Legal assistants Natālija Ķīse and Nikola Cīparsone compiled the material.
Cybersecurity
Council authorises the signing of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime
Published: 13 October 2025
The Council of the EU has approved the signing of the UN Convention against Cybercrime, a new global treaty aimed at setting common standards to fight cybercrime and improve international cooperation in gathering and sharing electronic evidence. Adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2024, the Convention addresses growing threats such as cyber fraud, hacking, and online child sexual abuse material.
Commission has signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime
Signed: 27 October 2025
The Commission has signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime on behalf of the EU, a new global treaty aimed at setting common standards to fight cybercrime and improve international cooperation in gathering and sharing electronic evidence. Adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2024, the Convention addresses growing threats such as cyber fraud, hacking, and online child sexual abuse material.
Private international law
Article 25 Brussels I bis applies to post-Brexit disputes where UK companies designate an EU court
Judgment of: 9 October 2025
The Court of Justice of the EU ruled that Article 25(1) of the Brussels I bis Regulation applies to jurisdiction agreements made during the Brexit transition period between UK-based parties, even if legal proceedings are initiated after the transition period ended. The case involved a 2020 consultancy contract between two UK companies that designated the Commercial Court of Vienna as the competent court. The Court confirmed that such jurisdiction clauses remain valid post-Brexit, despite the UK’s status as a third country and the absence of other links to the chosen EU Member State court.
Competition & Regulatory
Official publication: Meta seeks annulment of Commission’s finding Meta’s ‘Consent or Pay’ model in breach of the Digital Markets Act
Published: 6 October 2025
Meta has filed a legal challenge (Case T-435/25) seeking to annul the European Commission’s April 2025 decision that found its “Ads Choice” model violated Article 5(2) of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Meta argues the decision misinterprets user consent requirements and fails to recognize that its ad-free option provided a valid alternative. It also claims procedural errors and seeks either full annulment of the decision or a reduction of the €200 million fine. Alternatively, Meta requests the annulment of specific provisions of the decision that rely on disputed interpretations.
Digital Services Act: The Commission provisionally concludes that Meta and TikTok have violated transparency and user protection requirements
Published: 24 October 2025
The Commission has provisionally determined that both TikTok and Meta have breached their obligations under the Digital Services Act to provide researchers with sufficient access to public data. It also found that Meta, in relation to both Instagram and Facebook, failed to meet its duties to offer users straightforward tools to report illegal content and effective means to appeal content moderation decisions. According to the Commission, both platforms appear to have restricted researchers’ access to public data through overly complex and limiting procedures, resulting in incomplete or unreliable datasets.
The General Court rejects Red Bull’s appeal against the Commission’s dawn raid decision
Issued: 15 October 2025
The General Court rejected Red Bull’s appeal against the European Commission’s dawn raid, based on a complaint from Monster Energy. The Court confirmed that a dawn raid is valid if it clearly identifies the sector, market, suspected conduct, and company involvement, and that even one complaint can justify an inspection. It also upheld the Commission’s broad discretion to conduct raids, ruling that challenges to actions during or after a raid must be filed separately.
Commission fines fashion brands Gucci, Chloé and Loewe over EUR 157 million for anticompetitive pricing practices
Published: 14 October 2025
The European Commission has imposed fines on fashion brands Gucci, Chloé, and Loewe for violating EU competition law by engaging in resale price fixing. The investigation found that these companies limited the freedom of independent retailers to determine their own online and in-store prices for products sold under each brand’s name.
Employment and immigration
Court of Justice clarifies scope of Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive for third-country nationals
Judgment of: 2 October 2025
The CJEU ruled on whether EU Member States must automatically recognize third-country medical qualifications that have already been recognized by another Member State. The case involved a Serbian doctor, married to a German citizen, who studied and earned a PhD in Serbia and sought medical licensure in Germany. The Court clarified the interpretation of the Professional Qualifications Directive (2005/36/EC), particularly regarding the cross-border recognition of third-country qualifications previously accepted by another EU country.
Taxation
Advocate General: Incorrectly invoicing VAT on exempt intra-EU supplies does not preclude the taxation of the related intra-Community acquisitions
Issued: 29 October 2025
The case concerns whether a Member State can tax an intra-Community acquisition under Article 41 of Directive 2006/112/EC when the purchaser uses a VAT identification number issued by that State, and whether such taxation conflicts with Article 203 in cases of incorrect VAT invoicing.
Advocate General Martín y Pérez de Nanclares concluded that Article 203 does not prevent the simultaneous application of Article 41 and that issuing an incorrect VAT invoice does not remove a Member State’s right to tax under that provision. The opinion therefore supports the taxing authority of the Member State of dispatch, allowing it to impose VAT even in cases involving invoicing errors.
The Court of Justice clarifies the scope of the VAT Directive for factoring activities
Issued: 23 October 2025
A company provides financial services through factoring, where it purchases receivables from its customers. The case revolves around whether certain fees charged by the company should be subject to VAT and whether they fall within the scope of the VAT Directive.
The Court held that both the commissions and arrangement fees represent consideration for a single, indivisible debt collection service falling within the scope of VAT. It further confirmed that the “debt collection” exemption under Article 135(1)(d) is unconditional, sufficiently precise, and may therefore be directly invoked before national courts against the State.
Banking and finance
Commission adopts measures to advance the Savings and Investments Union (SIU) strategy
Published: 29 October 2025
The European Commission has adopted two major initiatives under its Savings and Investments Union (SIU) strategy to enhance the contribution of institutional investors – such as banks and insurance companies – to financing the EU economy. Such adoption includes the revision of the Solvency II Delegated Regulation, which defines the prudential framework for insurers managing approximately €10 trillion in assets. Additionally, initiatives include guidelines outlining how banks can access more favorable prudential treatment under the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) when investing in equity via legislative programmes.
ESG
Regulation (EU) 2025/2083 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 October 2025 amending Regulation (EU) 2023/956 as regards simplifying and strengthening the carbon border adjustment mechanism
Published: 20 October 2025
The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is an EU initiative designed to ensure that imported carbon-intensive goods reflect their true carbon cost while promoting more sustainable industrial practices in countries outside the EU. This amendment marks the final step in the formal adoption process, signed by the European Parliament and the Council. A central feature of the package is the introduction of a new exemption threshold of 50 tonnes for CBAM goods, meaning companies importing less than 50 tonnes of such goods per year will not be subject to CBAM requirements.
Transport
ECJ: Pets classified as ‘baggage’ in international air transport
Issued: 16 October 2025
On Thursday, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that pets may be classified as “baggage” (under Montreal Convention 1999), marking a setback for pet owners seeking greater compensation when animals are lost during international flights.
AirHelp Germany (C-399/24): Lightning Strike may constitute an Extraordinary Circumstance under Regulation No 261/2004
Issued: 16 October 2025
Shortly before landing in Iași (Romania), an Austrian Airlines plane was struck by lightning. As a result, mandatory safety inspections were required, preventing the aircraft from operating its scheduled return flight to Vienna (Austria). This incident qualifies as an extraordinary circumstance that may exempt the airline from paying compensation for the cancellation or delay, as the inspections caused the aircraft’s delayed return to service.
