Latest Germany Headlines

All the headlines from our Germany Topic Page, ordered by recency.

German Cannabis Legalization Uncertainty Is Spooking Investors

Mar 21 2024 // Investors in Germany’s cannabis sector are holding back and some startups risk running out of cash amid uncertainty over whether a partial legalization of the drug for recreational use will take effect as planned on...

Tesla Arson Case Shows Need to Protect Power Grid, Says German Utility Westenergie

Mar 12 2024 // German policymakers should team up with power grid operators to improve the response to incidents such as the arson attack near Tesla’s gigafactory, said the head of regional utility Westenergie. Security measures...

German Industry Sounds Alarm on Infrastructure Security After Tesla Attack

Mar 6 2024 // German industry called for better protection of critical infrastructure on Wednesday after a suspected arson attack by leftist activists on Tesla’s gigafactory outside Berlin halted production until further...

Germany Passes Law Legalizing Personal Use of Cannabis

Feb 26 2024 // German lawmakers approved a controversial bill legalizing personal use of cannabis, paving the way for controlled consumption of the drug from April 1. The legislation introduced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s...

Germany to Approve Cannabis Bill This Week in Legalization Drive

Feb 20 2024 // German lawmakers will approve delayed legislation decriminalizing personal use of cannabis this week, paving the way for it to take effect on April 1, according to Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. The law, set to pass the...

Cyberattack Hits German Battery Maker Varta, Halts Production

Feb 14 2024 // German battery maker Varta AG was hit by a cyberattack Monday night that halted production in five of its production facilities, the company said. The company’s information technology systems “and thus also...

German Court Rules Against Intel in Patent Row Over Chips

Feb 8 2024 // A court in Germany has issued an injunction against the sale of some of Intel’s chips, in a patent dispute between the U.S. tech giant and a U.S. rival that filed the complaint. The regional court in Dusseldorf ruled...

Germany Hit by Strikes as Workers Demand Better Pay and Conditions

Feb 6 2024 // Germany has been hit by a series of strikes since the start of 2024 as unions press for higher wages and improved working conditions to make up for high inflation and staff shortages in Europe’s largest economy. The...

Europe’s Toughest ESG Rule Hits Wall of German Objections

Feb 2 2024 // The European Union’s most stringent ESG rule to date may be scuppered due to eleventh-hour German opposition to the plan. The EU was on track to move forward with the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive...

Gallagher Acquires German Specialty Broker Köberich Financial Lines

Jan 8 2024 // Gallagher announced it has acquired Köberich Financial Lines. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Köberich specializes in D&O insurance, plus other financial lines products including cyber, warranties &...

Extreme Weather in Germany Costs Insurers US$5.4 Billion in 2023: GDV

Dec 29 2023 // Extreme weather in Germany again caused high insurance claims this year, with an estimated price tag of €4.9 billion (US$5.4 billion) during 2023, according to the German Insurance Association (GDV). This extreme weather...

German Companies Seeking to Cut Risk of Doing Business in China: Survey

Dec 5 2023 // Nearly half of German companies operating in China are taking measures to reduce the risk of doing business there largely due to growing geopolitical tensions, according to a new survey by the German Chamber of Commerce in...

River Rhine in South Germany Closed to Shipping Due to High Water Levels

Nov 20 2023 // Parts of the river Rhine in south Germany remain closed to shipping on Monday after a rise in water levels following recent heavy rain, navigation authorities said on Monday. Rhine river shipping remains stopped around...

People Moves: QBE Germany Appoints 2 Marine U/Ws; BHSI Names Jaghbir as Underwriting Manager in Queensland, Australia

Oct 25 2023 // This edition of International People Moves details appointments at QBE Germany and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI). A summary of these new hires follows here. QBE Germany Appoints 2 Marine U/Ws QBE Germany...

Hannover Re’s Germany Unit Expects Further Price Hikes at January Renewals

Oct 23 2023 // E+S Rückversicherung AG, the Hannover Re subsidiary responsible for the group’s German business, expects further price increases and improved conditions during the Jan. 1, 2024 reinsurance renewals. Natural...

Derisking Dilemma: How German Companies Are Tackling China Risk

Oct 19 2023 // Thomas Nuernberger is preparing for tougher times. For the past seven years, the 55-year-old has run the Chinese unit of fan and motor maker ebm-papst, and business has been good. But, as tensions simmer between Berlin and...

Germany to Send Air Defenses for Kyiv to Guard Grain Routes

Oct 6 2023 // Germany plans to supply additional air defenses for Ukraine to help protect grain shipments from potential Russian attacks, according to people familiar with the matter. Berlin will send one extra IRIS-T air defense system...

Low Water Levels Hamper Rhine River Shipping in Germany

Oct 5 2023 // Low water levels after recent dry weather are preventing cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the Rhine river in Germany with surcharges added to the usual freight rates, commodity traders said on Thursday. Low water...

PE Firm Cinven Eyes Sale of German Life Insurer Viridium: Sources

Oct 3 2023 // Cinven is considering a sale of German life insurer Viridium after another of its insurance investments in Europe, Eurovita, was hit by heavy customer outflows earlier in the year, three people familiar with the matter...

Tech Startups in US, France, Germany Help in Fight Against Wildfires

Sep 25 2023 // This year has been a challenging one for Phil Schneider, who hasn’t seen wildfire behavior like this in his 47-year firefighting career. Blazes raged through more than 2,000 acres of wildland in recent months in his...