A podcast from KPMG Law

The current episodes

• Clear Rules Instead of Complex Guidelines: New Approaches to Compliance

  Everyone in the company should know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Yet this is often not immediately clear. Policy management is reaching its limits in the face of growing regulatory requirements. Proper instruction is at risk, and the organization faces the threat of liability.
  With the support of KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, CARIAD SE has undergone a paradigm shift and is now consistently focusing on regulations tailored to specific target audiences. The starting point was over a thousand regulations contained in 50 policies. To address this, they extracted the rules from the policies, formulated them clearly, assigned them to the respective target audiences, and transferred them to digital tools.
  Dr. Thomas Giering of KPMG Law, together with Daniel Bauch and Christoph Olschar of CARIAD SE, describes how CARIAD has established a modern regulatory management system and what legal issues arose in the process.
  If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Thomas Giering at tgiering@kpmg-law.com.

• The EmpCo Directive: Stricter Rules for Green Claims and Sustainability Labels

  As of the effective date of September 27, 2026, environmental claims will be subject to the stricter requirements of the EmpCo. Claims such as “environmentally friendly” or “energy-efficient” will no longer be automatically permitted. The EU directive also addresses sustainability labels: Retailers will only be allowed to sell products bearing such labels if the label is based on a certification system as defined by the EmpCo or has been established by government agencies.

  Attorney Dr. Manuela Meyer explains, among other things, what requirements will apply to environmental claims and sustainability labels in the future, and what retailers can do if they have products in stock bearing labels that do not meet EmpCo’s requirements. She also explains what can happen if companies fail to comply with the new guidelines.

  If you have any further questions, please contact Dr. Manuela Meyer at manuelameyer1@kpmg-law.com

   

• Reform of Environmental Criminal Law: Companies Should Take Note

  Environmental violations are becoming more dangerous for companies, as a new EU directive is forcing lawmakers to tighten criminal environmental law. Even negligent offenses and attempts will be subject to penalties in many cases in the future. The ecosystem is now included as a protected interest. This will affect virtually every company that operates facilities, stores substances, or generates waste.
  Environmental offenses often constitute white-collar crime. The result is rigorous police investigations.
  In his former role as senior public prosecutor, Florian Kirstein himself led numerous investigations involving white-collar crime. He describes how such proceedings come about, and together with environmental law expert Dr. Simon Meyer, he explains how companies can protect themselves—even if the district attorney’s office is already at their doorstep. Both experts are attorneys at KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH.

  If you have any questions, please contact our experts at fkirstein@kpmg-law.com and simonmeyer@kpmg-law.com.

  For more information, please visit the KPMG Law website:
  Blog Post: New EU Directive Tightens Environmental Criminal Law

   

• The PPWR is changing the rules of the game when it comes to packaging

  Starting August 12, 2026, the PPWR will establish uniform EU packaging regulations for manufacturers and users of packaging. Many companies are not yet aware that they are affected by these regulations. In some cases, it is not even clear who is subject to these obligations. Those affected will have a number of tasks to complete.

  The new law is intended to reduce packaging waste and promote the circular economy. The approach to achieving this will be standardized across all EU member states in the future. As a result, roles, requirements, and processes in Germany will change. What does this mean for manufacturers and producers, as well as for other users of packaging? And what consequences could these changes have for the dual systems? We discuss these issues with our environmental law expert Dr. Simon Meyer, a partner at KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, and with Séverine Sieprath, Director in the Audit division at KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft.

  If you have any questions, you can reach them at simonmeyer@kpmg-law.com and ssieprath@kpmg.com.

  Additional information about the PPWR:

  Blog Post: New Packaging Implementation Act Tightens Requirements for Businesses

  Two-Page Summary: EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) – An Overview of the Key Requirements

   

   

• Strategically integrating funding - making targeted use of potential

  The federal government alone provides the economy with around 70 billion euros in funding for investments every year. However, many companies do not draw on these funds. Why?

  Because it is difficult to find the right one among the 2,500 or so funding programs. Because the application process is complex and the legal requirements are high. Anyone who overlooks deadlines, provides incorrect information or does not keep proper records risks rejection or even the subsequent reclaiming of funds that have already been paid out.

  In this episode of KPMG Law on air, Dr. Áron Horváth, Frieder Kallweit (both KPMG Law) and Constanz Heine (KPMG) talk about how subsidies can become a relevant financing component, how companies can find the right subsidy program and what needs to be considered when applying.

  If you have any questions, the experts will be happy to answer them at aronhorvath@kpmg-law.com, friederkallweit@kpmg-law.com and cheine@kpmg.com.

   

• Pay Transparency Directive - how to implement it in practice

  Even if the national implementation law for the EU Pay Transparency Directive has not yet been passed, employers can and should prepare for it now. They should get an overview as quickly as possible – of their job profiles and their various salary components. It is important that jobs and salaries are comparable. Because from June 2026, employers will owe their employees and applicants transparency. In this episode, Kathrin Brügger, Partner at KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, Julia Jöns, Partner at KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft and Isabel Kintzel, Compensation & Benefits Expert at KPMG, tell you what you need to do.

  The experts are available to answer any questions at kbruegger@kpmg-law.com, juliajoens@kpmg.com and ikintzel@kpmg.com

   

• Pay Transparency Directive - what it means for companies

  Germany must implement the EU Pay Transparency Directive by June 7, 2026. For all German employers, this means that they will have to disclose salaries, be able to justify unequal pay between genders and larger companies will also have to report regularly on equal pay and their measures. Kathrin Brügger, Partner, and André Kock, Manager at KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, give an overview of what the new rules mean in practice in the podcast.

  If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Brügger at kbruegger@kpmg-law.com and Mr. Kock at andrekock@kpmg-law.com

   

• Energy optimization for companies - from cost factor to strategic lever

  Energy is not only a significant cost factor, but is increasingly becoming a strategic factor for companies. It is not only energy-intensive companies that are undergoing a transformation. In this episode, Marc Goldberg, Partner at KPMG Law, Keywan Ghane, Partner, Performance & Strategy, KPMG, and Tobias Adelfang, Director, Audit, KPMG, discuss
  – how companies can sustainably optimize their energy costs and ensure their security of supply,
  – what role subsidies and regulatory requirements play and
  – how companies can achieve decarbonization targets while remaining internationally competitive.

  If you have any questions, please contact our experts at marcgoldberg@kpmg-law.com, kghane@kpmg.com and tadelfang@kpmg.com.

   

• From consumer to producer: companies on the way to self-sufficiency

  A large technology company has launched a project that is likely to serve as a model for many other companies: Generating its own energy from renewable sources. Lawyers Marc Goldberg and Johannes Embacher advised the company from the very beginning. In this episode, they report on the biggest legal and practical challenges in such projects, how the company overcame them and why the effort is worthwhile.

  If you have any questions, please contact our experts at marcgoldberg@kpmg-law.com and jembacher@kpmg-law.com.

   

• When board members are liable - two cases from practice

  Anyone who believes that board members can make (wrong) decisions without risk is mistaken. In fact, the executive bodies of companies make a large number of decisions every day. If they violate their duty of care, they are liable without limitation with their private assets. But what are their duties and where does the responsibility of board members end? Based on two cases from their practice, lawyers Dr. Matthias Aldejohann and Dr. Ulrich Thölke explain what board members and managing directors must do to meet their duty of care.

  If you have any questions, please contact our experts at maldejohann@kpmg-law.com and uthoelke@kpmg-law.com.