On 12 June 2025, the representatives of the EU Member States in the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) approved the Council’s negotiating mandate to revise Regulation (EU) 2019/452 (EU FDI Screening Regulation) on the screening of foreign direct investment (FDI). This clears the way for the so-called trialogue negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission. The aim of the reform is to strengthen the EU’s ability to respond to security-related risks of foreign investments and forms part of the EU Commission’s agenda of an ‘open strategic autonomy’ – while at the same time maintaining an open and investment-friendly environment.
In this session, a panel of speakers from across Baker McKenzie discussed global enforcement priorities and challenges. Trends in the EU (such as the proposed EU Directive on anti-corruption) were noted, but the panel focused, in particular, on Asia, Africa and Latin America.
This session examined recent geopolitical and regulatory developments in anti-bribery and corruption (ABC) enforcement across the US and UK.
On 6 December 2024, the Private Investigations Act (PIA) was published in the Belgian Official Gazette. The PIA imposes certain new obligations with respect to private investigation activities, whether carried out in-house or by external investigators. Given the broad scope of application of the PIA, it is likely to materially impact many employers in Belgium.
In April 2025, Italy’s competition authority (AGCM) launched an investigation into a clothing retailer over alleged unfair commercial practices. The company is accused of using dual-price tags—featuring a crossed-out higher price—to allegedly suggest discounts on items that were never actually sold at the inflated price. This potentially misleading tactic could deceive consumers into believing they are receiving a bargain.
On 5 March 2025, the European Commission presented an industrial action plan to drive innovation, sustainability and competitiveness in the automotive sector. The plan seeks to offer a comprehensive strategy aimed at maintaining the global competitiveness of the European automotive industry while navigating the transition to clean mobility and digital integration. Simultaneously, it seeks to address challenges such as access to raw materials, uncompetitive trade practices and rising production costs.
On 24 April 2025, the revised version of UNE 19601 Standard on Management System for Criminal Compliance was published, replacing the previous version from 2017. UNE 19601 is the reference standard in Spain for implementing a criminal compliance management system and it covers the requirements of the Spanish Penal Code as well as international standards in the field.
The general approach of the initial version is maintained, although modifications have been introduced to adapt it to regulatory changes (primarily, those in the Spanish Penal Code and whistleblowing management standards) and international standards of recent years (such as ISO 37301:2021 or ISO 37002:2021).
On 9 April 2025, the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier issued several new circulars related to information and communication technologies risk management and the use of ICT third parties, aiming to align existing circulars and practices with the Digital Operational Resilience Act.
On 4 March 2025, the Luxembourg parliament adopted draft bill No. 8225, transposing the employment law provisions of the Mobility Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/2121) into Luxembourg law. This legislation introduces new rules on employee information, consultation and participation in cross-border conversions, mergers and divisions.
A legislative proposal has been introduced to implement the ‘Pay Transparency Directive’ in the Netherlands. On 26 March 2025, the internet consultation for this proposal was launched and will conclude on 7 May 2025. Following this, a decision will be made on whether, and in what form, the bill will be submitted to the House of Representatives. The intended implementation date for the bill is 7 June 2026.