For the pharmaceutical industry in the Hungarian market, the first half of 2024 involved several legislative changes with significant practical implications. Some of these changes have yet to unfold their full impact, due to the lack of implementing regulations and prerequisite authority actions.

Despite the ongoing full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, the life sciences and healthcare sector in Ukraine is actively evolving to support the well-being of its population.

In recent years, public concern about the roles of organizations in environmental issues has significantly increased. Governments, public institutions, and non-profits now demand that companies adopt environmentally friendly practices. Consumers are seeking “green” products and investors prefer companies that prioritize environmental care. This trend has led companies to adopt greenwashing strategies in marketing to attract eco-conscious consumers.

North Macedonia, as a European Union country candidate, progresses toward integrating with the European Union’s regulatory and economic systems. As these frameworks grow more complicated, the country is tasked with continuously aligning its local industry with European and global standards.

The topic of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has lately become an actual and increasingly important aspect in Moldovan law. Until recently scarcely regulated, the activity involving GMOs was subject to significant legal loopholes. This led to the inherent risk pertaining to GMOs being difficult to control, especially with agriculture playing an important role in the national economy.

On May 28, 2024, the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (Agency) took a significant step in regulating the healthcare industry by unveiling the draft Regulation on Promotional Activities of Medicinal Products for Human Use and Foods for Special Medical Purposes (Draft). This comprehensive Draft aims to address various aspects of promotional activities, ensuring that they are conducted in a manner that upholds scientific integrity and prioritizes patient safety.

It is unavoidable that the increasing population, traffic, industrialization, used wastes, etc. pollute nature and the environment. We, as human beings, should reduce environmental pollution for future generations. This is where alternative energy production comes into play.

The Data protection is an increasingly important issue in today’s digital world. The rapid development of information technologies has made it easier for state institutions and private sector organizations to access thousands of personal data daily. This situation has increased the processing and transfer of personal data and has led to the necessity of protection.

With its resolution numbered i-SPK.35.B.1 (dated 19 September 2024 and numbered 1484) (the “Resolution“), the Capital Markets Board (the “CMB“) clarified the legal status of non-fungible tokens (“NFTs“) and crypto assets used in virtual games.

The European Commission had previously indicated that it will review the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) this year to see if any changes are needed in light of the experience of the past six years.

At the beginning of the week, Apple introduced its latest iPhone 16, which entices customers with the integration of artificial intelligence called "Apple Intelligence."

There’s a new windfall value-added tax (“VAT”) reclaim opportunity in Hungary based on a recent judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”).

The minimum wage (statutory minimum wage) is the amount that an employer must pay to an employee for his/her work, in any case of a full-time job. Guaranteed minimum wage is also considered as a type of minimum wage for jobs requiring at least secondary education or secondary vocational qualifications, hence it is always a higher amount.

Since the start of the war, Russia has inflicted severe damage on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leading to a critical need for comprehensive rebuilding efforts. As a result of the attacks, Ukraine has lost over 9 GW of electricity generating capacities, while local gas production has dropped 5–10 percent.

AI is developing rapidly in Serbia and numerous initiatives are emerging daily. Therefore, a working group, which includes our Schoenherr expert Marija Vlajković, is already in the process of drafting a new Law on Artificial Intelligence. The final draft is expected by spring 2025.

Bancassurance is a strategic partnership in which a bank collaborates with an insurance company to offer insurance products to the bank’s customers. This mutually beneficial arrangement not only allows banks to generate extra income through the sale of insurance policies, but also enables insurance companies to broaden their customer reach without the need to expand their sales teams.

It can be interesting to examine how other countries address anti-competitive agreements. The European trend is certainly moving towards penalising a broader range of cartel behaviour using new tools, rather than relying primarily on leniency applications (self-reporting) as in the past.

As of 1 September 2024, not all employers are obliged to carry out compulsory medical examinations of their employees. The Labour Safety Act stipulates that other laws may specify the types of work for which such examinations will be compulsory. The Ministry of the Interior published a decree on the subject on its website at the end of August and it became applicable on 1 September 2024.