41 Taiwan Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association ernance. It emphasizes the need for deeper integration within the EU, particularly in areas like fiscal policy, banking, and capital markets. The report advocates for stronger financial stability mechanisms, enhanced economic coordination among member states, and reforms to boost economic growth and resilience, yet it also sends a strong message to reduce significantly reduce bureaucracy. Draghi emphasizes the need for less regulatory complexity and better policy coordination among EU member states. Simplifying regulations is seen as crucial for fostering innovation and economic growth. Competitiveness is the new buzz word of the new EU Commission and the European Parliament. It remains to be seen whether such new trend will also have a significant impact in terms of a revision of European and national supply chain laws. And in Germany the current government coalition between the Social Democrats, the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats is currently (in October 2024) very fragile to say the least. German Parliament elections are scheduled for September 2025, yet it could well be that they will take place much earlier with a political swing to the conservative side, as it has already been the case in other EU Member States. It also remains to be seen whether this will result in a more company-friendly law with significantly less red tape obligations for commercial operators not only in the EU but also for its sourcing partners in Far East. AND: THERE is another huge white elephant in the room while I am writing this article on Oct. 20, 2024: The outcome of the U.S. elections on Nov. 05, not mention other pressing global political issues. Only future will tell how we all can cope with those…. Dr. Jochen M. Schaefer is a German practicing attorney based in the Munich area. For numerous years, he has been and is representing the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) and the European Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) as their legal counsel. He also chairs the WFSGI’s Legal Committee and is Co-chair of the FESI’s digital working group. At the individual client level, he represents a significant number of well-known German and international brands within and beyond the sporting goods sector (including the bicycle industry). He is a specialist in national and international distribution topics, intellectual property (IP) and risk management issues, and the drafting and negotiation of comprehensive contracts at the operational level; in particular in the area of European selective distribution schemes. In case of any questions about this article (or in general), he can be reached at sj@sjlegal. de and at +49 151 1640 7932.
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