Informazioni
The EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation (EUFSR), introduced in 2023, allows the European Commission to investigate foreign subsidies either upon companies’ notification or ex officio. In this context, the Commission enjoys broad powers, including, e.g., the power to conduct dawn raids. Moreover, where the Commission identifies substantive concerns, it has a broad array of remedies at its fingertips.
The conference, organised in partnership with ACC Europe, through the interactive and live exchange with policy-makers, regulators as well as with the business and legal community, will offer a unique opportunity to gain a clear view on the state of the art in this emerging regulatory area at the nexus of key topics, including international trade rules and policies, state aid, merger control, antitrust, national foreign investment control, and, more broadly, the functioning of the EU Single Market.
Of relevance is the context of M&A transactions and bids in public procurement processes where companies, following entry into force of EUFSR, are required to notify and receive clearance prior to closing certain transactions or being awarded certain bids. The new requirements apply to EU companies with non-EU activities in the same way as to companies from other countries around the world.
Legal, CFO, Tax, and top management teams need to be aware of implications for subsidies, acquisitions and public procurement processes to avoid being caught off guard and work closely together to ensure completeness and timely availability of data.
Against this background, our panels will discuss key EUFSR compliance issues as to what expect from the current and future enforcement by the Commission and how to prepare for and run filing processes. Guidelines and insights will be provided on the specific challenges of the Global Foreign Financial Contribution Status, i.e. the extremely broad analysis and disclosure of foreign financial contributions received around the world which are not typically available through firms’ standard financial systems.
Keynote speakers will be Enrico Letta, former Italian Prime Minister and author of “Much More Than a Market”, the report on the future of the EU Single Market, published in April 2024 and commissioned by the Council of the European Union, and Antonio Nicita, current member of the Italian Parliament, former Commissioner of the Italian Communication Authority and member of the EC Regulatory Scrutiny Board, Full Professor of Economic Policy, LUMSA University.
The Conference panels will be held and moderated by senior officials of the European Commission responsible for enforcing the EUFSR, Industry leaders, in-house counsel, and academics.
Programma
- 08:00 - 09:00 Registration and welcome coffee
- 09:00 - 09:15 Welcome addresses
- Olivier Hermand, Lawyer / Managing Partner PwC Legal Belgium
- Andrea Lensi Orlandi, Partner PwC Legal STA Italy
- 09:15 - 10:30 Panel 1 | From the roots of EUFSR to the future of the single market - Keynote speaker interview
- Enrico Letta, EU Rapporteur on the Future of the Single Market, President of the Jacques Delors Institute, Former Prime Minister of Italy
- Francesca Micheletti, Senior Competition Correspondent Politico
- 10:30 - 11:45 Panel 2 | EUFSR and M&A: Lessons learned and challenges ahead (including Q&A)
- Henri Piffaut, DG COMP, Advisor, Foreign Subsidies European Commission
- Carmelo Fontana, Senior Legal Counsel Google Italia
- Lena Hornkohl, Assistant Professor University of Vienna, Department of European, International and Comparative Law
- Ester Latorre, Postdoctoral Research Fellow University of Piemonte Orientale
- Moderator: Lewis Crofts, Editor-at-large Mlex
- 11:45 - 12:00 Coffee break
- 12:00 - 13:15 Panel 3 | EUFSR project management
- Allard Knook, Partner PwC Legal Netherlands
- Peter Xiang, Partner PwC Advisory China
- Dr Qian Ma, Local Partner PwC Germany
- Heiner Mecklenburg, Senior Manager PwC Legal Germany
- Karoly Freyler, Senior Manager PwC Advisory Netherlands
- Moderator: Luigi Nascimbene, Director PwC Legal STA Italy
- 13:15 - 14:15 Lunch break
- 14:15 - 15:30 Panel 4 | EUFSR and public procurement: Between level playing field and public strategic goals
- Bonifacio Garcia Porras, Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship, and SMEs (DG GROW) - Head of the "Foreign Subsidies" Unit European Commission
- Camilla Cocuzza, Acting General Counsel, Ely Lilly Italia
- Hubert Klinger, Senior Legal Counsel Siemens Germany
- Pierfrancesco Mattiolo, Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant, PhD Candidate, European and International Economic Law University of Antwerp
- Moderator: Lewis Crofts, Editor-at-large Mlex
- 15:30 - 16:45 Panel 5 | Voices from outside of the EU: The Far East and the Wild West
- Fang Dongkui, Secretary General of the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU)
- Aude-Laure Delbac, Legal Service of the European Commission - Aide team (State aid & Foreign subsidies)
- Bin Ye, Associate Professor, Secretary-General of the Chinese Society of European Legal Studies (CSELS) of the Chinese Society for European Studies (CAES) and Member of the China Society of Private International Law
- Tom Patten, Partner PwC Tax USA
- Pierfrancesco Mattiolo, Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant, PhD Candidate, European and International Economic Law University of Antwerp
- Francesca Micheletti, Senior Competition Correspondent Politico
- 17:00 - 17:45Concluding keynote remarks
- Antonio Nicita, Professor of Economic Policy LUMSA University (Palermo-Rome); Senator of the Italian Republic
-
- 08:00 - 09:00 Registration and welcome coffee
- 09:00 - 09:15 Welcome addresses
- Olivier Hermand, Lawyer / Managing Partner PwC Legal Belgium
- Andrea Lensi Orlandi, Partner PwC Legal STA Italy
- 09:15 - 10:30 Panel 1 | From the roots of EUFSR to the future of the single market - Keynote speaker interview
- Enrico Letta, EU Rapporteur on the Future of the Single Market, President of the Jacques Delors Institute, Former Prime Minister of Italy
- Francesca Micheletti, Senior Competition Correspondent Politico
- 10:30 - 11:45 Panel 2 | EUFSR and M&A: Lessons learned and challenges ahead (including Q&A)
- Henri Piffaut, DG COMP, Advisor, Foreign Subsidies European Commission
- Carmelo Fontana, Senior Legal Counsel Google Italia
- Lena Hornkohl, Assistant Professor University of Vienna, Department of European, International and Comparative Law
- Ester Latorre, Postdoctoral Research Fellow University of Piemonte Orientale
- Moderator: Lewis Crofts, Editor-at-large Mlex
- 11:45 - 12:00 Coffee break
- 12:00 - 13:15 Panel 3 | EUFSR project management
- Allard Knook, Partner PwC Legal Netherlands
- Peter Xiang, Partner PwC Advisory China
- Dr Qian Ma, Local Partner PwC Germany
- Heiner Mecklenburg, Senior Manager PwC Legal Germany
- Karoly Freyler, Senior Manager PwC Advisory Netherlands
- Moderator: Luigi Nascimbene, Director PwC Legal STA Italy
- 13:15 - 14:15 Lunch break
- 14:15 - 15:30 Panel 4 | EUFSR and public procurement: Between level playing field and public strategic goals
- Bonifacio Garcia Porras, Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship, and SMEs (DG GROW) - Head of the "Foreign Subsidies" Unit European Commission
- Camilla Cocuzza, Acting General Counsel, Ely Lilly Italia
- Hubert Klinger, Senior Legal Counsel Siemens Germany
- Pierfrancesco Mattiolo, Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant, PhD Candidate, European and International Economic Law University of Antwerp
- Moderator: Lewis Crofts, Editor-at-large Mlex
- 15:30 - 16:45 Panel 5 | Voices from outside of the EU: The Far East and the Wild West
- Fang Dongkui, Secretary General of the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU)
- Aude-Laure Delbac, Legal Service of the European Commission - Aide team (State aid & Foreign subsidies)
- Bin Ye, Associate Professor, Secretary-General of the Chinese Society of European Legal Studies (CSELS) of the Chinese Society for European Studies (CAES) and Member of the China Society of Private International Law
- Tom Patten, Partner PwC Tax USA
- Pierfrancesco Mattiolo, Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant, PhD Candidate, European and International Economic Law University of Antwerp
- Francesca Micheletti, Senior Competition Correspondent Politico
- 17:00 - 17:45Concluding keynote remarks
- Antonio Nicita, Professor of Economic Policy LUMSA University (Palermo-Rome); Senator of the Italian Republic
Speakers
Contatti
Prossimi Eventi
Formula SAE Italy
Dal 2 al 6 settembre, presso il circuito “Riccardo Paletti” di Varano de’ Melegari, si terrà la 21ª edizione della Formula SAE Italy, l’evento formativo organizzato da ANFIA che coinvolge ogni anno studenti di ingegneria da tutto il mondo in una competizione tecnico-sportiva.L'iniziativa nasce con l’obiettivo di offrire agli studenti universitari un’occasione concreta per mettere in pratica le abilità acquisite durante il proprio percorso accademico, attraverso una competizione stimolante, formativa e altamente attrattiva che simula dinamiche reali dell’industria automotiva.Durante la competizione, i team si confronteranno in diverse prove suddivise in due macro-categorie:Le prove statiche:Design Event: presentazione del progetto completo della vettura;Business Event: simulazione della presentazione del progetto di fronte a potenziali investitori;Cost Event: analisi dettagliata del report dei costi, che include quantità e tipologie di materiali e componenti impiegati.Le prove dinamiche:Accelerazione;Skid Pad;Autocross;Endurance.PwC Italia è sponsor dell’iniziativa.Interverrà in qualità di giudice: Samuele Baronchelli, Director PwC Strategy& Italia.Per consultare l'agenda dettagliata clicca qui.
Madonie Nomad Residency
Il futuro del lavoro si costruisce nei luoghi dove talento, territorio e comunità si incontrano per generare innovazione consapevole e connessioni durature.È con questa visione che nasce Madonie Nomad Residency, un'esperienza immersiva in programma dal 4 al 6 settembre presso il Parco delle Madonie a Castelbuono (PA) per immaginare nuovi modi di vivere e lavorare nei territori.Tre giorni strutturati attorno a tre asset complementari: lavoro e apprendimento, territorio e sperimentazione e comunità e cultura.Vincenzo Tanania, Partner Digital Innovation PwC Italia, parteciperà al panel "Startup, talenti e territori: la Sicilia come acceleratore diffuso" in programma sabato 5 settembre alle ore 16.30. Startup, acceleratori, imprese e attori dell'ecosistema dell'innovazione si confronteranno su come la Sicilia possa trasformarsi in una piattaforma diffusa di crescita imprenditoriale. Il panel esamina il ruolo strategico dei territori, delle competenze e delle reti nel trattenere talenti, attrarre nuove energie e convertire idee innovative in progetti capaci di generare impatto economico e sociale concreto.Per il programma completo e per ulteriori informazioni cliccare qui.
To the Peak 2026
L'innovazione si costruisce attraverso community e incontri autentici: quando founder visionari, investitori consapevoli e innovatori concreti si riuniscono per confrontarsi sulle sfide reali, nascono le connessioni che trasformano le idee in realtà.To the Peak si terrà dal 9 all'11 settembre presso la Fiera di Bolzano.PwC Italia sarà presente con due importanti contributi:Daniele Meini, Partner Digital Innovation di PwC Italia, parteciperà alla tavola rotonda "The Growth Stage Funding Gap", affrontando il divario critico nel finanziamento europeo delle startup nelle fasi di crescita e late-stage, e il confronto tra la capacità europea e quella americana di creare campioni globali in ambito deep-tech.Luca Chiodaroli, Partner Digital Innovation PwC Italia e Valentina Rossi, Associate Digital Innovation PwC Italia, terrannoil workshop "When AI Pays Off", una masterclass dedicata a uno dei maggiori ostacoli nell'adozione dell'AI: misurare il reale impatto sul business. Attraverso framework pratici, metriche concrete e casi reali, i partecipanti apprenderanno come distinguere le vanity metrics dalle business metrics e valutare il ROI delle iniziative AI.Per il programma completo e per ulteriori informazioni cliccare qui.L’evento, di stampo internazionale, si terrà in lingua inglese.
CAIO - Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer
L'intelligenza artificiale ha superato la fase di sperimentazione e si è affermata come leva concreta di trasformazione del business. La vera sfida non è più se adottarla, ma come governarla: con quale modello organizzativo, quale struttura decisionale e quale impatto reale su valore, processi e competitività.È in questo contesto che si inserisce cAIo 2026 – Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, l'evento in programma martedì 22 settembre presso l'nhow Milano, organizzato da iKN Italy, dedicato a esplorare come integrare l'AI nel business in modo strutturato, superando frammentazione, shadow AI e false promesse.L'evento affronta quattro dimensioni critiche: potere decisionale, sicurezza adattiva, scalabilità reale e valore strategico. Luca Chiodaroli, Partner Digital Innovation PwC Italia, parteciperà al cAIo Hub, portando al tavolo una riflessione centrale: le organizzazioni che governano efficacemente l'AI ottengono una performance finanziaria 7,2 volte superiore ai competitor. La differenza non sta quindi nella quantità di AI adottata, ma nella qualità della sua governance, nel saper orientare l'AI verso la crescita e in una sua integrazione trasversale nell'organizzazione. Parteciperà inoltre alla tavola rotonda "Cosa manca per passare dal tool a ecosistemi AI orchestrati?", un confronto dedicato ai temi centrali dell'AI strategy e dell'AI integration: perché il linguaggio dell'AI ancora non è comune nelle organizzazioni, quali criteri guidano le decisioni di investimento in un mercato instabile, e se l'AI stia realmente creando valore o generando duplicazione e complessità.Per il programma completo e per ulteriori informazioni cliccare qui.
Growing Pains and Growing Power: The EU FSR Comes of Age
Following the success of its inaugural edition in October 2025, the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation Conference returns on 3 November 2026 at the PwC Campus in Diegem, Belgium.As the EUFSR enters a decisive new phase – marked by the publication of the Commission's FSR Guidelines and the Impact Assessment Report of July 14th, 2026 – the Conference, entitled “Growing Pains and Growing Power: The EU FSR Comes of Age", will once again bring together leading policymakers, European Commission officials, industry leaders and top legal experts to assess the Regulation's evolving implementation and its growing impact on cross-border investments, M&A and public procurement across Europe. The conference programme and speaker line-up are currently being finalised. Among the confirmed participants, senior representatives of the European Commission will offer exclusive first-hand perspectives on the Regulation's enforcement and future direction, including: Thomas Deisenhofer – Principal Adviser, DG Competition of the European Commission; Bonifacio Garcia Porras – Head of Unit, Foreign Subsidies, DG GROW of the European Commission; Henri Piffaut – Adviser, Foreign Subsidies, DG COMP of the European Commission. Among the keynote speakers, Antonio Nicita – Member of the Italian Senate, former Commissioner of the Italian Communication Authority and member of the EC Regulatory Scrutiny Board, Full Professor of Economic Policy, LUMSA University.Conference key highlightsLessons learned from EUFSR implementation and the outcomes of the Commission's Report of July 14; Practical implications of the new FSR Guidelines, including distortion assessments, balancing tests and call-in powers; Emerging challenges and opportunities for M&A transactions and public procurement; The interaction between the EUFSR, industrial policy, international trade and geopolitical developments; The role of national subsidies and/or mergers driven by industrial policy in tilting the global level playing field – with a focus on countries as China and the Gulf States, including their State-Owned Enterprises, are active in those areas, and on potential impacts and links with the evolution of competition and competitiveness in the EU; The need for coordination and interaction between the FSR, FDI screening, merger control, trade law and State aid frameworks; Technology- and AI-enabled approaches to FSR compliance. Please note that this is an in-person event, and no hybrid attendance option will be available.