Client Alert
New decisions of the Bulgarian energy regulator – Higher electricity proces for the business and lower revenues for the renewables
On 31 July 2015 the Bulgarian Energy and Water Regulatory Commission ("EWRC") adopted three decisions to have a significant effect across the electricity value chain in Bulgaria. On the production side, the generators of electricity from renewable sources ("RES GenCos") will be negatively affected by two of the decisions that introduce new annual production thresholds for purchase of electricity under the preferential prices (Feed-in tariffs or ("FiT")) and the increase of the access to the grid price. On the consumption side, the business consumers at the liberalised market will face a considerable increase of the mandatory contribution for the so-called "price for obligations toward society" while the households will enjoy a slight decrease of the end consumption tariffs at an average of 0,11%....
New significant amendments to the Bulgarian energy legislation
On 22 July 2015 the Bulgarian Parliament adopted amendments to the Energy Act ("EA") and the Act on Energy from Renewable Sources ("AERS"), which will have a significant affect across the electricity value chain. The most critical amendments are the introduction of a mandatory contribution to a new fund "Energy System Security" by all electricity GenCos of 5% of their annual revenues and the possibility for RES GenCos to sale the produced electricity at price for surplus on the balancing market or at free negotiated prices....
OHIM`s new guidelines for examintaion on both community trademarks and registered community designs
The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) ("OHIM") revised and updated its Guidelines for Examination on both Community Trade Marks and Registered Community Designs....
BVergG-Novelle 2015 – Änderungen durch die Regierungsvorlage
Am 7.7.2015 wurde die Regierungsvorlage zur Novelle des BVergG veröffentlicht. Im Vergleich zum Ministerialentwurf vom April 2015 ist es in einigen Punkten zu interessanten Änderungen gekommen. Anbei finden Sie einen Überblick über diese Änderungen....
New amendments to the mortgage law
New Amendments to the Mortgage Law became effective on 16 July 2015. Below is a summary of the important changes that the new amendments have introduced. One of the most important changes is that, while mortgage creditors may still freely choose between judicial or non-judicial mortgage foreclosure, the process for out of court foreclosures is now much better regulated and has been simplified, so as to provide a greater level of creditor control over the out-of-court foreclosure process....
The commission on protection of competition launched a sector inquiry in the pharmaceutical sector (follow-up)
As we announced earlier in May this year, the Bulgarian Commission on Protection of Competition ("CPC", "Commission") launched a sector inquiry in the pharmaceutical sector. Ultimately, the Commission published its decision on opening a sector inquiry. It is now evident that the Commission`s investigation will be focused on the retail market of pharmaceuticals paid in full or in part by the National Health Insurance Fund ("NHIF"). The inquiry was provoked by the request of the Bulgarian Pharmaceutical Union in April 2015....
Strengthening the transparency in extractive industries in Ukraine
On 16 June 2015 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law "On Amending Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Related to Strengthening the Transparency in Extractive Industries of Ukraine” (the "Law") which will become effective in the coming weeks. This Law has been developed in order to introduce the European financial reporting standards in Ukrainian extractive industries and to ensure Ukraine’s compliance with its obligations as a candidate country for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (the "EITI")(1). EITI developed an independent and voluntary international standard for openness around the management of revenues from natural resources (the EITI Standard), which is currently being implemented by 48 countries....
Wolf Theiss hírlevél
Az Országgyűlés 2015. június 17-én elfogadta a jövő évi adótörvény változásokat. Hírlevelünkben részletesen ismertetjük az egyes adónemeket érintő legjelentősebb módosításokat....
The Lisbon system – Introduction of the geographical indications
On 21 May 2015 the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement that regulates the international registration and protection of the Appellations of Origin ("AOs"), was adopted....
ПОТРЕБИТЕЛСКИТЕ СПОРОВЕ ИЗЛИЗАТ ИЗВЪН СЪДА
На 21 май 2015 г. Народното събрание на Република България прие на първо четене Законопроект за изменение и допълнение на Закона за защита на потребителите ("Законопроектът"). Със Законопроекта се транспонира Директива 2013/11/ЕС1 ("Директивата") и се улеснява приложението на Регламент (ЕС) № 524/20132 ("Регламентът")....
New nice classification
The World Intellectual Property Organization adopted changes in the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks established under the Nice Agreement concluded back in 1957 (the "Nice Classification")....
Corporate and tax alert – Poland- June 30
2015 brought significant changes in the field of corporate law. The two most important laws for the operation of businesses, the Act on the National Commercial Register and the Commercial Companies Code, received long-awaited amendments in December 2014 and January 2015. Additionally, two rulings important for entrepreneurs have been delivered: the Supreme Court ruling on a joint irregular proxy, and the European Court of Justice ruling on imposing a tax on civil-law transactions of partnerships limited by shares. The first has fuelled discussions over the widespread use of this form of a company`s representation and the latter enables partnerships limited by shares to reclaim overpaid tax on civil law transactions....