On 30 April, the UAE adopted Cabinet Decision No. (59) of 2026 (“the 2026 Executive Regulations”), setting out the executive regulations for Federal Decree-Law No. (36) of 2023 on the Regulation of Competition. The 2026 Executive Regulations replace the previous
Covington Competition
The Covington View
Covington Competition, published by Covington & Burling LLP, focuses on competition law and regulatory developments within the European Union and globally. The blog covers topics such as foreign direct investment (FDI) screening regimes, antitrust enforcement including no-poach agreements and minority shareholdings, state aid frameworks supporting industrial and clean energy initiatives, and sector-specific regulatory issues like defense and technology. It analyzes trends in merger control, investment screening, and competition policy enforcement, providing insights into legal and policy intersections affecting corporate transactions, compliance, and market competition.
Latest from Covington Competition - Page 2
New Foreign Investment Screening Regulation – Key Takeaways from the Agreed Compromise Text
On 10 February 2026, the EU released the agreed compromise text of the new Regulation on the screening of foreign investments in the EU (the “New FIR Regulation”). The three EU institutions (Commission, Parliament and Council) reached the compromise on…
The European Commission adopts the Foreign Subsidies Regulation Guidelines
On 9 January 2026, the Commission adopted its Guidelines on the application of certain provisions of Regulation (EU) 2022/2560 of the European Parliament and of the Council on foreign subsidies distorting the internal market (the “FSR Guidelines”). The…
“Operational transformation” at the CMA -What the latest announcements mean for UK antitrust enforcement
On 20 January, the UK Government announced a consultation on planned reforms to the UK’s merger and markets regime. Key proposed changes include narrowing certain jurisdictional thresholds, centralising Phase II decision-making within the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Board through…
The EU adopts revamped regime to screen foreign investment
On 11 December 2025, the Council and European Parliament reached political agreement to revamp the EU’s Foreign Investment Screening Regulation. The revamp aims at responding to perceived growing risks to national and economic security in the EU. It forms part…
EU’s Fifth FDI Annual Report: Five trends in Europe’s screening activities
The figures are fresh off the press: the European Commission published its Fifth Annual Report on the screening of foreign direct investments (“FDI”) into the European Union (“EU”) just a few days ago.[1] Like the previous editions, the Fifth…
Five Key Points on FDI Screening in the EU Defence Sector
The war in Ukraine, and other recent geopolitical conflicts, has underscored the need for EU-based defence capabilities to scale up to face these challenges. Several EU initiatives which have sought to stimulate investment are starting to bear fruit, as the European…
The European Commission adopts the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework
On June 25, 2025, the European Commission adopted the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) to promote the EU’s goals for decarbonization and competitiveness. CISAF makes permanent the relaxed State aid compatibility rules adopted under the Temporary Crisis and…
European Commission issues first no-poach decision in labour markets, warning against the collusive risks of minority shareholdings
On 2 June 2025, the European Commission (“Commission”) fined the food delivery companies Delivery Hero and Glovo EUR 329 million for engaging into cartel conduct through agreeing not to poach each other’s employees, exchanging competitively sensitive information, and allocating geographic…
EP Approves Draft FDI Regulation Giving Extensive Powers to EC
Introduction
On Thursday 8 May 2025, the EU took another important step towards revamping its framework to screen foreign investment, with the European Parliament adopting an amended version of the bill (the “EP Bill”, available here). That vote has…