In terms of legislation, first, a long-awaited amendment of the insolvency act allows the liquidator to upkeep the debtors’ operation during the liquidation process even if it is at a loss, if it can be assumed that the operation preserves the assets better than shutting off the business would. The liquidator can decide to continue the operation for the first 120 days of the liquidation procedure, but any further extension of this operation period requires the approval of the court.

The escalation of the war in Ukraine in February 2022 shocked Hungary’s energy sector to such an extent that the Hungarian government declared a state of energy emergency by its resolution dated July 15, 2022. After the first anniversary of the escalation, the smoke has cleared enough to draw conclusions regarding the future based on the reactions of the stakeholders.

2022 brought many changes in competition law in Hungary and, as far as we can see, 2023 will not be any different. Here is a short summary of what was on the table in 2022 and what the consequences are.

After a record deal value in 2022, the outlook for M&A in Hungary for 2023 remains positive despite several risk factors. What are they and what could compensate for them? What other factors could have an impact on the current trends? 

The Hungarian renewable energy sector has developed significantly in recent years: the share of electricity from renewable energy sources in gross final electricity consumption was 7.51% in 2017, increasing to 13.9% in 2021. This rapid development was mainly due to the increase in solar power capacity, as the installed capacity of Hungarian solar power plants was around 350 megawatts in 2017, while it exceeded 4000 megawatts in 2022.

Recent changes to the Hungarian Labor Code on the abuse of rights rules are a hot topic among employers, HR professionals, and employment lawyers in Hungary. In this article, we will take a look at what the new rules mean for employers and how they may mitigate the legal risks and financial exposure arising from the amendments.

Contributed by Jankovic Popovic Mitic

Contributed by Filip & Company

Contributed by CMS

Contributed by Stratulat Albulescu

Contributed by Forgo Damjanovic & Partners

Contributed by Kocian Solc Balastik

Contributed by Kalo & Assocaites

The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Serbia has recently issued the opinion no. 011-00-313/2022-04 (“the Opinion”), which refers to taxation of the fees paid by resident legal entities to non-residents for leasing servers abroad.

Serbian Parliament is currently deciding on two laws of major importance for foreigners seeking job opportunities or establishing businesses in Serbia. The first proposal concerns the Law on Foreigners, and the second the amendments to the Law on Employment of Foreigners. These two legal acts form general criteria for entry, movement, stay, and return of foreigners, as well as the conditions and procedures for the employment of foreign citizens in the Republic of Serbia.

Starting from July 1, 2023, the newly adopted Horizontal Block Exemption Regulations on Research and Development Agreements (“R&D“) and Specialisation agreements (together “HBERs“) shall take effect in the EU.

In Hungarian civil and commercial litigations, the second instance court reviews the case in camera, yet either party has the right to request an oral hearing in the appeal procedure. Is the second instance court bound by such a request? Is the failure to hold an oral hearing considered as a serious breach, based on which new procedure shall be conducted? We answer these questions by analysing recent decision of the Hungarian Supreme Court in this article.

The energy development strategy of the Republic of Serbia until 2025 with projections until 2030, as well as the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan, which is
currently being developed and adopted, foresee an increase in the share of energy obtained from renewable energy sources in the energy balance of the Republic of Serbia
as a strategic goal.