Hungary’s agricultural sector has a rich historical tradition but faces challenges due to insufficient financing. The European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) provides funding for farm restructuring and market support, while Hungarian farmers can seek financing from banks and cooperatives. The Hungarian government has also established various programs to provide financing for agriculture, including subsidies for machinery and technology investments and funding for training. 

The Czech government is introducing new requirements and obligations for payment service providers based on the latest EU legislation. The new rules are expected to take effect from January 2024 and the legislative process is underway.

Serbia’s banking sector faces another year of challenges. Global inflation in 2023, compared to the last quarter of 2022, records a slight slowdown, but one thing is indisputable – the main challenge in 2023, and not only in the banking sector, is the war in Ukraine.

Before the introduction of the latest amendments to the Company Law of the Republic of North Macedonia (Company Law) on April 29, 2022, it stipulated that only loans provided by sole shareholders to their companies may be converted into share capital.  The practice of conversion overseen by the Central Registry of North Macedonia (CRM) was strict. For example, loans taken over by the shareholder from the companies of the same group were considered ineligible for conversion. 

Although companies’ financing in Bulgaria remains primarily bank-based, a transformation towards the growing importance of alternative financing has been observed in recent years. 

Notwithstanding the ongoing war, the Ukrainian banking and financial services industry continues to operate without interruptions and shows great resilience and stability. Ukrainian legislation continues to develop at the same time, bringing the standards of banking and financial services closer to the EU requirements.