28
Aug
EACC & Member News
25
Aug
AKD publishes a monthly newsletter to inform you of the most important recent developments in competition law and adjacent regulation (such as FDI) at EU level and in the Benelux. This month featuring the spot trading cartel, the cigarette cartel and competition law and arbitration and more. This newsletter brings you entirely up-to-date!
19
Aug
From 2 August 2026 the EU AI Act will be fully applicable. Parts of the AI Act already entered into force on 2 February 2025, and as from 2 August 2025, various other provisions became applicable, including rules for general-purpose AI models (GPAI models) and penalties for violations of the AI Act. The other provisions that entered into force relate to notified bodies (Chapter III, Section 4), governance (Chapter VII), and confidentiality (Article 78). In this News Update, we will look in more detail at the obligations for providers of GPAI models and the penalties for violations.
14
Aug
The EU Deforestation Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (hereinafter: “EUDR”) creates a uniform legal framework to prevent the placing on the market of commodities and products associated with forest degradation. It applies to operators and traders who import, export or make available certain relevant raw materials and products on the European Single Market. These products include all products that consist wholly or partly of the raw materials cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soy and wood. With the regulation, the EU obliges its member states and affected companies to ensure sustainability and forest protection along the supply chain. The aim is to minimize the EU’s contribution to global deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. The EUDR entered into force on 29.06.2023. From 30.12.2025, the regulation will apply to most market participants and traders. For micro and small businesses, the provisions will not take effect until six months later – on 30.06.2026. Companies that import, trade in or export affected goods must adapt their processes and documentation to the new requirements.
08
Aug
The Directive on equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women (“Pay Transparency Directive“), adopted in 2023, aims to narrow the pay gap between men and women by promoting more pay transparency. The Directive must be transposed into Dutch legislation by 7 June 2026. The purpose of the measures is to counter pay differences and improve employees’ access to information. However, this does not mean that employees will ‘gain’ the right to equal pay on 1 January 2026 – this right has been legally enshrined for decades. Two recent judgments of the Gelderland District Court and the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights reaffirm the importance of equal pay.
07
Aug
On 25 June 2025, the European Commission published its Proposal for a Regulation on the safety, resilience and sustainability of space activities in the Union. Informally known as the EU Space Act, it introduces the first harmonised legal framework for space activities across the EU. Aiming to strengthen the internal market and reinforce strategic autonomy, the Proposal also addresses cybersecurity and environmental risks. While the Regulation is expected to apply from 1 January 2030, businesses should already assess its potential impact on operations, compliance strategies, and long-term planning.
07
Aug
The Cyber Resilience Act (“CRA”) regulates the cybersecurity of products with digital elements by imposing cybersecurity requirements on the design, development, and production of these products. It also imposes cybersecurity obligations on market operators in relation to these products. Products with digital elements include smart doorbells and refrigerators, routers, security cameras, fitness trackers, connected printers, connected vehicles, and other devices with a Wi-Fi or network connection. We previously wrote two blogs about cybersecurity requirements in general and specifically in relation to manufacturers. In this blog, we analyse the obligations for importers and distributors of products with digital elements.
29
Jul
The Delegated Regulation on EU taxonomy (C(2025) 4586 final) was adopted on July 4, 2025. It supplements the existing EU taxonomy framework and simplifies the application of the Regulation for companies and financial actors.
25
Jul
Our legal experts have contributed to the Dutch Law & Practice and Trends & Developments sections in the Chambers Acquisition Finance 2025 Guide.
22
Jul
This year again, three of AKD’s tax lawyers contributed to the publication “Outbound Acquisitions: Tax Planning for European Expansion in a Changing Landscape (2025)” published by the Practising Law Institute in New York, as part of The Corporate Tax Practice Series 2025.