Europe archive - The Capitol Forum

Merger Monthly: An Emerging Whole-of-(State)-Government Approach to Competition Policy in California, New York; Outlook for Key Transactions Including Boston Scientific/Penumbra, Cintas/UniFirst and Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery

President Joe Biden early in his term signed executive order 14036 establishing a “whole-of- government” approach to promoting competition. Among other things, the order directed agencies with overlapping jurisdiction “to cooperate fully in the exercise of their oversight...

Aug 03, 2026 Read Now >

EU’s New Tech Enforcement Role: AI Safety Cop

The EU now has even more tools to regulate Big Tech—it gained new enforcement powers over artificial intelligence companies, including the most powerful generative AI tools yesterday, at a time when risks from large model providers are causing worldwide concern and technology...

Aug 03, 2026 Read Now >

EU to Investigate Chinese Glass Fibre Mesh Imports via Balkans and Moldova, Sources Say

The European Commission is set to open an anti-circumvention investigation into imports of Chinese open-mesh fabrics of glass fibres entering the EU via three Balkan countries and Moldova, according to people familiar with the matter. The material is used in a range of industries,...

Jul 30, 2026 Read Now >

UK Reviews Face Fresh Delays Amid Government Reshuffle, Stance Toward China-Linked Deals Uncertain

A new prime minister who has fostered business ties with China, a secretary of state who’s a well- known Sino skeptic and a government reorganization affecting national security reviews create uncertainty about how the British government will handle proposed acquisitions of UK assets by...

Jul 29, 2026 Read Now >

Google’s Damages Litigation Problem in Europe Is Getting Bigger Amid Digital Rule Fine, Swedish Ruling

Washington may be fixated on the EU’s mounting Google (GOOG) fines, but the company is separately facing many more billions of euros in damages from lawsuits across Europe, based on a nearly decade-old antitrust case targeting its search engine...

Jul 29, 2026 Read Now >

Tech/Media/Telecom Weekly: Commerce Committee to Mark Up Kids Online Safety Act; Public Interest Groups Prepare Suit Challenging Lifting of Broadcast Cap; European Grocery Chains Adopt Sovereign Payment System to Compete with Visa and Mastercard; Trump-aligned Lobbying Group Drops Micron; FCC Launches Enforcement Action Against Drone-maker with Chinese ties; California Audits Gig Economy Platforms

The TMT Weekly is a forward-looking tipsheet that covers tech policy across The Capitol Forum’s U.S. policy coverage universe, from Congress to the courts. If you have any feedback, feel free to email...

Jul 28, 2026 Read Now >

Kone/TK Elevator: Merger Sparks Concerns About Innovation

The proposed merger between Finland’s Kone (KNEBV) and Germany’s TK Elevator would significantly harm innovation and increase costs across the elevator industry, a sector player told The Capitol...

Jul 28, 2026 Read Now >

The European Antitrust Agenda: EU Court Strengthens Commission’s Approach in Goldwind Case; EU Google Search Sanction Dodges Big AI Questions

Welcome to The European Antitrust Agenda, our weekly overview of European tech and competition law developments. Key stories we’re following this week include: • Information requests can keep coming as EU court dismisses Goldwind’s ask • Google critics hoping EU would offer...

Jul 28, 2026 Read Now >

EU Machinery Industry Warns of Chinese Rivals Offering Products 43% Cheaper

A leading European industrial association of mechanical engineering firms is sounding the alarm over Chinese competitors, telling The Capitol Forum they undercut EU producers by offering products at unsustainably low...

Jul 27, 2026 Read Now >

EU Weighs Delaying Chemical Probes Over China Talks, Trading Partner Backlash Concerns, Sources Say

The European Commission is considering delaying two investigations into global chemical imports over concerns that launching the probes in the coming weeks could complicate ongoing EU talks with Beijing and further strain relations with key trading partners, according to three people...

Jul 24, 2026 Read Now >

European Commission Deepens Probe into Temu Under Foreign Subsidies Regulation, Sources Say

The European Commission is deepening its probe into Chinese online retailer Temu under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) over concerns the company has benefited from distortive foreign subsidies, two sources familiar with the matter...

Jul 23, 2026 Read Now >

Parliament Negotiator Aims to Tighten Foreign Investment Rules in Drive to Support EU Manufacturers

A lead negotiator on the EU’s proposal to strengthen the bloc’s manufacturing base in renewable energy technologies, electric vehicles and critical raw materials wants tougher criteria for mostly Chinese investors seeking to take big stakes in European...

Jul 23, 2026 Read Now >

Staffing Shortages Force EU Executive to Delay Four Trade Probes, Sources Say

The European Commission’s trade defense directorate has reached its capacity for launching new cases in the coming weeks, forcing the EU executive to postpone four trade defense investigations that were ready to launch in mid-July, according to four people familiar with the...

Jul 22, 2026 Read Now >

EU Commission Increasingly Pushed into Role of Big Tech’s Reluctant Quasi-Price Regulator

The European Commission’s Big Tech enforcement is increasingly putting officials in the uncomfortable position of having to decide whether and how technology giants should put a price on their data, app storefront access, software and other...

Jul 21, 2026 Read Now >

The European Antitrust Agenda: French Review May Improve SFR Deal Chances; EU Google Orders Likely Hit Company Harder Than Fines

Welcome to The European Antitrust Agenda, our weekly overview of European tech and competition law developments. Key stories we’re following this week include: • SFR deal may have better chances in France • EU’s fine-free Google orders probably hurt more than upcoming...

Jul 21, 2026 Read Now >

The Asia Antitrust Agenda: Korea Fair Trade Commission Emerges as Regulator to Be Reckoned With

The Asia Antitrust Agenda is a biweekly column showcasing key regulatory developments in the region. Key stories we’re following for this edition include: • Korea price-fixing probe, another sign of its active antitrust enforcement agenda. • Japan antitrust regulator revises merger...

Jul 20, 2026 Read Now >

Pressure on Video Game Industry Grows as EU Drafts Consumer Rules and Age Restrictions

Video game makers like Roblox and Tencent’s Supercell are bracing for intensified regulatory scrutiny in the coming months as new EU rules mark a shift for an industry that so far has largely escaped the big fines and enforcement attention other tech companies have...

Jul 20, 2026 Read Now >

Electronic Arts, Saudi-Led Consortium Grow Confident About Phase 1 Clearance in EC Foreign Subsidies Regulation Review

U.S. video game developer Electronic Arts (EA) and a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), are increasingly optimistic that the European Commission will clear their $55 billion deal after a phase 1 review under the bloc’s Foreign...

Jul 15, 2026 Read Now >

EU Weighs Compliance Fee on Imported Goods as Chinese Shipments Surge, Sources Say

Following the introduction this month of a €3 handling fee for low-value parcels, the European Commission is also considering a fixed charge to cover safety and compliance checks on imported goods, particularly those arriving from China, according to people familiar with the...

Jul 15, 2026 Read Now >

The European Antitrust Agenda: EU Plans Public Procurement Restrictions; Apple Appeal Loss Has Consequences for Future ‘Gatekeepers’

Welcome to The European Antitrust Agenda, our weekly overview of European tech and competition law developments. Key stories we’re following this week include: • Public procurement restrictions exclude China and India • Apple’s recent court loss has consequences beyond the iPhone...

Jul 14, 2026 Read Now >

Saipem/Subsea7: Merger Headed to Phase 2, Sources Say

The proposed $4.6 billion merger between Saipem (SPM) and Subsea7 (SUBC) could be headed for a phase 2 investigation following a state of play meeting this week, during which the European Commission outlined competition concerns and discussed the potential need for remedies, according to...

Jul 10, 2026 Read Now >

EU Google Fines Imminent as Negotiations with Tech Giant Falter, Sources Say

After months of political holdups, Google (GOOG) is about to be hit with two fines under the European Union’s digital rules as negotiations have stalled, according to senior EU sources familiar with the...

Jul 08, 2026 Read Now >

SAP: Company’s New API Policy Could Further Vendor Lock-In, Risking Additional Regulatory Scrutiny

A new letter to the European Commission, obtained by The Capitol Forum, highlights the alleged anticompetitive effects of SAP’s (SAP) updated application programming interface (API) policy and calls on the Commission to open an investigation into the...

Jul 07, 2026 Read Now >

EU Weighs Quotas and Price Floors on Electrical Steel Imports, Mainly From China

Global exporters of grain-oriented electrical steel to the EU could face a combination of quotas and minimum import prices of up to €5,600 a ton under a safeguard measure being developed by the European Commission, according to an internal document seen by The Capitol...

Jul 07, 2026 Read Now >

EU to Target Chinese Agricultural Imports with Peking Duck Probe, Sources Say

The European Union is preparing to open an anti-dumping investigation into imports of Chinese Peking duck, according to people familiar with the matter. The move could reignite trade tensions between Brussels and Beijing just one week after the two sides began talks aimed at easing...

Jul 07, 2026 Read Now >

The European Antitrust Agenda: EU Steel Curbs Complicate MMG Review; EC Seeks to Calm Merger Guideline Fears

Welcome to The European Antitrust Agenda, our weekly overview of European tech and competition law developments. Key stories we’re following this week include: • EU steel quota implications for MMG’s Anglo bid • EC calms worries for minority shareholdings under new merger...

Jul 07, 2026 Read Now >

Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery: States AGs Discuss Signing Onto Suit; But GOP Officials Unlikely to Join Challenge, Source Says

State attorneys general investigating Paramount Skydance’s (PSKY) proposed acquisition of rival studio Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) are discussing which will sign onto a suit to block the $81 billion transaction, sources familiar with the matter...

Jul 06, 2026 Read Now >

The Asia Antitrust Agenda: Region Bracing for ‘Summer of Actions’ as U.S., China Vie for Upper Hand on Trade; Apple Alleges Complaint Copying in India App Probe; Korea Investigates Alleged Abuse in K-pop Market; UK Blocks Shenzhen HYT from Buying TTG Global Solutions on National Security Grounds

The Asia Antitrust Agenda is a biweekly column showcasing key regulatory developments in the region. Key stories we’re following for this edition include: Businesses to swelter in heat from summer geopolitical tensions. China issues rules governing industrial and supply chain security...

Jul 06, 2026 Read Now >

Tensions Surround Appeals System for Meta, TikTok and Other Big Tech Content Moderation

A system designed to settle disputes between Big Tech platforms and their European users is causing clashes between companies and appeals...

Jul 02, 2026 Read Now >

The European Antitrust Agenda: European Commission Defends ‘Call-In’ Powers; EU Executive’s IT Department Breaking Up with Contentious Broadcom Unit

Welcome to The European Antitrust Agenda, our weekly overview of European tech and competition law developments. Key stories we’re following this week include: • European Commission defends call-ins • EU executive ditches controversial American...

Jun 30, 2026 Read Now >

Merger Monthly: Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern as the Archetypal Trump-era Merger Review; Outlook for Key Transactions Including Cintas/UniFirst, Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery, and Skyworks/Qorvo

Union Pacific’s (UNP) proposed $85 billion acquisition of rail rival Norfolk Southern (NSC) is the purest expression of a Trump-era merger review, bringing together almost every trend that’s defined the administration’s approach to...

Jun 29, 2026 Read Now >

EU Digital Rules Need Fine Tuning as Microsoft, Amazon Edge Toward Cloud ‘Gatekeeper’ Status, Experts Say

Amazon’s (AMZN) and Microsoft’s (MSFT) cloud services are one step closer to potentially becoming subject to the EU’s digital markets rules – but the range of rules that would apply to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure is likely to be...

Jun 29, 2026 Read Now >

EU Not Yet Ready to Open China Hybrid Probe Despite Rising Imports, Sources Say

The European Commission has for months been weighing whether to open an investigation into rapidly rising imports of Chinese plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. However, senior commission officials, speaking to The Capitol Forum on condition of anonymity, said a probe was not...

Jun 26, 2026 Read Now >

JD.com/Ceconomy: EC Quizzes Third Parties on Consumer Electronics Market

The European Commission has sent requests for information (RFI) to third parties in relation to JD.com’s (JD) proposed acquisition of German consumer electronics retailer Ceconomy (CEC), according to three sources close to the...

Jun 25, 2026 Read Now >

Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery: California AG Bonta Warns Deal Would Limit Voices in Journalism, Entertainment Content

California Attorney General Rob Bonta today warned that Paramount Skydance’s (PSKY) proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) would harm journalism and the entertainment industry’s output, outlining an expansive list of reservations he and the deal’s critics have about...

Jun 24, 2026 Read Now >

Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery: EC Set to Clear Merger Following Concessions

The European Commission is set to clear Paramount Skydance’s proposed merger of Warner Bros. Discovery following a key state-of-play meeting on Tuesday between the companies and the EU enforcer, sources...

Jun 24, 2026 Read Now >

UPM-Kymmene/Sappi: EU Prepares Charge Sheet Against Paper Venture As Companies Stress Sector Decline, Sources Say

The European Commission is preparing charges against Finland’s UPM-Kymmene (HEL: UPM) and South Africa’s Sappi (JSE: SAP) over their proposed €1.42 billion paper joint venture, arguing the deal could raise prices and reduce options for customers reliant on specialized paper...

Jun 24, 2026 Read Now >

EU Faces Pressure to Extend Probe to Protect Transformer Makers, Sources Say

The EU steel industry is pressing the European Commission to widen the scope of the bloc’s safeguard investigation into potentially harmful imports of grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES) to include material used in finished power transformers, according to three people familiar with...

Jun 23, 2026 Read Now >

The European Antitrust Agenda: Portugal Assesses Gun-Jumping Fine; Italy Tests Limited Member State Role in EU Digital Rules

Welcome to The European Antitrust Agenda, our weekly overview of European competition law developments. Key stories we’re following this week...

Jun 23, 2026 Read Now >

What Is AI, Legally Speaking? EU Wrestles with How to Apply Digital Rules to Chatbots

The European Commission is grappling with how to classify increasingly widespread artificial intelligence tools as it enforces the bloc’s landmark digital laws – both of which were written before the use of AI...

Jun 22, 2026 Read Now >

Baker Hughes/Chart Industries: EC Clearance Anticipated After Parties Submitted Remedies on Friday, Sources Say

Baker Hughes (BKR) offered structural and behavioral remedies to the European Commission on Friday in a bid to secure approval for its $13.6 billion acquisition of Chart Industries (GTLS), concessions that are anticipated to pave the way for clearance, sources with direct knowledge of the...

Jun 21, 2026 Read Now >

Cosco/Zippel: Deal Would Give China Control of Rail Corridors Vital to Defense Mobility Infrastructure of Germany and NATO

Chinese state-owned Cosco Shipping Holdings’ (HKE: 1919) bid for majority control of Hamburg rail freight company Konrad Zippel, Germany’s oldest freight forwarding company, is raising alarms over inroads Beijing is making into Europe’s shipping and defense...

Jun 18, 2026 Read Now >

EU Needs Plan to Counter Potential Chinese Retaliation Over Trade Curbs, Diplomats Say

Beijing’s potential retaliation against planned EU curbs on Chinese imports is the chief concern among member states, EU diplomats...

Jun 18, 2026 Read Now >

Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery: Paramount May Have to Ditch Joint Venture to Clinch Phase 1 Clearance, Sources Say

The European Commission is investigating whether Paramount Skydance would need to abandon a long-standing joint venture to distribute films with Universal Pictures to address competition concerns over its proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, according to three people with direct...

Jun 17, 2026 Read Now >

Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery: DOJ Political Leadership Curbed Staff Review, Blocking Party Depositions and Data Demands, Limiting Third-Party Engagement

DOJ antitrust division’s political leadership for months imposed tight restrictions on career staff’s investigation of Paramount Skydance’s (PSKY) $81 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), preventing agency attorneys from deposing key Paramount executives or...

Jun 17, 2026 Read Now >

Tech/Media/Telecom Weekly: L.A. County Report Likely to Add Fuel to States’ Challenge of Paramount/Warner Bros. Merger; Coupang Hit with Record Penalty Despite U.S. Pressure; Defense Contractors Face Ban on Chinese Parts; Expert Scrum Could Shape Collusion Jurisprudence

The TMT Weekly is a forward-looking tipsheet that covers tech policy across The Capitol Forum’s U.S. policy coverage universe, from Congress to the Courts. If you have any feedback, feel free to email...

Jun 16, 2026 Read Now >