In a recent judgment, the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) held that the claim "climate neutral" is ambiguous and often misleading unless the advertisement itself explains its specific meaning. This sets a trend for Austria, where courts have traditionally followed the standards set by the BGH in relation to environmental advertising when assessing such claims under unfair competition law. On an EU level, the restrictions regarding claims about greenhouse gas emissions are becoming even stricter, leaving advertisers with much to consider before making claims such as "climate neutral".
Employers Must Be Careful: There Is a Way That the Termination May be Unlawful Despite the Acknowledgement of Receipt
In a recent judicial case, the courts examined the legality of a termination notice delivered via postal service, where the core issue revolves around whether the employer fulfilled the legal requirement of notifying the employee of the termination of employment according to the Hungarian Labor Code.
Artificial Intelligence and Patent Law
Amidst the adoption of the Artificial Intelligence Act by the European Union Council, as the world’s first legislation setting a global standard for regulating artificial intelligence (“AI“), we are entering into the still unregulated territory of the relationship between patent law and AI.
Where is the Domestic Property Market Heading?
Some segments of the real estate market are expected to improve slowly, while ESG considerations are becoming increasingly important, according to the DLA Piper Hungary Real Estate Intelligence Report 2024. These are the key trends shaping the Hungarian real estate market.
Use of Video Surveillance Footage as Evidence in Disciplinary Proceedings
In this article, we address a common question in practice – under which conditions can an employer use video surveillance footage in disciplinary proceedings against an employee?
Czech Class Actions Series – Part II
Czech Class Actions Act already effective: who are the subjects of class actions in the Czech Republic?
NBU Grants Eurobonds Repayment Relief for Major Ukrainian Corporate Issuers
With effect from 11 July 2024, the National Bank of Ukraine (“NBU”) introduced a long-awaited exemption from the moratorium on foreign currency cross-border transfers (“Moratorium”). This exemption is expected to facilitate the repayment of Eurobonds by major Ukrainian corporate issuers, which had faced significant challenges in making payments under their Eurobonds since the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
A Two-Stage Procedure Could Help in Environmental Authority Cases in Hungary from 1 July 2024
To further safeguard Hungary’s natural values and resources, promote a greener economy, and enhance the circular economy, the Hungarian Government introduced the possibility of two-level proceedings in environmental authority cases starting from 1 July 2024. This measure aims to strengthen the protection of public health and the environment.
Digest of Recent Legislative Developments in the Fields of Energy and Natural Resources
A summary of recent legislative developments in the fields of energy and natural resources in Ukraine.
Important Changes to Bulgaria's AML Legislation – What has Changed and What Does the Future Hold?
In recent months, Bulgaria has undergone significant changes to its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) legislation intending to achieve the long-overdue complete transposition of the EU 2018/843 Directive into national law and meeting the higher standards set forth in the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) recommendations on Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), especially following the country’s inclusion in FATF’s so-called “grey list” of jurisdictions under increased monitoring. Naturally, these changes give rise to a number of new obligations for businesses to comply with. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the most significant changes.
Romania Strengthens Screening of EU Investments
Further to the December 2023 amendments to the Romanian regime for screening inbound direct investments (that we previously covered here), which formally included EU investors within the scope of screening, the Romanian Parliament has adopted a new law (the “New Law”) to further strengthen the approach towards EU investors.
National Bank of Ukraine Updates Several Foreign Currency Restrictions
On 11 July 2024, new foreign currency (“FX”) easings came into effect to increase Ukraine's investment attractiveness and raise private foreign capital. Specifically, the latest package of amendments, introduced by Resolution No. 83 of the National Bank of Ukraine (the “NBU”) dated 09 July 2024 (“Resolution No. 83”), includes the following FX liberalization measures.
Legal Regulation of Artificial Intelligence: European AI Act
One of the most current news this year, which turned out to be equally interesting to both legal experts and IT industry professionals, was the adoption of the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (“AI Act“) as the first regulatory framework regarding artificial intelligence (“AI“) adopted at the EU level. The aim of the AI Act is to bring the European Union (“EU“) to the forefront of the artificial intelligence race, while simultaneously ensuring the protection of human rights, the environment, the rule of law, and democracy.
The Supreme Administrative Court has Ruled: Failure to Declare Is No Reason to Pay Default Interest on Correctly Accrued And Timely Paid Advance Corporate Income Tax Instalments
The Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) ordered the National Revenue Agency (NRA) to repay default interest charged on precisely defined and fully paid advance corporate income tax instalments that were not declared.
Preparing for the Future: Romania’s National AI Strategy and the EU AI Act
Last week was full of exciting news in relation to AI in Romania. First, the long-awaited AI Act was published in the EU’s Official Journal on 12 July, becoming Regulation (EU) 2024/1689. The AI Act is an essential part of the EU’s extensive digital strategy, alongside the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act. The EU digital strategy aims to establish a thorough regulatory framework that tackles the diverse challenges and opportunities of the digital economy. Secondly, the Romanian Government approved the National Strategy regarding Artificial Intelligence (“AI Strategy”) on 11 July. The AI Strategy aims to contribute to Romania’s adoption of digital technologies in the economy and society, while respecting human rights and promoting excellence and trust in AI.
NIS2 Directive and the new Bill on Cybersecurity
What is the NIS2 Directive and from when does it apply?
New Grounds for Termination of Employment and Suspension of Employees
On 25 April 2024, Ukrainian Parliament adopted the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to the Labour Code of Ukraine on Establishing Additional Grounds for Termination of Employment Agreement at the Initiative of the Employer and Certain Other Issues” (the “Law”), which is aimed at strengthening the protection of Ukraine's national security.
How Can Legal Design Make Private Policies More Effective?
Articles 13 and 14, along with other provisions of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (the GDPR), require businesses to provide individuals with comprehensive information about the processing of their personal data.