Swedish Competition Authority Closes Investigation into Hemnet’s Premium Product Offering
The Swedish Competition Authority has terminated its investigation into Hemnet, a real estate platform, regarding its premium product offering.
Policy
Dutch Hosting Provider Warns of Disaster Recovery Gap Among Businesses
Proserve, a Dutch managed hosting company, highlights that only 10-15% of its clients have robust disaster recovery systems. The discussion with Dawn Technology’s CTO Ivo Jansch and others addresses cloud sovereignty, vendor lock-in, and the risks of relying on hyperscalers. A data center fire in Almere is cited as a wake-up call for businesses.
PyTorch Foundation Establishes Independence in Paris to Drive European Open-Source AI Development
The PyTorch Foundation, now an independent non-profit, plays a central role in Europe’s open-source AI ecosystem. It supports projects like Safe Tensors and fosters collaboration among European AI startups and researchers to advance AI sovereignty and open infrastructure.
Alphabet Loses Final Legal Battle Against EU’s Highest Court
Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, definitively lost a legal case against the European Union’s highest judicial authority, marking the end of a multi-year battle.
New EU Customs Tax on Small Packages Takes Effect in 2026, Reshaping Cross-Border E-Commerce
The European Commission introduced a 3 euro customs tax on small-value packages (under 150 euros) from outside the EU to create fairer competition for European businesses, combat customs fraud, and protect consumers. The tax applies per customs declaration line, not per item or shipment, and is part of a broader customs reform. Romanian entrepreneurs and consumers will be affected, as the tax replaces previous exemptions and may increase costs for imported goods.
French EdTech Startup Poppins Wins Reimbursement Approval as Therapeutic Tool for Dyslexic Children
Poppins, a video game designed to assist children with dyslexia, has received official approval for reimbursement as a therapeutic tool.
Romanian Crypto Firm Ascendex Technology Fined for GDPR Data Deletion Violations
Ascendex Technology SRL, a Bucharest-based crypto platform, was fined 11,000 EUR by Romania’s Data Protection Authority for violating GDPR rules. The case originated from a French citizen’s complaint about delayed data deletion requests, with the Romanian authority finding the company took up to 37 months to resolve similar requests for other users.
Klarna Wins $1.97 Billion Antitrust Victory Against Google
Swedish fintech company Klarna won a $1.97 billion antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleging Google’s preferential treatment of its own shopping service harmed PriceRunner, a Klarna subsidiary. The court ruled in favor of Klarna, ordering Google to pay damages.
Swedish Price Comparison Site Pricerunner Wins Major Legal Victory Against Google
Pricerunner, a price comparison site owned by Klarna, secured a partial victory in its legal dispute with Google, which was ordered to pay 14.3 billion SEK in damages and an additional 5 billion SEK in interest.
Romanian Packaging Firm Exonia Faces 70% Plastic Cost Surge Amid Middle East Tensions
Exonia, a Romanian packaging company, faces rising costs for plastics and energy due to the Middle East conflict. CEO Tiberiu Stoian highlights the industry’s shift from price competition to value-added solutions like Biolin (plastic-free food packaging) and Thermatika (temperature-controlled packaging) to maintain competitiveness amid supply chain disruptions.