On February 9, 2023, the Committee on Industry, Research, and Energy voted in favor of a revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which is a part of the EU’s new extensive climate and energy legislation known as “Fit for 55”. The main objective of the revised EPBD is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the overall energy consumption of buildings by 2030 with the eventual goal of reaching climate-neutral buildings in the EU by 2050.

The Austrian real estate market has been characterized by steady growth over the last decade, driven by a strong economy, low-interest rates, and increasing demand from both local and foreign buyers. 

Strategic investment project legislation was first introduced into the Croatian legal system through the Strategic Investment Act that came into force in 2013, which, after two amendments (in 2014 and 2016), was replaced by the new Strategic Investment Act in April 2018.

In the past few years, the global community has faced the acute challenges of the COVID-19 health crisis and the war in Ukraine, which significantly impacted the continuing rapid increase of prices in the building industry. The main reasons for the rising prices of building materials were initially linked to the health crisis, as many production facilities were closed and production was severely delayed. Once the post-closure period started, demand for materials worldwide surged, exceeding supply.

 Act C:2021 on the land registry (E-Land Registry Act) was announced on June 28, 2021. It was expected to take effect in February 2023, but it will come into effect on February 1, 2024.

Despite facing various challenges brought on by unfavorable market trends and the global events that shaped them, the Serbian real estate market continued to grow in the last quarter of 2022 according to a press release by the Serbian Republic Geodetic Authority (RGA).

The trend is clear: real estate is noticeably becoming the most dominant sector of foreign investments in Albania. Records from national and international entities and organizations provide data confirming the accelerating increase in the past few years.

Montenegro is still considered a rising star in the Balkan peninsula, attracting the attention of potential investors worldwide, and that’s especially the case with the country’s real estate market.

An in-depth look at Victor Gugushev of Gugushev & Partners covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer as well as a few insights about his as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.

The political turbulence within and beyond Bulgaria has not only caused unpredictability in the regulatory environment but also drastic changes in the national energy sector. Following the Russian invasion in Ukraine, Bulgaria took steady steps to break its dependence on Russia as a single supplier of natural resources.

On May 4, 2023, the Bulgarian Whistleblower Protection Act (the Act), which transposes Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of whistleblowers for violations of Union law (the Whistleblowing Directive) will enter into force.

Bulgaria’s infrastructure sector has seen major projects completed and many more are planned. With the country facing political turmoil and corruption still an infrastructure buzzword, Kinstellar Partner Antonia Mavrova and Gugushev and Partners Senior Partner Victor Gugushev navigate the intricacies of Bulgarian infrastructure.

For Bulgaria’s capital markets, the past ten years saw several landmark developments, large IPOs, and programs and initiatives tailored for small and medium-sized enterprise needs. Penkov Markov & Partners Associated Partner Boris Lazarov, Djingov Gouginski Kyutchukov & Velichkov Partner Gergana Monovska, and Tokushev and Partners Managing Partner Viktor Tokushev walk us through the highlights.

An in-depth look at Peter Berethalmi of Nagy es Trocsanyi covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer as well as a few insights about his as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.

The Hungarian telecoms market saw several major transactions during the past few years, with 2022 and early 2023 witnessing undoubtedly the largest transaction in decades: the acquisition of Vodafone Hungary by 4iG (51%) and state-owned Corvinus Zrt. (49%) for a deal value of approximately EUR 1.7 billion.

Energy crisis, inflation, and the forint exchange rate slide: what impact have these circumstances produced on the office lease market? This article aims to provide an overview of the challenges the office lease market faces in Hungary in such a turbulent period.

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.