Monthly Dose of Germany: August 2026

New notification obligations, additional documentation requirements and a new system for identifying beneficial owners: the EU Anti-Money Laundering Package brings fundamental changes to the Transparency Register. Join our Deloitte Legal webcast on 16 September 2026, where Jens Hoffmann and Anna-Lena Kringel will explain the impact of the new EU-wide harmonised anti-money laundering and transparency requirements on businesses. The session will focus on the key changes introduced by the EU Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR), including the expansion of reporting obligations, new documentation and evidence requirements, and the new system for identifying beneficial owners. In addition, we will examine the planned amendments to the German Anti-Money Laundering Act (GwG) as part of the implementation of AMLD6 and provide an overview of the regulatory timeline leading up to the entry into force of the new rules from 2027 onwards. The webcast will offer practical guidance on how companies can proactively prepare their ownership and control structures, as well as their Transparency Register processes, for the forthcoming requirements.

From 27 September 2026, the implementation of the EmpCo Directive into the German Unfair Competition Act (UWG) introduced significantly stricter requirements for environmental and sustainability claims. Businesses using terms such as “climate-neutral”, “sustainable” or “CO₂-reduced” faced increased compliance obligations, particularly regarding green claims, sustainability labels, climate-neutrality advertising and forward-looking environmental commitments. With no transition period available, companies were required to review their sustainability communications and implement appropriate compliance processes. During the Deloitte Legal Update webcast on 26 August 2026, Sebastian von Rüden, Jana Brun, Lars Essers, Christiane Vrbanic and Christopher Friedrich outlined the upcoming changes and provided practical guidance on how businesses could prepare.

Rising costs and uncertain market conditions required swift and effective measures to safeguard liquidity and competitiveness. Significant cost-saving potential existed particularly in the area of human resources – provided that such measures were strategically planned and implemented in a legally compliant manner. In our webcast on July 15, 2026, Nico Jänicke, Sabrina Dettmer and Dr. Thomas Lambrich (all Deloitte Legal) demonstrated how companies could remain capable of taking action even in challenging economic times while ensuring compliance with employment law. Participants received a concise, practice-oriented overview of key instruments and their implementation – including typical pitfalls. The topics covered included strategies for sustainably reducing employee sickness absence rates, short-time work requirements and legally compliant implementation, as well as workforce reductions as a last resort (ultima ratio), including the relevant requirements, risks and structuring options.

In our Deloitte Legal Update webcast series, we address current legal issues as well as legal trends and developments that are important for corporate practice. A list of some webcasts already held, including downloads of the presentations in English language, can be found here. Please note, that not all webcast presentations are available in English language. For more presentations, please visit our webcast archive in German language.