Assistant lawyers Paulina Patašiūtė and Erlandas Prakapavičius compiled the material.
M&A and private capital
Foreign investment screening: Council signs off on updated framework
Adopted: June 8, 2026
The Council adopted a revised EU framework for screening foreign direct investments (FDI), strengthening the Union’s ability to address security and public order risks linked to foreign investments.
The new rules require all member states to establish screening mechanisms covering sensitive sectors, including artificial intelligence, critical raw materials, energy and digital infrastructure, while enhancing cooperation between national authorities and the European Commission.
See also press release.
Data & tech
Digital Markets Act: the General Court annuls the decision designating Meta as a gatekeeper as regards Marketplace
Published: June 3, 2026
The General Court of the European Union partially annulled the European Commission’s decision designating Meta as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), removing the designation for Marketplace while upholding it for Messenger.
The Court found that the Commission had failed to adequately assess changes introduced to Marketplace in July 2023 and did not sufficiently explain how the service continued to qualify as an online intermediation service. The judgment clarifies the Commission’s obligations to provide robust evidence and reasoning when designating core platform services under the DMA.
See also press release.
Trade
EU strengthens its foreign investment screening framework
Adopted: 26 June 2026
Regulation (EU) 2026/1386 strengthens the EU framework for screening foreign investments that may affect security or public order.
The Regulation requires all Member States to establish foreign investment screening mechanisms and expands the scope of screening to cover indirect foreign investments and EU-based investors ultimately controlled by non-EU entities. It also introduces minimum requirements for national screening procedures, broadens the list of strategic sectors subject to screening, and enhances cooperation and information-sharing between Member States and the European Commission.
The Regulation will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal. Member States will have 18 months to implement its minimum requirements.
See also press release
Competition
Commission takes preliminary view that AWS and Microsoft Azure should be DMA gatekeepers
Published: 25 June 2026
The European Commission informed Amazon and Microsoft of its preliminary view that their cloud computing services, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, should be designated as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The Commission preliminarily found that AWS and Azure serve as important gateways between businesses and customers in the EU and hold entrenched positions in the cloud computing market, despite not meeting the DMA’s quantitative thresholds for designation. The assessment also considered their market position, extensive user bases, lock-in effects, and the growing importance of their AI ecosystems.
Amazon and Microsoft may now exercise their rights of defence before the Commission adopts a final decision. If designated as gatekeepers, both companies will have six months to comply with the obligations under the DMA.
Tax
Tax simplification package to streamline compliance and enhance competitiveness of the Single Market
Published: 24 June 2026
The European Commission adopted a tax simplification package comprising a Taxation Omnibus proposal and a proposal to recast the Directive on Administrative Cooperation (DAC), with the aim of reducing compliance burdens and strengthening the competitiveness of the Single Market.
The proposed measures include simplifying withholding tax procedures for cross-border payments, streamlining the application of the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD), eliminating overlaps between Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) rules and the global minimum tax (Pillar Two), and reducing reporting obligations under the DAC framework. According to the Commission, the package is expected to reduce compliance costs for businesses by approximately €8 billion annually.
The proposals will now be submitted to the European Parliament for consultation and to the Council for adoption.
Other
Court of Justice rules that data protection authorities cannot reject GDPR complaints solely due to parallel court proceedings
Adopted: 18 June 2026
In Case C-414/24 Datenschutzbehörde, the Court of Justice held that a supervisory authority may not reject a complaint under Article 77 GDPR solely because the complainant has already brought judicial proceedings under Article 79 GDPR concerning the same subject matter, even where those proceedings are still pending.
The Court confirmed that administrative and judicial remedies under the GDPR may be exercised concurrently and independently. While Member States may establish procedural rules to coordinate such proceedings, those rules must not undermine the effective protection of data subjects’ rights under the GDPR.
Council Decision (EU) 2026/1347 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime
Adopted: 4 June 2026
Council Decision (EU) 2026/1347 approves, on behalf of the European Union, the conclusion of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime.
The Convention establishes a framework for international cooperation in combating cybercrime and facilitating the sharing of electronic evidence in criminal investigations and proceedings. The Decision also approves the Union’s declaration of competence under the Convention and a reservation concerning the settlement of disputes, while confirming that the
Convention is consistent with EU rules on fundamental rights, data protection and criminal justice cooperation.
