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New pressure, new delays: the EU’s double move on AI
Europe has just introduced two significant developments that will directly affect how companies build, deploy, and oversee AI in 2026. One strengthens reporting. The other reshapes key compliance deadlines. 1. The AI act whistleblower tool is live—and it changes the game The EU’s new AI Act Whistleblower Tool is officially online, allowing any individual professionally connected to an AI model provider to flag risky or unlawful practices linked to general-purpose AI models and certain regulated AI systems. Reports can be submitted anonymously, in any EU language together with supporting documents via a secure inbox that also supports follow-up questions. While the AI Office will maintain strict
Kinstellar is ranked among the world’s leading investigations practices in GIR 100 2025
Kinstellar is honoured to be featured in this year’s GIR 100, the annual guide that recognises the top 100 law firms worldwide for cross-border and local corporate investigations. The GIR 100, published by Global Investigations Review, highlights firms with strong capabilities in government-led and internal investigations. Each firm is selected based on in-depth editorial research demonstrating its ability to handle complex cross-border, government-led and internal investigations. This year’s guide highlights Kinstellar’s experience advising multinational companies, financial institutions, and global law firms on a wide range of investigations, including internal reviews, whistleblower matters, export-control
EU FDI Screening: Insights from the Commission’s 5th Annual Report and what they mean for CEE
The European Commission published its fifth annual report on the screening of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the EU accompanied by a Staff Working Document. The report covers developments during 2024 and provides an overview of FDI screening across the EU, the evolution of national screening mechanisms, and emerging investment trends highlighting both the EU’s ongoing openness to foreign investors and its efforts to strengthen safeguards for security and public order. While the EU-27 continued to attract significant investment FDI inflows slowed in 2023 and 2024 due to a decline in greenfield investments, even as mergers and acquisitions began to recover unevenly across Member States and sectors. By the end of
Guidance notes on the new General Register of Employee Records in Romania
Starting 1 October 2025, the use of the REGES-Online platform will become mandatory for all employers in Romania. This obligation is provided for in Government Decision No. 295/2025, which establishes a transition period until 30 September 2025, during which employers can choose to use either REGES-Online or the old Revisal system. The new digital portal will ensure the electronic management of individual employment contracts by employers and authorised service providers through a digital platform managed by the Labour Inspectorate. As the transition process involves creating accounts, accessing registers, and filling in the necessary data, we recommend that employers implement the new system as soon as possible.
EU adopts 18th sanctions package against Russia
On July 18, the European Council adopted its 18th sanctions package to be imposed on Russia for its continued war in Ukraine. The sanctions are mainly aimed at entities and activities concerning the military, energy, and banking sectors. The package also includes efforts to provide protection for Member States against investment arbitration and additional measures against the circumvention of the sanctions in place. We summarize the key issues touched on by the new amendments below. Military sanctions Measures aimed at the Russian military industrial complex and its suppliers include tighter export restrictions on certain dual-use goods and technologies for 26 new entities, 11 of which are located
Kinstellar Capital Markets series: Ad-hoc disclosure regime under the EU Listing Act
The EU Listing Act introduces significant changes to the capital markets framework, including a revision of the ad-hoc disclosure rules under the Market Abuse Regulation (MAR). These changes are particularly relevant for protracted processes such as M&A transactions, restructurings and other multi-stage corporate events. Under the new regime, issuers will generally be required to publish an ad-hoc disclosure only once the final event of a protracted process occurs. Intermediate steps no longer need to be disclosed individually, reducing the risk of premature market announcements and increasing overall legal certainty. However, the regime does not introduce a safe harbour. Each intermediate step must still be assessed
ESG legal update: Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia regions (Q2 2025)
Our ESG Legal Update provides a snapshot of recent regulatory developments across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with input from Kinstellar’s ESG Service Line members. Several cross-border trends emerge. The transposition of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) remains ongoing in many jurisdictions, often delayed or adapted in response to recent EU-level changes. In parallel, regulators in multiple countries—such as Austria, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Ukraine—are strengthening ESG risk management requirements in the financial sector. There is also a clear push toward more robust environmental compliance and
European Commission guidance letter on licensing standard essential patents by the Automotive Licensing Negotiation Group
The European Commission issued an informal guidance letter to the Automotive Licensing Negotiation Group (ALNG), marking the first application of the Informal Guidance Notice allowing for undertakings to approach the Commission with novel or unresolved issues concerning European competition law. Licensing Negotiation Groups (LNGs) are a novel form of agreement and share certain characteristics with joint purchasing agreements – only that they aim at licensing intellectual property rights instead of purchasing goods or services. ALNG, formed by BMW, Volkswagen, ThyssenKrupp and Mercedes-Benz, is the first of its kind in the EU, aimed at licensing standard essential patents (SEPs), which are patents that are required to
The automotive industry is rapidly transforming through digital technologies
This shift introduces complex legal and compliance challenges under EU law, particularly around data collection, processing, and sharing. Key frameworks such as the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive govern issues like user consent, data transparency, access, and deletion. Manufacturers must embed privacy by design and strengthen cybersecurity. How does the GDPR impact data collection in infotainment systems? Infotainment, telematics, and autonomous features gather vast user data - raising critical questions of control, purpose, and protection. The Data Act grants users broader rights to access and share vehicle data, while public safety tools like eCall must still ensure compliance with data
Kinstellar Capital Markets series: Insider list regime under review
The EU Listing Act seeks to simplify listing requirements by alleviating administrative burdens, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the EU. Key measures include the simplification of the prospectus regime, targeted amendments to the MiFID II framework, facilitation of dual listings and cross-border issuances, streamlining of rules to support listings and strengthen shareholder engagement, as well as the introduction of clearer rules on inside information and reduced compliance obligations for SMEs. With regard to the latter, the EU Listing Act updates the insider list regime under the Market Abuse Regulation (“MAR”) by empowering the European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA”)
Defence Readiness Omnibus: EUR 800 billion to be spent on defence in the next four years
As part of the European Commission's ReArm Europe Plan, Readiness 2030, European Union Member States will mobilise EUR 800 billion over the next four years to finance a massive ramp-up of their defence spending. On 17 June 2025, the Commission adopted the Defence Readiness Omnibus ("Omnibus") to facilitate these defence investments. The Omnibus is the response to the call of the European Council from March this year[1] for the Commission to enable the simplification of both legal and administrative frameworks relevant to defence readiness, in line with the 2022 Versailles declaration by EU leaders calling for Member States to bolster their defence capabilities following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In its March
The European Accessibility Act: Compliance or consequences? Is your business prepared?
The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) (“EAA”) represents a significant shift in the regulatory landscape for private sector businesses across the European Union. Introduced to harmonise accessibility requirements for key products and services, the EAA is designed to improve access for persons with disabilities and foster a more inclusive internal market. With its full application date set for 28 June 2025, business entities that have not yet assessed their compliance posture face growing legal, operational, and reputational risks. The EAA expands beyond earlier public sector-focused legislation and applies to a wide range of industries—from tech to banking, telecoms, and e-commerce—making timely