Following the development of the EU legislation and reflecting market needs and increasing interest in trading with guarantees of origin, the Bulgaria’s Ministry of Energy adopted new Ordinance No. Е-РД-04-2 of 2 April 2024 on guarantees of origin of energy from renewable sources. The new Ordinance was promulgated in State Gazette No. 32 on 9 April 2024.

As technology advances, it becomes easier and easier to record any conversation. Today, anyone with a smartphone can easily record business meetings - even in secret. There are many reasons for making a secret recording: for some it may be a security measure to avoid disputes, for others it may be an ulterior motive to use it later. But is it legally permissible to make an audio recording in secret? And what are the consequences of using a secretly made audio recording in a civil or criminal case?

On 15 February 2024, the Albanian Parliament adopted law no. 18/2024 “On some amendments and addendums on law no. 155/2015 ‘On gambling in the Republic of Albania’, as amended” (the “Gambling Law”). The amendment overturned a five-year ban on sports betting activities in Albania and entered into force on 27 March 2024.

Based on a Hungarian case, on 14 March 2024 the Court of Justice ruled that the supervisory authority of a Member State, to ensure that the GDPR is fully enforced, may order the erasure of unlawfully processed data even if prior request by the data subject has not been submitted. Such erasure may cover data collected from the affected person and data originating from another source.

The reasoning behind the draft laws not included in the laws those provisions from the EU regulations that can be applied only by the member states of the European Union, as well as those that prescribe obligations only for the member states, is questionable.

For several years, ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) standards have increased globally, the EU being a pioneer in the field through the adoption of a significant number of directives and regulations subsequently implemented at Member States’ national level in relation to these three most dynamic letters in today’s business world.

On 2 April 2024, a new bill was submitted to the Hungarian Parliament. Among other judicial system-related acts, the proposal aims to amend our Competition Act. The bill establishes the concept of ‘undertaking of fundamental importance’ (in Hungarian: “alapvető jelentőségű vállalkozás”) and gives new powers for the Competition Authority (HCA) in respect of these undertakings.

The National Tax and Customs Authority (NAV) published its 2024 audit plan on 26 March 2024, which shows that it plans to carry out more rigorous audits this year than in recent years.

To facilitate easier obtaining of residence and work permits, due to the increasing influx of foreigners coming to live and work in the Republic of Serbia, new amendments were made to the Law on Foreigners and the Law on Employment of Foreigners in 2023. As a result of these legal amendments, there was a need to adopt new bylaws that would comply with the latest changes.

To enhance the competitiveness of the Hungarian economy, the Government plans to accelerate the process of setting up companies in Hungary for foreigners. Currently, individuals who do not understand Hungarian language, should wait days or even weeks to receive the decision from the Hungarian Company Registry Court certifying the registration of their new company.

According to the provisions of the Labor Law (“Law”), in case of (culpable) breach of work obligations or non-compliance with work discipline by an employee, before terminating the employment contract or imposing another measure prescribed by Law, the employer is obliged to warn the employee in writing about the existence of grounds for termination of the employment contract and to provide them with a deadline (of at least eight days from the date of receipt of the warning) to respond to the allegations included therein.

The question is not "if" you will face a cyberattack, but "when". Ensure your cyberspace is resilient to security risks early. New cybersecurity regulation will impact many Slovak companies this year and next.

Since COVID, we have been living with a rule that makes the acquisition of ownership by foreigners in certain Hungarian companies operating in strategic sectors subject to government approval. Although we can no longer speak of a state of emergency, the rule is expected to stay with us for long – albeit with several modifications along the way, as happened in January this year.

On 26 February 2024, the 34/2024 (II.26) decree on the different application of Act C of 2000 on Accounting during an emergency was published in the Hungarian Gazette, which repeals a decree issued a few days before, on 8 February.

Contributed by Boga & Associates.

Contributed by Babic & Partners.

Contributed by Bird & Bird.

Contributed by Boga & Associates.