Public procurement in Greece by entities operating in the energy sector is regulated, mainly, by Law 4412/2016 on Public works, supplies, and services contracts – Transposition of Directives 2014/24/EU and 2014/25/EU. Public tenders are conducted via the National System of Electronic Public Procurement and the award of public contracts must comply with the general principles of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, namely equal treatment, non-discrimination, mutual recognition, proportionality, and transparency.

A combination of policy support for and decreasing investment costs in renewables, the nuclear energy revival, and major nearby discoveries of natural gas in the Black Sea leads to the unprecedented interest of investors in Bulgaria.

Last year, more precisely in December, Kosovo endured a deepening crisis considered one of the worst in the last decade.

REPowerEU is about rapidly reducing the EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels by fast-forwarding the clean transition and joining forces to achieve a more resilient energy system and a true Energy Union.

The requirement for an increase in the use of green energy will have a significant impact on the growth of e-mobility.

While the world continues its endless battle against the COVID-19 consequences that are affecting all aspects of our social, economic, and political life, Serbian legislation is experiencing a revolution in the energy field. In April 2021, the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia adopted two new laws – the Law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources and the Law on Energy Efficiency and Rational Use of Energy, as well as amendments to the Energy Law and the Law on Mining and Geological Research.

The strategic importance of the energy sector in securing a stable and sustainable energy supply is currently a hot topic across Europe. The global rise of energy prices, supply chain issues, and tackling climate change are some of the major challenges all European countries are currently facing. Croatia is no different. While tackling these global challenges, the Croatian energy sector has been undergoing major legislative and regulatory changes, especially in the field of renewable energy.

As early as November 2018, the Austrian government announced that it planned to develop a hydrogen strategy. But the Austrian energy sector had been left waiting ever since the formal kick-off in March 2019. In the meantime, the EU and several member states presented their hydrogen strategies. Finally, on June 2, 2022, the Austrian government revealed its own plan of action.

“Coal still matters” has been the predominant energy policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina over the past decades. It sounds very old-fashioned these days in Europe, but lignite (brown coal) is the most important energy resource in the country. The fact that almost 60% of the electricity generated in the country originates from coal-fired thermal power plants leads to the conclusion that Bosnia and Herzegovina heavily relies on coal.

In March 2022, the European Commission announced that the blending proportion of biofuels, as applied by member states, may be reduced so that less agricultural land is used for the production of biofuel feedstocks. It was clear by then that Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine would put pressure on the food and feed commodities markets.

According to windeurope.org data, Montenegro was at the top of the list of European countries in terms of the percentage of energy generated by wind farms on April 17, 2022. On that day, the two Montenegrin wind farms, Mozura and Krnovo, produced 45% of Montenegro’s total electricity needs.

The Albanian energy market is experiencing several developments reflective of regional and global events. Local and foreign investors’ interest in renewable energy projects is surging. However, some questions remain open as to whether the government will be able to fully satisfy their expectations.

The Polish law firm of Traple Konarski Podrecki is in a position of running and maintaining a network of 15 firms, covering 19 jurisdictions, all working in unison for one of the biggest tech companies the world has ever seen – Google. To gain a deeper understanding of how this network of law firms functions and operates, we reached out to TKP Senior Partner Xawery Konarski and Partner Piotr Wasilewski.

With Baker McKenzie’s Budapest office celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, we spoke with Partners Zoltan Hegymegi-Barakonyi and Akos Fehervary to learn more about the firm’s track record in the country as well as what we can expect with the former passing on the Managing Partner role to the latter this July.