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17 New Articles

Following its separation from the Soviet Union, the Republic of Moldova has pitched upon a rigid labor law system defined by overly protective conditions toward employees.

This Legal Monitoring Report includes the latest and most relevant amendments to the national legislation for forward-looking businesses. This month, several amendments were made to the Law on State Aid, Law on Consumer Protection, Law of Protection of Trade Secrets, as well as to the Customs Code and Law on Energy. The Report also outlines changes to the IT parks activity, as well as recent adjustments to the minimum and average salary in the economy for 2024.

As of October 22, 2023, a number of significant legal amendments come into effect regarding the relationships between shareholders and founders of commercial companies in the Republic of Moldova. These amendments introduce essential reforms to the Limited Liability Company Law No. 135/2007 and aim to enhance the business environment, facilitate investments, and strengthen shareholder relationships.

Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii Partner Gabriela Anton, Gecic Law Counsel Miodrag Jevtic, ACI Partners Head of Banking/Finance Marina Zanoga, Avellum Managing Partner Mykola Stetsenko, NazaIi Tax & Legal Partner Nilay Goker Duran, PRK Partners Senior Attorney-at-Law Norbert Hink, and Schoenherr Bulgaria Local Partner Tsvetan Krumov look at how the financial services landscape in the CEE region has been shifting, as local non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs) are gradually gaining ground in an area historically dominated by the banking sector.

By the middle of 2023, Moldova will likely have a modified Competition Law. The existing Competition Law dates back to 2012, and its material and procedural norms are almost intact in their original form. Since then, however, the Moldovan economy and society underwent profound changes.

In recent years, Initial Public Offerings on foreign exchange markets became a hot topic of discussion in Moldova. The Purcari Wineries Group, one of the biggest wineries in Moldova, got listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange Market. Others are also tackling the prospects. An IPO on a reputable market means better corporate governance, transparency, prestige, and access to new sources of funding.

The spring of 2023 brought a genuine spring mood into the Moldovan energy sector. The overall feeling is that Moldova came out of the winter that, by many predictions, should have frozen it solid and is now eagerly looking forward to bright, although still occasionally frosty, days ahead.

On June 23, 2022, the European Council granted Moldova the status of candidate country for EU accession. ACI Partners Legal Manager Carolina Parcalab, Bivol Sotchi & Partners Managing Partner Inna Sotchi, Efrim Rosca si Asociatii Managing Partner Oleg Efrim, and Gladei & Partners Managing Partner Roger Gladei explore the recent changes in Moldova resulting from its new status.

The Legal Monitoring Report deals with amendments to the Law on Joint Stock Companies and the Compulsory Licensing Mechanism, ratification of the Agreement on the Transportation of Goods, and approval of Legal Framework on Cuber Security, the FISCALIS Agreement and Ecolabel Regulations.

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ACI Partners at a Glance

ACI Partners is a leading law firm in Moldova with an expanding network of partners throughout Europe. ACI Partners was established in 2006 and since then has managed to build a very strong and competitive legal practice. Our business strategy strives to deliver a solid and reliable service, going beyond merely grasping the law, which the clients may turn to whenever they need. In reaching this goal, ACI Partners employs a personalized approach to each client, showing a genuine respect for their values and unqualified commitment to their interests and needs, steadily investing in knowledge and data management and ensuring a working environment consistent with our clients’ quality demands and high expectations.

ACI Partners is a one-stop shop law firm proficient in all possible legal matters a business might come across in Moldova, starting with incorporation of a business, and obtaining of all the necessary regulatory permits, continuing with various daily matters, such as contracts, labor, and migration, and finishing with dispute settlement, insolvencies, and criminal investigations. But we pride ourselves especially for our unmatched expertise in most innovative and complex areas for Moldova, as Modern Financial Products, Data Protection, Renewable Energy, Competition, Clinical Studies, Public Procurement, and Regulatory. In our work, we always involve a team of professionals with the relevant skill-mix, which enables us to provide our clients with an integrated and comprehensive advice, superior to our competitors.

ACI Partners has advised the Government of the Republic of Moldova, businesses, international organizations, and other institutions on most challenging transactions, assignments and projects.

ACI Partners is not just another law firm. Over the course of our existence and working in Moldova, and on the international stage for our non-Moldovan clients, we have developed a strong set of core values which, we believe, guide us in everything that we do and, moreover, gives us a competitive advantage – differentiating us from other firms on the market.

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