On 10 July 2026, the European Commission adopted Case AT.40823, a binding 10-year decision requiring SAP to eliminate reinstatement fees, cap back-maintenance, enable landscape splitting, and permit third-party support. A Commission-appointed Monitoring Trustee will enforce compliance with full access to SAP's sales incentive structures. For customers, this is a once-in-a-generation negotiating reset. Your leverage peaks through December 2026 when SAP needs bookings. After mid-2027, the deadline becomes SAP's ally. Action now: baseline your footprint, file split requests, reprice third-party alternatives, and negotiate from your improved status quo position before year-end.
