Challenge

A US Fortune 500 chemical company approached Alber & Geiger seeking regulatory and advocacy support over a European Union proposal that would have classified Titanium Dioxide as a cat.2 suspected carcinogen by inhalation. Such a decision would have affected our client’s revenue and increased risk of similar regulatory measures in the other jurisdictions across the globe.

Strategy

With the experts opinion from the ECHA’s Risk Assessment Committee delivered to the European Commission, our team quickly embarked on a campaign aimed at highlighting the broader ramifications of classification on other EU policies and beyond Titanium Dioxide.

We pursued a strategy that put the spotlight on loss of consumer choice, impact on jobs and EU competitiveness as well as cost to downstream users. Alber & Geiger also broadened the issue to include political considerations and other players. On top of the European Commission, in particular DG Envi and DG Grow and the Member States’ Competent Authorities, we reached out to the Permanent Representations of the Member States as well as select Members of the European Parliament.

Results

Our advocacy helped thwart the original carcinogen classification that would have harmed our client. Through active engagement at the regulatory and political level, we helped find a suitable compromise for our client, which was then mirrored in the European Commission amended proposal.

Instead of outright carcinogen labelling on Titanium Dioxide, the European Commission changed its position by agreeing for classification to apply to Titanium Dioxide in powder form, only on the level of manufacture and without carcinogenicity labelling in the end products.

Challenge

The Ukrainian company Milkiland had been ignored and effectively passed down with respect to a crucial development loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Milkiland sought out help. The challenge was to overcome the network of interests that were blocking the EBRD from assessing the request of Milkiland on the face of it.

Strategy

The strategy was for us to simulate a check and balance mechanism in a more private context, within the nature of EBRD, being positioned in between the public and private domain. We co-ordinated the relevant playmakers and acquired a detailed awareness of EBRD’s internal politics. We delicately navigated the assortment of economic and political objectives and obligations.

We put forward that the behaviour of the EBRD was contrary to the purpose of the organization. By prejudicing the position of a Ukrainian company, it was acting against the stated objective of helping Ukraine become a stand-alone market economy.

Results

The result was a tremendous 30 million dollar loan for Milkiland. This achievement was the consequence of a careful triangulation of sensitive political and private interests. Legal and institutional certainty, and ethical business behaviour, are now a cause for enhanced development prospects in Ukraine.

Challenge

Relativity Space is a U.S. launch vehicle manufacturer developing Terran-R, a next-generation heavy-lift rocket designed to expand global access to space. As Europe accelerates its industrial and defence space agenda, new policy priorities around strategic autonomy, security screening, and institutional procurement created a complex market-entry environment for non-European launch providers.

For Relativity Space, the challenge was to build credible EU positioning and identify realistic cooperation pathways while navigating fragmented EU and national competences across space, defence, and industrial policy.

Strategy

Alber & Geiger developed a tailored EU market-access and government-relations strategy for Relativity Space. We mapped relevant decision-makers across the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council, and key Member State authorities, and aligned Relativity Space’s value proposition with European priorities on resilient launch capability, supply-chain security, and transatlantic cooperation.

Our team supported targeted outreach, prepared policy messaging, and advised on structuring engagement with European stakeholders, including space agencies and defence-related interlocutors, to establish a clear pathway for long-term institutional acceptance.

Results

Relativity Space secured stronger visibility and strategic positioning in Europe, with a clear engagement roadmap across EU and Member State stakeholders. The company established a credible narrative linking its launch capabilities to Europe’s evolving access-to-space priorities and laid the foundation for sustained cooperation discussions with European institutions and national authorities.