The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that formal errors in the re-importation of goods – such as failure to present or declare them – do not preclude VAT exemption, provided there is no intent to deceive (Case C-125/24). The case focused on the return of competition horses without proper customs formalities. The ECJ emphasizes the primacy of substantive requirements and protects bona fide economic operators from tax disadvantages in cases of mere negligence. The ruling strengthens legal certainty in EU customs law beyond the specific case at hand.

In response to the fall of the Assad regime, the European Union (EU) has largely lifted the sanctions previously in place against Syria. We summarize the changes to the sanctions regime against Syria.

On 22 May, the European Commission published the long-awaited benchmarking system pursuant to Article 29 of Regulation (EU) 1115/2023 and the methodology on which it is based.

On May 20, 2025, the European Union (EU) adopted its 17th sanctions package against Russia. We present the key changes introduced by this 17th package.

On May 8, 2025, the EU Commission announced its next steps in the tariff dispute with the US, including a comprehensive list of US products that would be affected by potential retaliatory tariffs. We summarize the most important developments for you.

On April 9, 2025, the CDU, CSU, and SPD presented their coalition agreement for the upcoming legislative period. The SPD membership had already approved it on April 30. The new government plans fundamental reforms in all areas of foreign trade law and sustainability regulations. We provide an overview of the key proposed changes.

On April 15, the European Commission published updated FAQs and guidelines on the Deforestation Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, “EUDR”), as well as details of the public consultation regarding the new Annex I. We summarize the key clarifications and provide a brief outlook.

The amendment to Regulation (EU) 2024/573, which entered into force on 11 March 2024, aims to accelerate the EU's phase-out of emissions from fluorinated greenhouse gases. The rules governing the import and export of fluorinated greenhouse gases have therefore been tightened. Companies that import or export fluorinated greenhouse gases to or from the EU must now register in the newly established F-Gas Portal to obtain a valid license. The beginning of 2025 brought dynamic developments: New rules on labeling requirements and the allocation of quotas, which are subject to fees, have been applicable since 1 January 2025. Furthermore, supplementary implementing regulations and EU Commission guidelines for registration in the F-Gas Portal were published in March 2025, providing valuable assistance.

Cattwyk consists of a well-established team that has grown over many years and is firmly rooted in the market. Since the beginning of 2025, we have been operating as a boutique law firm specializing in trade compliance, economic security, and sustainability. From the outset, our aim has been to offer our clients the highest level of service and to remain among the market leaders. We are therefore all the more delighted to have achieved first place as a 5-star practice in the JUVE Ranking of Foreign Trade Law 2025.