This briefing is the third in a series on the EU-Mercosur agreement, where BLOMSTEIN addresses key provisions with respect to Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, Public Procurement, Competition and Sustainability, and outlines implications and opportunities for businesses.

In this release, we focus on the Agreement’s core provisions related to Trade in Services, particularly the commitments framework, national treatment and limitations. In 2023, the EU exported €28.5 billion in services to Mercosur, while Mercosur’s service exports to the EU amounted to €13.1 billion. The Agreement is expected to significantly boost this bilateral exchange. For the EU in particular, the agreement presents expanded opportunities in strategic sectors such as business services, financial services, telecommunications, maritime transport, and postal and courier services.

Wir wachsen weiter und stärken unser Team durch herausragende Talente. Zum 1. Juli 2025 gibt es gleich fünf Beförderungen: Dr. Christopher Wolters und Dr. Leonard Freiherr von Rummel werden Partner; Ramona Ader, Dr. Laura Louca und Philipp Trube steigen in die Counsel-Riege auf. Mit diesen Ernennungen setzen wir auf kontinuierliches, organisches Wachstum und starke individuelle Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten für alle Karrierestufen und in allen Praxisgruppen.

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 competition 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 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.

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.

BLOMSTEIN hat gemeinsam mit lindenpartners den in Europa führenden CLM-Anbieter DiliTrust bei dessen Akquisition des Legal-Tech Start-ups PACTA unterstützt. Das BLOMSTEIN-Team um Roland Stein und Anna Huttenlauch hat bei dieser Transaktion zu investitions- und fusionskontrollrechtlichen Aspekten beraten.

Der sich abzeichnende Handelskrieg zwischen China und den USA wird auch Auswirkungen auf Unternehmen in der EU haben. Eine Folge könnte die Überschwemmung des europäischen Marktes mit stark subventionierten Produkten aus China sein – gerade im Bereich der Medizinprodukte ist dies nicht unwahrscheinlich. Einer solchen Entwicklung sind europäische Unternehmen jedoch nicht schutzlos ausgeliefert.

With the start of 2025, the European Union has entered a new phase of technology regulation. Over the recent past, AI competition policy has already undergone significant shifts, with increased scrutiny on Big Tech investments, ‘acqui-hires’ being treated as mergers, and growing concerns over algorithmic collusion. This is the scene that Teresa Ribera has stepped foot on as the EU's new competition chief. She has inherited a regulatory framework built on robust AI oversight from her predecessor Margrethe Vestager. However, given that her mandate is broader than just competition enforcement and now includes the ambitious goals of the European Green Deal, the crucial question is: How will Commissioner Ribera's blend of competition oversight and environmental vision shape Europe's AI industry?

Am 23. Februar 2025 stehen in Deutschland Neuwahlen an. Vor dem Hintergrund der multiplen internationalen Herausforderungen ist ein wesentliches Thema auch die nationale Sicherheit und Verteidigung. Dieses Briefing gibt einen Überblick über die Inhalte der Wahlprogramme der wichtigsten Parteien zu den Themen Bundeswehr, der Finanzierung derselben und zur Verteidigungsindustrie.

The European economy is under mounting pressure from China's rapid technological advances and industrial policy, trade uncertainties linked to the new Trump administration in the USA, and growing geopolitical instability, which impact the competitive landscape in several global markets and increase disruption risks in supply chains. In this challenging economic and political climate, enhancing the competitiveness of European businesses and reinforcing the resilience of the Single Market have become key political priorities, as outlined in the European Council's Budapest Declaration on the New European Competitiveness Deal.