aluminium imports (set to kick in early March) as well as “reciprocal” tariffs, likely implying tariff hikes to match trading partners’ tariff rates for US goods. Meanwhile, domestic EU industries are already under considerable pressure, notably due to Chinese imports such as electric vehicles (EVs).

On the third anniversary of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU has once again tightened its sanctions regime against Russia and Belarus. The most important amendments concern Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 (the Russia Regulation) and Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 (the Belarus Regulation). The respective amending Regulation (EU) 2025/395 and Regulation (EU) 2025/392 introduce additional and largely parallel restrictions on Russia and Belarus. While the extension of sanctions against the Russian “shadow fleet” or the import ban on Russian aluminium was already reported in the press, the sanctions package includes additional measures that deserve closer attention. We detail the most important aspects of these changes below.

Up until this point, there has been a strong emphasis on collaboration and unison for the EU and U.S. sanctions issued to address Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine. Now, while U.S. sanctions will not disappear overnight, there appears to be some increasing daylight in the approaches taken by the U.S. versus the EU, chiefly due to the new Trump administration’s dramatic shift in foreign policy and diplomacy. We provide highlights of the changed dynamics and potential trajectory for U.S. sanctions with respect to Russia below.

 On 26 February 2025, the European Commission presented its long-awaited Omnibus package, purportedly aimed at simplifying a range of EU regulations, with a particular focus on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The revisions respond to mounting pressure from businesses and governments, who argue that the current regulatory framework is overly complex and imposes excessive administrative burdens to ensure compliance.