“Regulation Overload” – Do Regulations and Norms Stifle International Competition?

How can Germany and the EU maintain their competitiveness in the face of ever-increasing norms and regulations? What specific problems do companies face when seeking to invest? Where is urgent reform needed, and where should the government exercise restraint?

On March 14, a panel discussion was held at the joint invitation of the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Justice and the US Consulate General, addressing precisely these questions. In addition to NRW State Minister of Justice Dr. Benjamin Limbach and US Consul General Pauline Kao, who both opened the discussion with keynotes, the panel included Dr. Christian Mahlmann, Head of Group Compliance at Evonik Industries AG, Johannes Pöttering, Managing Director of unternehmer.nrw, Manny Schönhuber of Jackson Walker LLP in Houston, Texas, and Paul Nemitz, Principal Advisor for Justice and Consumer Protection at the European Commission. This distinguished group managed to shed light on the topic from various perspectives, highlighting both problems and opportunities for businesses. The event was moderated by Prof. Dr. Anne Sanders, Chair of Civil Law, Business Law, Family Business Law, and Justice Research at the University of Bielefeld.

Throughout the NRW-USA Year, transatlantic trade and investment have been central themes of events, along with topics such as sustainability and climate neutrality. In the context of the panel discussion, these threads were brought together anew. It became clear that small and medium-sized enterprises are sometimes affected differently by legislative processes than larger companies, and that new laws can not only be obstacles but also help drive innovation.

In a lively exchange with the audience, which, like the panel, came from various sectors, a successful dialogue emerged, demonstrating that transatlantic exchange on future issues is of great relevance.