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 text in December 2025 (see our blog) following several months of trilogues (see
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What to Watch in 2026: Key Developments in EMEA Consumer Protection
Consumer protection law across EMEA continues to evolve rapidly in response to digitalization, emerging technologies (particularly AI) and the continued expansion of online commerce. As we move into 2026, regulators are preparing significant reforms that will reshape business obligations and strengthen consumer‑protection enforcement. Below is an overview of the most important developments to watch this…
A Month in Semiconductor Policy: Section 232 Measures, BIS Rule, and Taiwan Deal Signal Strategic Push
January brought several significant, long-awaited developments in the U.S. semiconductor policy space, marking an inflection point in how the Administration is deploying trade tools to advance national security and industrial policy objectives.
On January 14, 2026, the White House issued Presidential Proclamation 11002 (the “Proclamation”) and an accompanying Fact Sheet adopting certain measures in response to…
German Government launches new Pharma & MedTech Dialogue – Broad agenda, big hopes but unclear prospects
Germany has kicked off a new Pharma and MedTech Dialogue that aims to develop new policies and regulatory reform proposals to re‑establish Germany as a competitive, innovation‑friendly location for life sciences R&D and manufacturing. The outcome of this dialogue shall be the basis for a new German Pharma and MedTech Strategy.…
Covington’s Guide to Ballot Measures
More than one billion dollars were spent in 2024 elections supporting or opposing state and local ballot measures. With high-profile and contentious issues expected to be on the ballot, such as congressional redistricting, AI regulation, minimum wage increases, and more, that number promises to be even larger in 2026. As state legislatures become more polarized…
Commerce Department Solicits Feedback on AI Exports Program
The Commerce Department today published a Request for Information (RFI) inviting the public to submit comments on U.S. artificial intelligence exports. The RFI asks stakeholders to weigh in on aspects of the Department’s new “American AI Exports Program,” an initiative intended to “promot[e] the export of full-stack American AI technology packages.”
The RFI follows from…
California Update: New Employment Laws and Compliance Obligations for 2026
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed several Assembly Bills (AB) and Senate Bills (SB) that expand employee rights and increase workplace compliance obligations for employers. Here is a rundown on the key new laws. Unless otherwise specified, the laws take effect on January 1, 2026.…
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 Annual Report offers a statistical overview of the EU FDI framework’s activities in the previous…
Brazilian Government Opens Consultation on Artificial Intelligence-Related Patent Applications
Brazil’s National Institute of Intellectual Property (“INPI”) initiated a public consultation on new guidance for the review of patent applications related to artificial intelligence (“AI”). The draft guidance document consolidates three previous INPI regulations and best practices adopted by other patent offices.
Click here to read the full alert on cov.com.
New York Legislature Passes Sweeping AI Safety Legislation
On June 12, the New York legislature passed the Responsible AI Safety & Education (“RAISE”) Act (S 6953), a frontier model public safety bill that would establish safeguard, reporting, disclosure, and other requirements for large developers of frontier AI models. If signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul (D), the RAISE Act would…