Johan Keetelaar on navigating Europe's evolving regulatory landscape

Johan Keetelaar recently joined Flint Global as a Partner based in Amsterdam. A former regulator and industry leader with experience at the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), Meta, Oxera and BEREC, he advises companies and investors navigating Europe's evolving competition and regulatory landscape.

Q: You've worked as a regulator, in industry and in consulting. How does that shape the advice you give clients today?

I've had the opportunity to see regulation from almost every angle. I've worked on developing policy, enforcing it, advising businesses affected by it and helping companies respond strategically.

That perspective is increasingly valuable because clients are rarely asking purely regulatory questions. They're making investment decisions, entering new markets or responding to competitive pressures, and regulation is often a key part of those discussions. My role is to help clients understand not only today's rules, but where policy is heading and what that means for their business.

Joining Flint felt like a natural next step. I've known the firm for many years and was drawn by its combination of policy and regulatory expertise, commercial understanding and analytical rigour, as well as its growing European presence.

Q: What's driving Europe's changing regulatory landscape?

Europe's regulatory agenda has expanded significantly over the past two decades. Competition law remains an essential foundation, but policymakers are now balancing a much broader set of objectives, including consumer protection, AI, privacy, cybersecurity, resilience, industrial policy and strategic autonomy.

For businesses, this means operating in an environment where policy is shaped by a broader range of economic, political and strategic considerations. The challenge for policymakers is ensuring regulation remains coherent, proportionate and supportive of innovation and investment.

Q: How is geopolitics changing the regulatory agenda?

Geopolitics has become a defining feature of European policymaking. Alongside policy goals such as competition, consumer protection, privacy and fairness, governments are increasingly focused on economic security, supply-chain resilience, data sovereignty and critical infrastructure.

These are legitimate priorities, but it's important that political considerations continue to be balanced with sound economic evidence. Well-designed regulation gives businesses the certainty they need to invest while allowing governments to respond to evolving geopolitical risks.

Q: What should businesses be preparing for?

In the short to medium term, European businesses should expect policies to stay dynamic with a relatively high level of uncertainty, as governments respond to rapid technological change and geopolitical developments. In the longer term, I think and certainly hope that there will be more predictable policies, rooted in solid evidence

Rather than reacting to new rules as they emerge, organisations should engage with policy earlier, understand the direction of travel and assess how regulatory change could affect investment, market access and commercial strategy. Those that do will be better placed to manage risk and identify opportunities.

Q: How does Flint help clients navigate this environment?

At Flint, we combine regulatory expertise with public affairs insight to help clients understand both the technical and political drivers behind policy change. By bringing together specialists in regulation, economics and government affairs, we help businesses anticipate developments, engage effectively with policymakers and regulators, and make better commercial decisions.

Our recent acquisition of Considerati further strengthens that offer in the Netherlands, giving clients access to integrated regulatory and public affairs advice as they navigate an increasingly complex European policy landscape.

To discuss how Flint can support your organisation, get in touch via our Contact Us page.