The liability to remedy contamination is not limited in time but is only limited by the Environmental Code’s transitional rules, where a business operator can be held liable to take remedial actions if the actual operation of the business has been carried out after 30 June 1969. Further, a business operator can be held liable to take remedial actions if the operator has acquired contaminated property after 1 January 1999 ...
In June 2008 the Protection of Trade Secrets Committee, presented to Beatrice Ask, the Swedish minister of justice, their findings, Enhanced protection for trade secrets, SOU 2008:63. Delphi’s Henrik Bengtsson was an expert on the committee. Since the Act (1990:409) on the Protection of Trade Secrets (TSA) came into force almost twenty years ago, the conditions for enterprise have changed in many ways ...
It has now been clarified that a consultancy, which is not itself active on a certain market, can be found guilty of participation in an anti-competitive cooperation. This was decided by the Court of First Instance in a judgment from 8 July, 2008, T-99/04, AC-Treuhand AG v the European Commission. The judgment is unique in that it is the first time this principle has been upheld in any of the community courts ...
On 1 November 2008, a number of major changes were introduced to the Swedish code of judicial procedure, the law that regulates legal proceedings in court. The majority of the changes are aimed at speeding up the proceedings with the aim that the state will save costs for the legal system. The changes are referred to as "A more modern trial" in the committee report ...
The amendments to Russian Federal Law “On the insolvency (bankruptcy)”, adopted and came into force in January, 2009, affected both general and procedural provisions of the Law. We at ALRUD Law Firm provide full professional service at the highest level for our clients therefore we ought to analyze the impact and the consequences of these substantial changes of the procedure of bankruptcy ...
The general increase of commercial disputes caused by the global economic crisis has resulted in growth of litigations involving debtors domiciled or with assets abroad. Though there are certain similarities between countries in the enforcement of judgment procedures, the creditor has to take state differences into account as well ...
With effect from 1 January 2009, new rules require administrators to provide information to creditors on a range of detailed issues when carrying out a pre-pack sale in an administration. Pre-packs are the process during which a troubled company and a proposed purchaser reach an agreement before an administrator is appointed, relating to the sale of all or part of the company's business or assets ...
China's Anti-monopoly Law ("AML") became effective on 1 August 2008. This new piece of legislation has attracted attention worldwide because of its potential impact on foreign investments in China. This article will outline the key activities prohibited by AML and explain how AML will affect foreign investors. Three main types of activities are specified under AML, namely (1) monopoly agreements, i.e ...
The Bank of Portugal set up a regime to govern the advertising of the banking products and services that come under its supervision in Regulation No. 10/2008, of 9 December, which came into force on 1 January 2009. The Regulation builds on the general regime laid down in Articles 77 and 77-C of the General Credit Institutions and Financial Companies Regime (the RGIC), as most recently amended by Article 2 of Decree-Law 211-A/2008, of 3 November ...
In response to the current global financial crisis, on 9 October 2008, the Chairman of the Capital Markets and Financial Institutions Supervisory Board (BAPEPAM-LK) issued a new regulation on buybacks of shares by public companies (Decree No. Kep-401/BL/2008 or Regulation No. XI.B.3). This new regulation provides fewer requirements than the previous regulation issued in 1998, Regulation No. XI.B.3 which remains valid ...
Government Regulation No. 63 of 2008 on the Implementation of the Law on Foundations (“GR 63/2008”) was issued on 23 September 2008. GR 63/2008 is the implementing regulation of Law No. 16 of 2001 as amended by Law No. 28 of 2004 regarding Foundations (“Foundations Law”). Under GR 63/2008, foundations must have a name and be registered in the register of foundations at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights ...
The Supreme Court of Canada ended a lengthy legal saga on November 20th(1) when it ordered St. Lawrence Cement Inc. to compensate residents of Beauport living near its cement plant. Comments on prescription, the assessment of damages and the granting of future damages follow. The facts “Dust they are, and unto dust they shall return, yet human beings have difficulty resigning themselves to living in dust ...
This is largely a codification of duties which already existed under previous legislation or the common law. However, the Act does introduce some new duties. With effect from 1 October 2008, every director of a company now has a statutory duty to avoid a situation in which he has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly may conflict, with the interests of the company (a ‘situational conflict') ...
On 29 June 2003, the Mainland government and the Hong Kong government signed the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (“CEPA”), which offers investors from Hong Kong a step ahead of investors from other countries to explore the Mainland market in various business sec-tors. In essence, CEPA is a free trade agreement between Mainland China and Hong Kong that offers Hong Kong products, companies and residents preferential access to the Mainland market ...
Bank Indonesia issued Regulation No. 10/7/PBI/2008 on 19 February 2008 regarding Offshore Loans of Non-bank Companies. Offshore loans are one of the key factors which may have positive and negative impacts on balance of payments, monetary stabilization and development continuity ...
Government Regulation No. 2 of 2008 regarding the Types and Rates of Non-tax State Revenue Derived from the Utilization of Forest Areas for the Development of Non-forestry Activities Applicable to the Department of Forestry ("GR No. 2/2008") introduces a new scheme of forest exploitation fees for non-forestry companies such as those engaged in mining, oil and gas, geothermal power and telecommunications companies conducting activities in forest areas ...
After lengthy discussion, the Indonesian House of Representatives finally passed the Bill on Limited Liability Companies into law on the 23rd of July 2007 and it was then signed by the President on the 16th of August 2007 and enacted as Law No 40 of 2007 regarding Limited Liability Companies ("Law 40"). Law 40 revokes the previous limited liability companies law, ie Law No. 1 of 1995 regarding Limited Liability Companies ("Law 1") ...
Since 26 April 2007, Indonesia has had a new Investment Law, namely Law No. 25 of 2007 regarding Investment (“New Investment Law”). The New Investment Law replaces two old laws; ie Law No. 1 of 1967 regarding Foreign Investment, and Law No 6 of 1968 regarding Domestic Investment, both as amended. The New Investment Law accommodates both foreign and domestic investment ...
Latest Developments Although we have not witnessed any major legislative or policy changes during the last year, these seem to be forthcoming in 2009 as the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) developed draft amendment to the Competition Act 2001 introducing fundamental changes into national merger control regime ...
On June 17, 2008, the Supreme Court of Lithuania rendered a decision restricting the rights of the trademark owner to revoke his consent to use a trademark as a company name. In UAB Solvex Baltic v. UAB Scandihouse (Case No 3K-3-335/2008 (S)), the owner of the trademark SCANDIHOUSE petitioned the defendant to change its company name ...
Over the last years merger control in the UK has evolved considerably. Leaving aside the move from a public interest to a competition test, the OFT has overhauled its procedures and processes with the stated aim of retaining a first class merger regime in world of change ...
Summary The Court of Appeal held that administrators were personally liable in costs for litigation in circumstances where a creditor challenged whether the purpose of administration could be achieved. The case highlights a number of important points for administrators and in particular the high standards expected of them following an appointment. Facts Joint administrators were appointed to Ulva Limited ("Ulva") by the sole director on 14 August 2007 ...
On September 23, 2008, the Western Climate Initiative (“WCI”) released its Design Recommendations for the WCI Regional Cap-and-Trade Program (the “Program”) ...
In May 2008, the government submitted its proposal 2007/08:155 on more stringent merger rules to parliament. The proposal is made in order to strengthen protection for minority shareholders.In May 2008, the government submitted its proposal 2007/08:155 on more stringent merger rules to parliament. The proposal is made in order to strengthen protection for minority shareholders ...
Since 1 July 2008, on the basis of Act No. 130/2008, Coll., amending the Trade Licensing Act, requirements for commencement of business activities and reduction of the overall administrative burden for tradesmen are significantly simplified.The new regulation introduces reduced requirements for a clean criminal record, since criminal acts committed by negligence have been removed ...