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.

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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.

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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.

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Our legal experts have contributed to the Dutch Law & Practice and Trends & Developments sections in the Chambers Acquisition Finance 2025 Guide.

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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.

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Two years ago, the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) entered into force. This EU Regulation that aims to ensure that companies active on the internal market do not gain a competitive advantage through subsidies granted outside the EU.

This yearly review analyses the outcomes of two years of FSR enforcement by the European Commission (Commission). We delve into the key investigations, regulatory developments and the main takeaways of the last two years. We examine the unexpectedly high volume of notifications, the anticipated rise in investigations that will be started on the Commission’s own initiative, the Commission’s willingness to separate EU and non-EU activities, and the main criticisms of the FSR.

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Investment in the defence, security and resilience sector is booming. Last year, investment reached US$5.2 billion in Europe (up 30% in two years), with European defence VC investment into the sector accounting for 10% of all VC funding across Europe. Whilst Europe has historically lagged behind the US in terms of investment into the defence sector, Europe is now catching up – in part due to the significant increase in public funding which has been announced since the Munich Defence Conference in February 2025.

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Carve-outs – meaning the spin-off and possible sale of a part of a company – are becoming increasingly important in the aerospace and defence (A&D) sector. Established aerospace and defence companies are faced with the question of how they can optimise their portfolio and focus on core areas. Investors (such as private equity firms or industrial groups) are also increasingly interested in spun-off divisions from corporate groups. In our three-part specialist article, we highlight the typical legal and practical challenges that arise in carve-out transactions in the A&D sector. The focus is on regulatory hurdles and strategic success factors that are decisive for the successful preparation and implementation of such transactions.

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