Law360: A group of smaller EU countries stopped a move toward harmonisation of national corporate taxes when EU leaders met 18 April 2024 to discuss ways to promote investments in European businesses.

Action by a public authority of a member state, using public resources, to favour certain undertakings or the production of certain goods.

MLex: EU steel exports to the US fell sharply after Washington raised Section 232 tariffs to 50% in June, with shipments down 25% year on year between July and November 2025, export data seen by MLex show. Volumes dropped to 1.18 million metric tons from 1.58 million a year earlier, the data showed.

MLex: The EU’s new steel import quotas and tariffs regime designed to shield the EU’s producers from excess foreign output could be vulnerable to challenge at the World Trade Organization (WTO) or within bilateral trade agreements, experts say. While some trading partners have accepted their country-specific measures, China has said the measures are protectionist, raising questions about the EU’s strategy for countering global overcapacity.

MLex: EU steel users and importers will face tighter import curbs from 1 July 2026, after legislators agreed that new safeguard measures should include cutting tariff-free quotas by about 47% and raising the out-of-quota duty to 50%. The deal keeps quarterly quota carry-over for a first year, uses ‘melt and pour’ only as one factor in quota allocation for now and leaves product scope broadly unchanged while ordering fast reviews on possible extensions.

MLex: The EU’s new steel safeguard is nearing a political agreement, with talks on 13 April 2026 expected to address remaining disputes over quota rollover and product scope, MLex understands. The measure would replace protections expiring on 30 June 2026 and curb the impact of global overcapacity.

MLex: Changes have been made to EU import tariff codes to ensure the EU's steel safeguard measure remains effective, with the Commission publishing modifications to the 2019 regulation on 10 April 2026, implementing the measure. The changes respond to large quantities of rebar (concrete reinforcing steel bars) entering the EU tariff-free after chemical modification to make them fit a different product category.

MLex: EU lawmakers and national capitals will begin their talks aimed at reaching an agreement on steel safeguards on 23 February 2026, in a bid to counteract the negative trade-related effects of the global steel production surplus on the EU's market, MLex has learned. The global steel safeguards, which have been in place since 2018 under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, will expire at the end of June 2026.

MLex: A European Commission study has found that an EU-wide system for copyright holders to opt their works out of AI training would be feasible. It proposed first testing a central search tool linked to industry or national bodies that handle registrations.

The European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) has published a study examining the growing use of algorithmic management (AM) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies across EU workplaces. Conducted to support the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, the study finds that 42.3% of EU workers are already subject to AM tools—a figure expected to rise to 55.5% within five years—and highlights significant regulatory gaps in current EU and national frameworks. While AM can improve productivity, it poses risks to workers’ health, autonomy, and data protection, often exacerbating stress and psychosocial pressures. The study identifies deficiencies in the coverage of existing laws such as Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation), the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, and Directive (EU) 2024/2831 (Platform Work Directive), noting limited oversight and weak protection for non-platform workers. It explores three policy options: adopting an EU recommendation; amending existing legislation; or introducing a dedicated Algorithmic Management Directive. The EPRS concludes that coordinated EU action would enhance worker protection, improve legal certainty, and ensure a level playing field for businesses across the single market.

Supremacy is an EU law principle by which EU law takes precedence over a national law when there is a conflict between them.

This Practice Note covers the key legislative measures imposed at EU level to try and tackle the adverse environmental (and linked human rights) impacts of the textiles and fashion industries throughout the product lifecycle. In addition to the EU laws covered here, companies placing textiles and fashion products on the EU market, or who advertise such products to EU consumers (including online) should review the detail of any relevant Member State’s domestic legislation. Where EU law is contained in a Directive for example, the national transposing legislation may be more stringent or vary in some way from the EU level position. By way of relevant example, France adopted its 'Ultra Fast Fashion Act' in July 2026, requiring upward adjustments to extended producer responsibility fees for EU entities engaged in 'ultra fast fashion practices' and introducing a broad ban on the advertising of ultra fast fashion products. Local counsel in the relevant jurisdictions may need to be instructed. Context—EU strategy for sustainable textiles Since 2020, the EU has shifted the focus of its