Did you know that, according to the Activity Rankings function of the CEELMDirect website, of the 88 law firm partners who have reported working on disputes in CEE over the past 12 months, only nine have reported working on more than one?

On 22 March 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted Resolution No. 331, which amended the process of adoption and placement of children into other forms of family care.

On 27 February 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the Procedure for Issuing, Circulating and Redeeming Guarantees of Origin for Electricity Generated from Renewable Energy Sources and the Procedure for Determining the Environmental Value of Electricity Generated from Renewable Energy Sources.

In The Debrief, our Practice Leaders across CEE share updates on recent and upcoming legislation, consider the impact of recent court decisions, showcase landmark projects, and keep our readers apprised of the latest developments impacting their respective practice areas.

An in-depth look at Armen Khachaturyan of Asters covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer as well as a few insights about him as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.

On 18 October 2023, the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding Mandatory Registration and Use of Electronic Accounts in the Unified Judicial Information and Telecommunication System (UJITS) or its separate subsystem (Module) that provides for the exchange of documents" dated 29 June 2023 No. 3200-IX (hereinafter referred to as the Law) came into effect. The Law introduces changes to the provisions of procedural codes, particularly the Civil Procedural Code of Ukraine, the Commercial Procedural Code of Ukraine and the Code of Administrative Procedure of Ukraine.

On 24 January 2024, the NEURC adopted the Resolution "On Amendments to Certain Resolutions of the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission (NEURC)" (the "Resolution") to bring the secondary legislation in line with the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on Restoration and Green Transformation of the Energy System of Ukraine" No. 3220-IX dated 30 June 2023 (the "Law on "Green" Transformation").

The Government of Ukraine introduced draft law No.10449 to the Parliament, aiming to improve certain issues of mobilization, military records and military service. The published version of the draft law is not final, however, as of now, the Government is proposing the following changes to the current legislation.

Asters, working with Brodies LLP, has advised the Export Credit Agency of Ukraine on developing a new war risk insurance mechanism for the international export of Ukrainian goods through the Black Sea. Watson Farley & Williams reportedly advised the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine. Norton Rose Fulbright reportedly advised arranger Marsh Limited.

On 8 January 2024, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine issued the order "On Measures to Reduce Mutual Debts on the Electricity Market" (the "Order"), which sets out the methods for dealing with the situations where market participants have unpaid bills to each other. The purpose of the Order is to stabilize the operation of the electricity market and reduce debts in its specific segments.

Ukraine is actively gearing up for the imminent post-war reconstruction, a major undertaking to restore the infrastructure destroyed by hostilities. An integral aspect of the preparatory measures involves enhancing the legal framework to establish favourable conditions for attracting private investments into the extensive reconstruction.

Large energy companies are taking measures to become green in order to meet targets to reduce carbon emissions. The main stakeholders – investors, customers, rating agencies, and regulators – are pushing energy companies to set more environmental, social, and governance goals publicly. For these companies, the “E” in ESG should be the foundation of their strategy.

In 2024, certain currency control restrictions introduced on the first day of the full-scale invasion are still in force in Ukraine. The National Bank of Ukraine reviews and eases some of these restrictions, but many of the prohibitions on foreign exchange transactions remain.

Asters has advised the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on its EUR 10 million financing for a Ukrainian manufacturer of oak lamellas.

Counsels Oksana Legka and Oleksandr Volkov have been appointed as Partners in Asters' International Arbitration and Cross-Border Litigation practice, effective January 1, 2024.

On 24 December 2023, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted a Law of Ukraine No. 3494-IX (the ''Law''), which amends the procedure for granting vacations and their duration. The Law applies to the following:

On 27 October 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the regulation that allows non-household consumers to operate without interruption during power outages, with some exceptions. In other words, in the event of infrastructure damage this winter, imported electricity may be used to avoid supply restrictions.

On November 28, 2023, the President signed two laws that modify the procedure for opening and formalizing inheritance. These laws were developed to protect the rights of heirs in times of war or a state of emergency.