On 19 February 2023, the African Union Heads of State adopted the Protocol on Investment to the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement ("AfCFTA").

The month of March marked a key deadline in the compulsory -- but gradual -- transition from the use of private to public security forces in Afghanistan.

The European Commission has issued its first-ever guidance document specifically addressing the VAT and customs status of privately owned pleasure boats and aircraft within the EU. This comprehensive guidance establishes a presumption of Union status for recreational craft, clarifies scenarios where temporary exits don't trigger loss of status, and outlines relief provisions for returned goods and temporary importation procedures for non-EU vessels.

The European Union's International Procurement Instrument has issued its first implementing measure, targeting Chinese medical device suppliers with total exclusion from EU public procurement contracts valued at €5 million or more. The Lyon Administrative Court's landmark ruling establishes that contracting authorities must conduct genuine diligence into bidders' commercial substance, even when registered in the EU, to determine their true origin and eligibility to participate in tenders.

The European Union's new foreign direct investment screening regulation introduces significant procedural improvements and standardised risk assessment criteria, while simultaneously expanding the scope of mandatory filings and eliminating preferential treatment for allied investors. Understanding how these changes will affect cross-border transactions and what steps dealmakers should take during the 18-month transition period is crucial for navigating the reformed regulatory landscape.

The EU Council has adopted its 20th package of restrictive measures against Russia, introducing sweeping changes that include the first-ever use of the EU's anti-circumvention mechanism against a third country...

The EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation introduces new regulatory scrutiny for non-EU companies investing in Europe, with particular implications for Middle Eastern state-linked entities and sovereign wealth funds. The first major FSR merger investigation involving UAE-based e& and PPF Telecom reveals how the Commission applies this regime to government-backed investors from the Gulf region.

The European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act proposes to reshape battery supply chains by conditioning access to EU public procurement and support schemes on strict origin requirements. As China controls over 80% of global battery manufacturing capacity, the legislation introduces escalating component-count thresholds that could fundamentally alter market access, financing structures, and supplier eligibility across the battery value chain.

Political momentum is growing to admit new members into the EU for the first time since 2013. Before a June 5 summit hosted in Tivat, Montenegro, a non-paper circulated by Germany and France endorsed...

The European Union has replaced its expiring steel safeguard measures with a permanent Steel Overcapacity Regulation, cutting duty-free steel imports by an average of 47% and raising the out-of-quota tariff from 25% to 50%. The new framework introduces a complex tariff-rate quota system distributed across 26 product categories, with country-specific allocations based on historical import shares and special treatment for FTA partners. A groundbreaking "melt and pour" traceability requirement will gradually s

The European Union has adopted its 20th sanctions package against Russia, marking the first-ever activation of the EU's anti-circumvention tool and introducing comprehensive measures across Russia's energy sector, military-industrial complex, and financial system. This unprecedented package includes 120 new asset-freeze and travel-ban listings, restrictions on LNG terminal services, shadow-fleet vessel designations, and enhanced legal protections for EU operators facing retaliatory proceedings.

The European Union has formally adopted sweeping reforms to its foreign investment screening framework, requiring all member states to maintain screening regimes and establishing a common minimum scope covering sensitive...

On June 8, 2026, a new EU regulation was adopted to replace the 2019 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Screening Regulation.