Blog

With two new legal acts, the European Commission laid the groundwork on 13 July 2026 for the practical implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Shortly before the Regulation comes into force at the end of 2026, a number of key products will be removed from its scope.

On 3 August 2026, the European Commission published a revised version of its FAQs on the EU Packaging Regulation.

Since 1 July 2026, significantly stricter rules have applied to steel imports into the EU: The tariff rate outside the quota will double from 25 % to 50 %, tariff quotas will be halved, and from October onwards, importers will have to provide evidence of where their steel was smelted and cast.

The Federal Court of Justice has clarified that, when drawing up a balance sheet for over-indebtedness, one must not rely on a flat-rate estimate of insolvency proceeds; rather, the proceeds that could be realised through a planned, non-insolvency-related realisation process are the decisive factor.

On 12 August 2026, the new Packaging Law Implementation Act will come into force at the same time as the EU Packaging Regulation. It will completely replace the existing Packaging Act and is intended to ensure the application of the PPWR in Germany.

The Federal Labour Office is sending an important message to employers: not every error in the notice of collective redundancy automatically renders the redundancies invalid.

The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has, for the first time, issued a ruling on key provisions of the Corporate Stabilisation and Restructuring Act (StaRUG), which has been in force since 2021.

A car dealership sells a second-hand car that has previously been written off – and hides the truth behind a blanket clause in the invoice. Anyone who fails to provide consumers with specific information about previous damage risks having the sales contract rescinded.

In its judgement of 24 March 2026, the Federal Fiscal Court expressly revised its previous case law on the tax treatment of interest-free seller’s loans held as part of private assets.

In Germany, the EmpCo Directive has been transposed by the Third Act Amending the Act against Unfair Competition (UWG), which comes into force on 27 September 2026. From that date, the stricter requirements for environmental advertising claims will apply.

On 23 July 2026, the EU adopted its 21st package of sanctions against Russia. With 216 new individual listings, this represents the largest number of new listings in the past four years.

On 12 June 2026, the Council of the EU adopted its position on the extension of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

A shift in security policy is taking place in Europe, leading to significant rearmament efforts both at Member State level and at European Union level.

A hidden shard of broken glass causes trouble rather than a caffeine buzz – yet the Frankenthal (Pfalz) Regional Court remains level-headed. What business owners really need to check – and where liability ends.

The scope of protection of a registered EU design may be extremely limited if the visual features of the protected product are largely dictated by its technical function. In a preliminary ruling on this matter, the Higher Regional Court of Nuremberg provides several practical indicators...

In a recent ruling on a reference for a preliminary ruling concerning the Portuguese football league, the ECJ has now, for the first time, set out fundamental guidelines for the assessment under competition law of non-solicitation agreements.

At the end of 2025, the legislature fundamentally reformed the Carbon Dioxide Storage Act and developed it into the Act on the Permanent Storage and Transport of Carbon Dioxide.

In practice, when shares in owner-managed limited liability companies (GmbHs) are sold, it is common for payments to be agreed in return for the selling shareholder continuing to act as managing director. This can make good business sense...

Within the space of a few weeks, two of the world’s leading AI companies have unveiled models specifically designed for use in cyber security: Anthropic, with its Claude Mythos Preview as part of Project Glasswing, and OpenAI, with GPT-5.5-Cyber.

With the entry into force of the Public Procurement Acceleration Act on 1 July 2026, competition law relating to public procurement has finally been amended again for the first time in around 10 years, following the Public Procurement Modernisation Act 2016.

The world’s largest arbitral institution, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), has revised its Rules of Arbitration with effect from 1 June 2026.

In 2025 and 2026, the Federal Court of Justice and several Higher Regional Courts ruled on the limits of permissible gratuities and promotional gifts in the pharmaceutical sector. Three issues were central to these ruling.

On 15 June 2026, new sanctions against Russia were published, apparently as an anticipated part of the 21st sanctions package, and existing EU Regulations were amended accordingly.

Berlin has had a new qualified rent index since 28 May 2026. It significantly alters the legal and economic scope for rent increases and new tenancies

With the REACH restriction on intentionally added synthetic polymer microparticles (SPM), a new regulatory instrument has been in force since October 2023 that extends far beyond a mere prohibition on placing on the market.

The draft bill on the GModG provides for far-reaching changes to the property sector. Here is an overview of the key changes affecting existing and new-build properties.

The Federal Court of Justice has clarified the scope of the reversal of the burden of proof in a manner that is clearly favourable to consumers.

The EU Forced Labour Regulation is increasingly moving towards the practical implementation phase: the new Implementing Regulation clarifies technical and administrative questions.

In the early hours of 20 May 2026, representatives of the European Parliament and EU Member States reached agreement in Strasbourg on the implementation of the trade deal with the United States.

Die neue gesetzliche Regelung zum „Failure to Prevent Fraud“ im Vereinigten Königreich sorgt derzeit für viel Aufmerksamkeit. Sie geht auf den Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 zurück und trat am 1. September 2025 in Kraft.