Chapter News, News

European Parliament | Protecting EU Strategic Sectors from Risky Foreign Investments

Screening of investments to be mandatory for all member states in sensitive sectors such as defence, financial services and semiconductors New regulation is crucial to the EU's economic security Improved cooperation mechanism among Member States and harmonisation of procedures European Commission to set conditions on foreign investments On Tuesday, Parliament approved new EU rules for the screening of foreign investments to prevent security risks. With 508 votes in favour, 64 against and 90 abstentions, MEPs gave their green light to...

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Chapter News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

World Bank | Fertilizer Prices Surge as Strait of Hormuz Disruptions Tighten Supplies

This blog post is part of a special series based on the April 2026 Commodity Markets Outlook, a flagship report published by the World Bank Group. This series features concise summaries of commodity-specific sections extracted from the report. The World Bank Group’s fertilizer price index rose more than 12 percent in 2026Q1 (q/q), marking its sixth increase in seven quarters. By April 2026, the index had reached its highest level since October 2022, driven mainly by export disruptions related to the closure...

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Member News, News

Troutman Pepper Locke | Policymakers Consider Temporary Pause on AI Data Center Construction: What Stakeholders Need to Know

Data center developers and hyperscalers are racing to build artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and data centers across the United States. In response, federal and state policymakers have introduced legislative measures targeting rising electricity costs, grid strain, environmental impacts, and AI-driven job losses. The most aggressive of these is a moratorium on data center construction. On March 25, 2026, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act. The act would impose a nationwide halt on constructing or...

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Chapter News, News

European Commission | Report Shows Schengen Area Continues to be Resilient and Ready for Future Challenges

The Commission published its fifth State of the Schengen report, reviewing developments in the Schengen area over the past year and setting priorities for the year ahead. The Schengen area continues to demonstrate resilience, underpinned by collective efforts at both EU and national level. The Schengen area is one of the European Union's most tangible and valued achievements, enabling a more than 450 million EU citizens to travel, work, study and live freely across borders while supporting trade, tourism and freedom of...

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Member News, News

Offit Kurman | Pre‑Launch Trademark Risk: What In‑House Counsel Should Address Before Product Launch

Most trademark problems do not begin with a refusal from the USPTO or a cease-and-desist letter from a competitor. They begin much earlier during product development and brand naming, often before legal is meaningfully involved. For in-house counsel, pre-launch trademark risk is less about technical doctrine and more about process. Decisions made under time constraints, reliance on incomplete clearance signals, selection of legally weak brands, and launching without a filing strategy all narrow options later and increase the cost of correction. The companies that encounter the most difficult trademark...

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Member News, News

RSM | Cybersecurity Challenges for Financial Services Organizations

Key takeaways Data is increasingly shared across vendors and cloud environments, expanding the attack surface. Organizations should embed cybersecurity resilience into their enterprise risk management framework. Improving third-party risk oversight and building a culture of shared accountability can help.   Financial services organizations continue to be among the industries most targeted for cyberattacks. Banks, lenders, investment firms and payment processors sit at the intersection of sensitive data, global money movement and critical infrastructure, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals, hacktivists and...

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Chapter News, News

ECB | How Cross-Border Flows via Non-bank Financial Institutions Constrain Financing for Euro Area Firms

Blog | Non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) are on the rise. This blog shows how shifts in their borrowing and investment portfolios constrain financing for euro area firms and affect the transmission of monetary policy. Two trends have diverted financing away from euro area firms in recent years. First, euro area NBFIs have shifted their portfolios towards foreign assets – particularly US equities. Second, banks have channelled more lending to NBFIs outside the euro area. Together, these cross-border flows via NBFIs...

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Member News, News

Anchin | Goals, Glory, and Taxes: Foreign Athletes Face U.S. Tax Implications for World Cup 2026

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, taking place this summer across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will capture global attention with its exciting matches, heated rivalries, and memorable moments. However, the tournament also brings challenges off the field that players have to navigate. While athletes focus on the games at hand, they also work with their advisors to address a complex web of international tax obligations—particularly nonresident players who have the potential to earn income from participation bonuses and other...

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Member News, News

Arendt | ESMA Publishes Results of Common Supervisory Action on MiFID II Sustainability Aspects

On 6 May 2026, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published a Public Statement presenting the results of its Common Supervisory Action (CSA) on the integration of sustainability into firms' suitability assessments and product governance processes and procedures under MiFID II. Background In October 2023, ESMA launched the CSA with national competent authorities (NCAs) to assess the progress made by investment firms and credit institutions in applying the key sustainability requirements introduced under the MiFID II Delegated Acts (CDR (EU) 2021/1253 and...

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Member News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

Troutman Pepper Locke | Phase One IEEPA Tariff Refunds Are Hitting Bank Accounts: What Importers Should Do Now and Implications for the Secondary Market in Refund Rights

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s invalidation of the Trump administration’s tariff program under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has moved quickly to operationalize what may become one of the largest tariff refund processes in recent history. On April 20, 2026, CBP launched new functionality in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Portal, through the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) framework, to support the submission and administration of valid IEEPA tariff refund claims. In CSMS #68536553, CBP also...

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