Legal Updates from Top Tier CEE Lawyers

Non-Compete Clause in Employment Relationships: Can the Validity of the Clause be Terminated Unilaterally by the Employer?

In the practice of the Court of Appeal in Belgrade, in the judgment No. Gž1 1900/20 dated 19.03.2021 (“Judgment“), the following position was taken:

Replacement of the Paper Labour Book with an Electronic Employment Record and Register: A New Era in Employment Documentation

As of June 1, 2025, the traditional paper labour book will be phased out in favor of a digital alternative. All employment data will now be maintained in an electronic employment register managed by the National Revenue Agency (NRA). This transition is part of a broader effort to modernize the Labour Code and digitize employment relationships, aiming to eliminate the risks associated with physical document loss and to ensure that data is always current and accurate.

New Rules for Fleet Insurance in the Czech Republic

On 5 June 2024, the Czech government introduced a proposal to the Czech Parliament that brings fundamental changes to fleet insurance in the Czech Republic. This proposal provides additional obligations on fleet policyholders. Please see the details below.

Deposit Refund System is on the Horizon

The grace period until 30 June 2024 is slowly expiring for manufacturers to market products that do not yet comply with the Deposit Refund System (DRS) rules.

Ukraine Introduces Special Auctions for the Ancillary Services Market, Introducing Special Auctions for Providing the Power System with Frequency and Active Power Control Reserves

The National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (NEURC) issued Resolution No. 1172 on 26 June 2024 "On Approval of Amendments to Certain NEURC Resolutions. This resolution allows for the signing of five-year agreements in the ancillary services market by introducing special auctions.

NATO Summit Preview – EUR 40 Billion in Military Aid for Ukraine in 2025 and New NATO Command to Coordinate Military Aid and Training for Ukraine are Priority Deliverables

Outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has secured the unanimous support of NATO country ambassadors for €40 billion (approximately US$43 billion) in lethal and non-lethal military aid to Ukraine in 2025. NATO leadership is expected to approve the agreement during the annual NATO Summit, which will take place July 9-11, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Postponed Entry into force of the New Land Registry Act and Other Amendments to Different Laws

A bill amending certain laws affecting the functioning of the state was adopted by the Parliament in the middle of June 2024. The bill postpones again the entry into force of the new Land Registry Act to 15 January 2025. In addition, the bill amends provisions in several different areas of law (e.g. health, education, immigration).

New AML and CFT Legislative Package of the EU

The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism legislative package of the European Union (“EU”), proposed on 20 July 2021 by the European Commission, and approved by the European Parliament plenary this April was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 19 June. The new legislative package introduces significant regulatory changes in connection with the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing, both on European and national level.