European Union: Government Policy & Public Finance

BUREN's Spain/LatAm Practice team delivers the seventeenth edition of their quarterly newsletter, providing essential updates on business developments and tax guidance for clients operating across Spain and Latin America. This edition offers insights tailored to the unique legal landscape and cultural practices of these regions.

For decades, wealth management followed a familiar script: diversify, balance equities with bonds, and track global markets.

Ireland's Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026 introduces a significant institutional shift by repositioning the AI Office of Ireland as a coordinator rather than a market surveillance authority.

Germany's Federal Network Agency has clarified how battery energy storage systems will be treated under the country's grid fee reform, preserving exemptions for existing and near-term projects while establishing a moderate fee structure for future developments.

Ireland is raising its merger control notification thresholds effective July 2026, with the aggregate turnover requirement increasing from €60 million to €100 million and individual undertaking thresholds rising from €10 million to €15 million.

As EU leaders advance Multiannual Financial Framework negotiations for the 2028-2034 budget period, Ireland prepares to assume the Council Presidency amid complex debates over budget size, own resources, and competing priorities across defence, energy security, and competitiveness. The negotiations present significant implications for corporate tax policy, energy markets, and regulatory frameworks as Member States navigate fiscal constraints against geopolitical pressures.

The Irish Cabinet has approved a comprehensive legislative programme featuring 64 priority bills spanning artificial intelligence regulation, cybersecurity, tourism, and civil reform. This breakdown examines how these proposed laws will impact various industries and sectors across the economy.

João Taborda da Gama continues to shape international discourse on psychedelic regulation, speaking at major European forums on the legal, ethical, and philosophical tensions surrounding controlled substances. His recent presentations in Ukraine and Portugal examine who holds authority over consciousness-altering therapies, whether existing frameworks reflect coherent principles or accumulated habit, and what risks and possibilities fall outside medicalization's reach.

The European Commission’s Grids Package has been welcomed by many in industry as a catalyst for accelerated grid delivery and reform.