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EU policy in Brussels is taking a more protectionist direction, according to the Financial Times, and this is worrying free-market-minded members of the bloc. The shift, framed as a turn away from open-market principles, has reportedly unsettled governments and politicians who favour trade liberalisation. Concerns centre on what the change means for the EU’s single market and its traditional support for open competition.

Law firm Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath has published an analysis of the proposed European Innovation Act, examining how the legislation could change intellectual property investment across the European Union. The publication suggests the law may alter how companies value and manage IP assets in the bloc. Beyond the firm's own briefing, little independent commentary is visible yet, and the Act's specific provisions and legislative status remain unverified.

Employment law firm Littler Mendelson has published guidance on short-term mobility provisions under the EU Blue Card, which now allow highly skilled non-EU workers holding the permit to travel and work in other EU member states for business purposes with fewer bureaucratic hurdles. The briefing highlights new opportunities for international companies deploying staff across Europe, and for professionals seeking cross-border assignments within the bloc.