Client Alerts
Czech Republic implements EU trademark directive
What does this mean for my business? The Czech Republic has implemented EU Trademark Directive No. 2015/2436 by way of amending the Czech Trademark Act No. 441/2003, effective as of 1 January 2019. The most important changes can be summarized as follows: Trademarks do not need to be capable of graphic representation in the trademark […]...
Bulgaria to implement the EU trade secrets directive
Substantive protection and enhanced procedural framework covering goods and services, business need to implement trade secrets strategies, including identification, protection measures and structure properly potential claims....
GDPR: The Czech Republic has finally adopted national legislation
On 12 March 2019, the Czech Republic approved a legislation incorporating the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation ’GDPR’ (Regulation (EU) 2016/679). The Chamber of Deputies approved the final version of the Data Processing Act repealing the previous Act No. 101/2000 Coll. (Personal Data Protection) that was partly inapplicable from the day the GDPR came into force (25 May 2018). Along with the Data Processing Act, minor changes to dozens of statutes concerning personal data processing were also passed....
Poland: New rules for the filing of financial statements for 2018
The Act amending the Polish Accounting Act and the National Court Register Act ("Act") has introduced changes that significantly affect the obligations of entrepreneurs, particularly with regard to the filing of financial statements. In this edition of Wolf Theiss' newsletter, we highlight the most important of these changes and provide you with a practical guide for implementing the new rules in your company....
CJEU rules against Croatian legislation on retroactive nullity of loan agreements
The Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”), with its recent judgement, has set the course for the Croatian legislator attempting to intervene into existing contractual relationships. On 14 February 2019, the CJEU delivered a judgment concluding that a national law of an EU Member State cannot retroactively invalidate loan agreements that were deemed […]...
Bulgaria: The president vetoes local law implementing the GDPR
After extensive public consultations and parliamentary procedures, on 24 January 2019 the law implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC ("GDPR") into the Bulgarian Personal Data Protection Act ("Implementing Law") was officially adopted by the Bulgarian Parliament. Shortly after, on 4 February 2019, the Bulgarian President vetoed the Implementing Law due to concerns regarding the regulated data processing for journalistic purposes and the purposes of academic, artistic or literary expression....
Romania: Wolf Theiss contributes to the release of two new reports on GDPR for the CPC platform
Wolf Theiss together with other qualified legal professionals from more than 30 European countries, contributed to the release of two new reports on GDPR for the CPC network, the largest European information platform explaining data protection laws....
Poland adjusted over 150 Polish sectoral acts to GDPR
On 3 April 2019, the President of Poland signed the Act of 21 February 2019 on amending certain acts in connection with ensuring the application of the GDPR (the "Act"). The Act amends over 150 sectoral acts, including the Tax Ordinance, the Public Procurement Law, the Investment Funds Act, the Payment Services Act and the Telecommunications Law. However, some of the most noticeable changes were introduced to the Labour Code and to the Banking Law....
Poland has imposed the first fine for infringement of GDPR
On 15 March 2019, the Polish supervisory authority issued the first decision imposing an administrative fine in the amount of PLN 943,000 (approx. EUR 220,000) for the infringement of the information obligation stipulated in Article 14 of the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (the "GDPR")....
EU Parliament approves controversial EU copyright law directive
On 26 March 2019, after three years of negotiation, the EU Parliament voted in favor of the full implementation of the draft Directive on the harmonization of copyright in the "Digital Single Market" (Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market (COM(2016)0593 - C8-0383/2016 - 2016/0280(COD)). The aim of the Directive, which despite considerable concerns and Europe-wide protests was ultimately accepted by a narrow majority, is to ensure fairer remuneration to authors for the use of their works on the Internet, particularly on major platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Google-News....
Liberalization of cultivation and production of medicinal cannabis in Croatia
On 25 April 2019 the Amendments to the Act on Combating Drugs Abuse entered into force which liberalizes the cultivation and production of low THC cannabis for medicinal purposes in Croatia. With the new law going into effect, companies which have a manufacturing authorization for drugs or active substances from the Croatian Agency for Medicinal […]...
Amendments to the Croatian companies act
New amendments to the Croatian Companies Act entered into force on 20 April 2019. The aim of the amendments is easier and more efficient incorporation and termination of limited liability companies and simple limited liability companies along with the implementation of the Shareholders Directive....