Challenge

The European Central Bank’s (ECB) single supervisory mechanism decided to carry out its first audit of Greece’s four systemic banks since it was set up. Greece’s leading bank turned to Alber & Geiger for help amid shareholder complaints over irregularities during the last round of capital raising. Assistance was required to ensure a standard and short regulatory scrutiny that would have not weakened further the image and investor confidence in the bank and its management.

Strategy

Alber & Geiger approached directly the European banking regulators and pressed the European Commission and its respective Directorates to announce their clearance of alleged irregularities. We emphasized the importance of investigations being short to not harm the image of the bank and its management.

We then sought to restructure the confidence on the Greek and European financial sector vis-à-vis the EU and German lawmakers and administrators. Our message put on the spotlight the bureaucratic approach and lengthy investigation on the bank itself, highlighting the lurking threat of economic and social instability of requiring more EU taxpayers’ money to the rescue.

Results

Six months into the mandate, the media campaign against our client and repeated calls against its management came to a halt. We helped facilitate the exchange of views between our client and the European banking regulators at the highest political level. By doing so, we helped prevent another wave of economic instability in Greece’s largest systemic bank.

Challenge

Our client Heel leading manufacturer of homeopathic medicinal products dedicated in research, dealt with a non-suitable regulatory environment. Existing requirements as applied by national authorities did not honor investments in scientific research. Alber & Geiger faced a European Commission reluctant for legislative changes and differing Member State approaches.

Strategy

The strategy co-ordinated legal, ethical, medical and scientific concepts into coherent arguments. It showed the European Commission and the EU institutions but also relevant national competent authorities more broadly, the particularities of homeopathic medicinal products, as well as their effectiveness and safety and the different national approaches in the EU Member States.

Results

Ultimately our strategy allowed our client to enter into a constructive dialogue with relevant national authorities. Alber & Geiger followed the maxim that sometimes less regulation is more, reflecting the priorities of our clients’ industries.

Challenge

The EU had banned the pesticide Mancozeb as part of its Green Deal strategy. The ban on Mancozeb triggered a Maximum Residue Level (MRLs) review of the EU for imported bananas treated with Mancozeb, which could negatively affect the banana trade into the European Union. It was against this background that the leading banana companies including Dole, Delmonte and Chiquita reached out to Alber & Geiger, to provide regulatory and political support around MRLs in bananas.

Strategy

We were able – in a short period of time – to devise a strategy that put the spotlight on the necessity of Mancozeb and lack of efficient alternatives. We also helped put together evidence on the safety of the continued use of Mancozeb in bananas owing to the characteristics of bananas, and no associated dietary and health risks. Finally, our team brought to the attention of decision-makers trade and development arguments that emphasized further the importance of a balanced decision.

Results

The Rapporteur Member State Greece carried out an assessment of Mancozeb in bananas and proposed a Maximum Residue Level in line with the international standard under CODEX-CXL. In addition, we were able to garner support for our arguments and the preservation of the international standard for the use of Mancozeb in bananas with relevant lawmakers in the European Parliament, and key decision makers in the member states and European Commission departments.