BLOMSTEIN is delighted to welcome two highly experienced senior lawyers: Juliana Wimmer and Uğur Can Hekim will further enhance our international trade and regulatory practice and our advisory strength in complex international regulatory matters.

Amongst the pressing topics regarding the Defence Industry and the current challenges it faces is the question how competition policy can contribute to Europe’s security.

The EU is facing increasing pressure from global instability and a weakening rules-based order. The “Industrial Accelerator Act” (IAA), for which the Commission recently unveiled its proposal (the Proposal),  is designed to help navigate these challenges. The Proposal sets the target of raising the share of the manufacturing industry in the EU’s gross domestic product to at least 20 % by 2035. This aim shall be achieved mainly by two mechanisms: a framework for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) screening in certain sensitive sectors and “Buy European” requirements for public procurement procedures and subsidies on the other hand. While this briefing focuses on the FDI aspects of the Proposal, its “Buy European” elements are discussed separately.

BLOMSTEIN advised Dragsbæk A/S, a subsidiary of Orkla Food Ingredients and a Danish producer of hybrid dairy products and specialty fats, on merger control and foreign direct investment aspects in connection with its acquisition of Vortella Lebensmittelwerk W. Vortmeyer GmbH.

BLOMSTEIN hat für Fastned einen richtungsweisenden Erfolg im Streit um die Errichtung von elektrischer Schnellladeinfrastruktur an bewirtschafteten Autobahnraststätten in Deutschland erzielt. Das Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf hat heute entschieden, dass die im Jahr 2022 erfolgte milliardenschwere Erweiterung bestehender Konzessionen zur Errichtung von Schnellladeinfrastruktur zugunsten des Unternehmens Tank & Rast vergaberechtswidrig war.

Digital finance and mobile payments already account for a material chunk of retail financial transactions. Fintech adoption rates are rising in all major markets. With this comes a scramble for a share of the profits, market share and control of technological bottlenecks. In recent years, Big Tech has made steady inroads into financial services. Tech giants are using their ecosystems, technological advantages and access to large amounts of data to increase their foothold in the financial industry. Can the Digital Markets Act (DMA) shift the balance of power in this competition? All signs point to yes: The DMA creates unprecedented commercial opportunities, especially for digital and mobile payment providers and banks. These include access to data and interfaces such as NFC chips in mobile devices, safeguards ensuring non-discriminatory placement and other entry points into the ecosystems of digital gatekeepers. Some notable players are already gearing up to launch new products and reap the 'DMA dividend'. Our briefing explains which doors the DMA opens up for digital finance.

Die Verordnung (EU) 2024/573 (F-Gas-Verordnung) regelt den Einsatz fluorierter Treibhausgase in der Union. Erfasst sind neben den fluorierten Kohlenwasserstoffen auch teilfluorierte Kohlenwasserstoffe (HFKW). Die in 2024 novellierte Verordnung verschärft die administrativen Hürden für Unternehmen. Dieses Briefing ist der zweite Teil unserer Reihe zur F-Gas Verordnung, in welcher wir Sie über aktuelle Entwicklungen informieren (zum ersten Teil geht es hier). In diesem Briefing stehen die praktischen Anforderungen, insbesondere bei der Nutzung des F-Gas Portals, im Fokus.

Die Verordnung (EU) 2024/573 (F-Gas-Verordnung) regelt den Einsatz fluorierter Treibhausgase in der Union. Die Anforderungen erfassen Hersteller sowie industrielle Anwender in verschiedenen Sektoren. Die Vorgängerverordnung (Verordnung (EU) Nr. 517/2014) führte bereits ein Quotensystem ein, das die neue F-Gas-Verordnung fortführt. Darüber hinaus sind Berichtspflichten und Verbote für bestimmte Anwendungsfälle von F-Gas vorgesehen. In unserer zweiteiligen Briefing-Reihe informieren wir über aktuelle Entwicklungen. In diesem ersten Briefing verschaffen wir einen Überblick über die relevanten Mechanismen, die erfassten Stoffe und die möglichen Pflichten. Im zweiten Teil soll der Fokus dann auf die Herausforderungen aus Sicht der praktisch betroffenen Unternehmen gelegt werden.

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.