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Covington Competition
EU’s Sixth FDI Annual Report – Key Trends in EU Screening Activities
By Laurie-Anne Grelier, Romain Girard, Matthieu Coget
On 14 October 2026, the European Commission published its Sixth Annual Report on the screening of foreign direct investments into the European Union (the “Report”), covering developments in 2025. Key…
Covington Competition
President von der Leyen’s 2026 State of the Union Address – Decoding the Competition and Foreign Investment Implications
By James Marshall, Laurie-Anne Grelier, Ross Evans, Zeyang Gao
On September 16, 2026, European Commission President von der Leyen opened her annual State of the Union address with the warning that "[a] fight for industrial capacities is shaping global…
Covington Competition
Navigating European Regulatory Regimes for Defense Sector Investments and Deals
By James Marshall, Anna Lubberger, Carole Maczkovics, Alessandro Cogoni, Grace Kim, Geoff Wu
Executive Summary Geopolitical developments are driving significant investment into the defense sectors in Europe. Acquisitions and investments in these sectors are likely to require multiple regulatory approvals across merger control,…
Covington Competition
ROGON and RRC Sports: The EU’s Top Court vindicates a pragmatic application of the antitrust sporting exemption to players’ agent regulations
Introduction In the space of just one week, the EU’s top court, the European Court of Justice (“ECJ”), delivered two important judgments that clarify the scope of sport rule-making activities…
Covington Competition
From Diarra to FIFA’s New Player Transfer System: How EU Law is Reshaping Football’s Transfer Rules and Governance
By Toni Pitesa
For more than twenty years, FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (“RSTP”) have sought to balance the stability of football teams with player mobility. That balance was…
Covington Competition
In or out? Navigating Legal Privilege in EU Competition Investigations post-Broadcom
By Claudia Berg, Laurie-Anne Grelier, Alessandro Cogoni
I. Introduction On 3 August 2026, the President of the EU General Court issued an order addressing the scope of legal privilege under EU law. The order dismissed Broadcom’s application to…
Covington Competition
First Prohibition Under Belgium’s FDI Regime: A Milestone, Not a Revolution
By Johan Ysewyn, Melissa Van Schoorisse, Ross Evans, Romain Girard
Introduction On August 5, 2026, NHV Group announced that its proposed acquisition by GD Helicopter Finance (“GDHF”), ultimately controlled by China-based GDAT Group, would not proceed after Belgian authorities blocked…
Covington Competition
The Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF)
By Carole Maczkovics, Alessandro Cogoni
On 29 April 2026, the European Commission (“Commission”) adopted its Communication establishing the “Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework” (“METSAF”). The Communication introduces a new State aid framework to…
Covington Competition
UAE Antitrust Regime Marks an Important Step with the Introduction of Market Definition Guidelines
By James Marshall, Haykel Haykel, Mélanie Perez, Geoff Wu
What’s changing, and why is it important? In July 2026, the Ministry of Economy & Tourism of the United Arab Emirates (the “Ministry” and “UAE”) published its Guidelines on Relevant…
Covington Competition
Tondela (Case C‑133/24): No-Poach Agreements in Sport: Context Always Matters
By Christian Ahlborn, Laurie-Anne Grelier, Toni Pitesa, Mattia Spanò
On 30 April 2026, the Court of Justice of the EU (the “Court”) delivered its judgment in Case C‑133/24 CD Tondela and Others (“Tondela”). The case arose from a preliminary…