The General Secretariat of the Belgian data protection authority has published an informational booklet outlining the relationship between the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the Artificial Intelligence Regulation, which came into force on 1 August 2024. The authority’s aim with the informational booklet is to provide insights into the application of data protection requirements during the development and deployment of artificial intelligence systems. Data protection requirements and legal standards are key to ensure that artificial intelligence systems operate ethically, responsibly and lawfully.

Law 5123/2024 aims to modernize the institutional framework governing pledges by creating a streamlined and contemporary legislative structure. The new law is expected to come into force once the particulars of operation of the Electronic Pledge Registry are determined by the Hellenic Cadastre’s Board of Directors or the 31st of December 2024, whichever comes first. Specifically, for share pledges, the current legal regime involves numerous formalities, and reducing these requirements would be welcomed by legal practitioners.

Starting on 1 January 2025, the parallel import of medicines into Ukraine will come into force, allowing dealers that are authorised by manufacturers of medicinal products to import medicines in parallel with said manufacturers. The expected outcomes of this new regime are higher competition and lower prices for relevant medicines.

Dealmaking is a dance with a uniquely complex, dynamic and unrehearsed choreography. Numerous factors come into play. Ticking all the boxes, satisfying or waiving the conditions precedent (merger clearances, regulatory and third-party approvals, etc.), every step duly documented and catalogued in a closing memo and a closing binder, and ultimately celebrated at a stylish closing dinner.

While legal professionals may not possess the solution for upcoming winter to the widely discussed problem of frozen Tesla door handles or expertise in selecting personalized lock sounds for electric vehicles (EVs), we do offer valuable advice for landlords aiming to integrate their current property infrastructure with the growing prevalence of EV charging stations.

From 1 April 2025, Slovakia will introduce a new financial transactions tax (daň z finančných transakcií) as part of the government´s consolidation package. This is not an early April fools' day joke.

In Montenegro the Law on Amendments to the Law on Copyright and Related Rights came into force and it aims to harmonize Montenegrin legislation with EU legislative, particularly in the part that facilitates broad access to copyrighted works by enabling the sharing of online content through various platforms.

A creditor has forgiven part of a debtor's debt on the condition that the debtor will make every effort to avoid insolvency and repay at least the remaining, unforgiven part. However, the creditor also set a resolutive condition: if the debtor were to become insolvent (i.e. the court declared it bankrupt), the debt forgiveness agreement was to be void from the outset and the debtor would be obliged to repay the debt in full.

Presumably many of us have watched Bonanza when they were younger. Bonanza is an American Western TV series about the Wild West of the 1860s. It wasn’t an easy life – lawlessness reigned, and justice was only for the strong.However, in 2024, it’s a different story – the laws are in place and being effectively enforced. The development and use of artificial intelligence is no longer a lawless environment. Existing regulations remain in place, and now a new Artificial Intelligence Regulation has entered into force, carrying hefty fines of up to €35 million or up to 7% of a company’s global turnover. So, the answer to the question in the headline is already a pre-emptive 'no'.

As Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards continue to dominate business conversations, the European Union (EU) drives the momentum by placing the ‘energy efficiency first’ principle at the heart of its energy policy. These efforts further aim to enhance governance, transparency and strengthen the link between climate change mitigation and environmental protection measures.

The Act of July 7, 2023, amending the Act on Spatial Planning and Development was published on August 24, 2023, and entered into force in most of its content 30 days after its publication. However, the most important changes revolutionizing spatial development in Poland will enter into force by the end of 2025. The changes will mainly affect the obligations of municipalities.

On October 16, the Ministry of Finance published draft amendments of, as many as, 7 laws in the field of taxation, with an invitation to interested parties to submit comments, suggestions and objections to the published drafts by October 23. In addition to tax laws, drafts and amendments to the Law on Public Property and the Law on Republic Administrative Fees were published.

REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), the investment structure focused on real estate assets and related revenues generated by them has been implemented and used around the world due to the advantages brought to its investors.

On 10^th October 2024, the Commission for the Protection of Competition (“Commission”) initiated an ex officio investigation proceedings for potential antitrust violation involving DELHAIZE SERBIA DRUŠTVO SA OGRANIČENOM ODGOVORNOŠĆU BEOGRAD (NOVI BEOGRAD), Mercator-S DOO BEOGRAD, UNIVEREXPORT EXPORT-IMPORT DOO, and DIS DOO KRNJEVO (“Companies”).

In recent years, Ukraine has experienced a significant shift towards digitalization, with the advent of electronic identification (eID) means and trust services being a pivotal element of this revolutionary transformation. As Ukraine endeavours to embrace technology-driven solutions, eID means and trust services - enabling, inter alia, electronic signatures (eSignatures) - have emerged as readily accessible and efficient alternatives to traditional handwriting methods, thereby streamlining processes, minimizing reliance on paper-based documentation, and eliminating the need for the physical presence of signatories in one place.

On October 22nd, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) issued a precedent-setting ruling in the Kolin Inşaat Turizm Sanayi ve Ticaret case (C-652/22 – the “Kolin case”). This is of crucial importance to contractors engaging or aiming to engage in the public procurement market of the European Union (“EU”), who originate from countries outside of the EU that are not party to international agreements with the EU which would formally admit such contractors to public tenders in the EU.

The National Bank of Hungary (NBH) introduced a new guideline No. NBH's 9/2024, also known as the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Guideline. This initiative aims to help financial institutions incorporate sustainability considerations into their risk management processes. The Guideline seeks to standardise the collection and assessment of ESG information, thereby enhancing predictability in legal compliance and reducing administrative burdens for businesses applying for credit.

The new Waste Management Law of Montenegro (“the Law”), which came into force on April 12, 2024, represents a step further towards harmonizing Montenegrin legislation with the acquis communautaire, namely key European Union (“EU”) directives in the area of waste management.