European Union: M&A/Private Equity

Anna-Catharina von Girsewald and Dr. Carsten Bormann examine the profound changes in the EU's regulatory environment and their impact on foreign direct investment and M&A activities. The article explores how increasing geopolitical tensions and a shift toward a more continental European approach are reshaping the investment landscape, while European economies simultaneously face pressure to accelerate growth in key sectors like defense, technology, and infrastructure.

European economies face unprecedented pressure from geopolitical tensions and the need to accelerate growth in critical industries like defense and emerging technologies. This comprehensive analysis examines how EU regulation functions both as a constraint on transaction execution and as a strategic instrument of industrial policy, exploring the evolving regulatory landscape shaping foreign direct investment and M&A activity.

The European Commission is advancing a comprehensive simplification agenda for EU corporate taxation while simultaneously withdrawing proposals that lack political consensus. As negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework intensify and digital taxation debates resurface, businesses face a recalibration of how tax policy supports EU objectives in practice.