To learn more about these changes and recent developments in EU, mainly in Austria, Bulgaria and Slovenia, please download attachment.
Read the full text
The new security of gas supply regulation on the horizon – The view of Austria, Bulgaria and Slovenia
On 16 February 2016, the European Commission officially presented the new Energy Security Package, which aims at increasing the role of the EC in the energy sector by introducing a series of changes....
Important changes in Austrian competition law – An overview
On 25 April 2017, important changes ("Amendments") to Austrian competition law entered into force - a number of changes will enter into force at different times....
Lex mercator passed in Slovenia in response to Agrokor’s sistress
The New Law Aims at Protecting Entities against the Negative Effects of Insolvency by their Majority Owners...
Solar boom in Hungary
RES financial incentive scheme in Hungary – Impacts on the regulatory and investment environment of the development of photovoltaic power plants...
Arbitration courts will not hear consumer disputes
On 27 January 2017 a new bill amending the Bulgarian Civil Procedure Code entered into force (the “Bill”). Among others, the Bill (i) reduces the scope of the competences of the arbitration courts and (ii) sets new requirements for the organisation of those courts' activity. Apart from the Civil Procedure Code, the Bill also amends and supplements the International Commercial Arbitration Act and the Consumers Protection Act....
Significant changes to green certificates support scheme in Romania
Against a backdrop of hotly debated issues, the Romanian Government brought much-needed changes to the green certificates support scheme (1), by way of Government Emergency Ordinance no. 24 of 30 March 2017 (the "Ordinance"). The scope of the changes is, primarily, to strike a balance between two diverging interests, those of the producers, and those of the consumers, to encourage, ultimately, an increase in demand for green certificates ("GC")....
Special legislation aimed at rescuing Agrokor is now in force
On 6 April 2017 the Croatian Parliament passed the Act on Special Administration Procedure for Companies of Systemic Importance for the Republic of Croatia ("Act"), commonly referred to as Lex Agrokor. The Act was published on the same date and entered into force on 7 April 2017....
Update on mandatory electronic mailboxes for legal entities
As of 1 August 2016, the Slovak Republic instituted the mandatory use of electronic mailboxes (accounts) (hereinafter the "emails") for legal entities. The obligation was introduced by Act No. 305/2013 Coll., on e-Government as amended (hereinafter the "Act on e-Government"), whereby the respective state authority was obliged to activate the emails by 1 August 2016 without any further conditions....
Further pieces of MiFID II puzzle fall into place
TECHNICAL STANDARDS BECOME EFFECTIVE As 3 July 2017 gets closer, and January 2018 is also approaching rapidly, the regulators and the in-scope firms across Europe are well advanced in their efforts for transposing MiFID II....
Host provider liability for hate speech posts and obligation to deliver user data
No liability of host providers for unlawful content of internet-users in case of timely deletion of hate speech posts | Obligation to deliver user data in case conviction is possible or not totally excluded...
MiFID II – WAG Ministerialentwurf – Massive Änderungen
Der Ministerialentwurf (ME) zur Umsetzung des Market in Financial Instruments Directive 2014/65/EU (MiFID II) Paketes in Österreich ist am 31.3.2017 im Nationalrat eingelangt. Die Begutachtungsfrist läuft bis 24.4.2017. Mit dem ME wird die MiFID II in nationales Recht umgesetzt. Kern der Umsetzung ist ein neues BörseG 2018 und ein neues WAG 2018....
Energy efficiency in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Law on Energy Efficiency (hereinafter: the Law) was for the first time enacted in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 2 February 2017. The purpose of the Law is, inter alia, to achieve sustainable energy development, mitigate adverse environmental impacts and, also, increase the security of the energy supply. The Law defines energy efficiency as the relationship between the usage of energy and achieved effect in services, goods or energy. The Law entered into force on 1 April 2017....