The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia adopted several proposed laws related to construction during its session on 26 July 2023.

The 2024 tax package bill accepted by the Hungarian Parliament on 4 July 2023, brings changes in various areas.

On 11 July 2023, the European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA”) published a public statement (“ESMA Statement”) regarding sustainability-related disclosure requirements in prospectuses for both equity and non-equity securities.

The new amendments to the law on foreigners and the law on the employment of foreigners, which will apply from 1 February 2024 ("Amendments"), significantly simplify and shorten the procedure for employment of foreign citizens in the Republic of Serbia and contribute to increased efficiency of the procedure, which will allow foreigners to be employed in the Republic of Serbia in a very short period of time.

Although the deadline for transposing Directive (EU) 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (the Whistleblowing Directive) into national law passed on 17 December 2021, the Czech Republic has been among those Member States struggling to adopt a corresponding act into local legislation. Nonetheless, after turbulent discussions and legislative proposals, the bill has finally been passed and came into force on 1 August 2023.

The new Law on Electronic Communications, published on April 29, 2023, in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia no. 35/23, went into force on May 7, 2023. With the entry into force of the new law, the previous Law on Electronic Communications ceases to be valid (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, nos. 44/2010, 60/2013, 62/2014 and 95/2018) except for certain provisions related to the secrecy of electronic communications, legal interception, and retention of data, as well as other specific provisions that will be valid until the adoption of by-laws prescribed by the new Law on Electronic Communications.

On 9 August 2023, the Ukrainian Parliament passed an extensive set of amendments to the competition law. These currently await signature by the President and are expected to come into force on 1 January 2024, save for certain provisions that will become effective after martial law is lifted.

As we previously reported, the pivotal Energy Community Ministerial Meeting held in Tepelenë, Albania, in June signaled potential developments in green energy and decarbonisation in the Western Balkans (WB).

In the world of finance, the rise of environmental, social and governance considerations has compelled bankers, investment professionals and banking and finance lawyers to reevaluate their mindset.

Significant legal changes occurred in the Hungarian pharmaceutical and food industry in the summer of 2023. According to Government Decree No. 333/2023. (VII. 20.), as of 1 August 2023, the National Public Health Centre (NNK) and the National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition (OGYÉI) merged, establishing a new authority, the National Centre for Public Health and Pharmacy (Nemzeti Nepegeszsegugyi es Gyogyszereszeti Kozpont, NNGYK).

In July 2023, the Ukrainian parliament adopted several laws on changes to the Labour Code of Ukraine, which relate to maternity leaves, as well as list and dates of public holidays.

It is not uncommon for an employee to disagree with and criticise his superior. In this case the fundamental right to freedom of expression of the employee competes with his obligation to co-operate with his colleagues. Further, there are cases where the criticism by the employee is not protected by the freedom of expression and may be ground for dismissal, as shown by a fresh decision of the Hungarian Supreme Court analysed in this short article.

The EU Directives on Work-life balance and on Transparent and predictable working conditions were introduced into the Lithuanian national legislation in August 2022 with the remainder following on 01 January 2023 and brought about significant changes and obligations for the employers. What do they mean for businesses?

The public procurement tool is intended to prevent foreign subsidies (as defined in Art. 3 FSR) from distorting competition in the internal market. This happens when companies are able to submit unduly advantageous bids that drive competitors unsupported by state funds out of the market, for example because they are subject to the strict prohibition of intra-EU State aid under Art. 107(1) TFEU. The need to counteract market-distorting subsidies from third countries is "particularly pronounced" in public procurement, since public contracts are financed with taxpayers' money. 

On April 28, 2023, symbolically on the International Day for Safety and Health at Work, the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia adopted the New Law on Safety and Health at Work (“Official Gazette of the RS”, No. 35/2023 – hereinafter: the New Law), which entered into force on May 7, 2023. The New Law brings a large number of novelties in the field of safety and health at work (hereinafter: OSH), and its main goal is the complete alignment of OSH regulation with European standards, and consequently, a significant reduction in the number of injuries at work and occupational diseases of employees.

On July 10, 2023, the European Commission (“Commission“) adopted its adequacy decision for the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (“DPF”). The decision concludes that the United States (“US”) ensures an adequate level of data protection – comparable to that of the European Union (“EU“).

The yearbook of the Hungarian tax authority summarising the most important tax events and statistics for 2022 has been published. It shows, among other things, the number of fines imposed and the effectiveness with which the tax authority's decisions can be challenged. We have compiled the most important and informative figures from the yearbook.

The EU Directive on Work-life balance was implemented in the Slovenian national legislation on 01 April 2023, resulting in notable changes and obligations for employers. As for the EU Directive on Transparent and predictable working conditions, its provisions will be incorporated within the amendments to the Employment Relationship Act, which will anticipatedly be presented to the National Assembly for adoption in the upcoming autumn. What implications do these directives hold for businesses?