It is slowly starting to feel like distant history when civilisation's efforts to satisfy the most fundamental need for energy were focused mainly on utilising non-renewable sources. Fossil fuels, natural gas, oil, and coal have been the backbone of the industrial age's rapid development, effectively helping bring on the contemporary era of existence we are witnesses of ...
The effects of the precipitous decline in oil and gas prices after mid-2014 are well chronicled, but are still unfolding. Although oil prices have risen recently, the current price environment continues to adversely affect a broad range of energy-industry and related-industry businesses, including exploration and production, service and supply, and midstream companies, as well as those that directly or indirectly support or contract with those businesses ...
Pemex is considering offering to the private sector up to six of its refineries to obtain some liquidity for its financial restructuring. As announced by Pemex’s CEO, José Antonio González Anaya, estimated individual transaction values may range from US$500 million to US$1.5 billion per refinery. The six refineries are currently operating at a collective, estimated annual loss of MX$100 billion (approximately US$5.8 billion) ...
The Mexican Secretary of Energy (“SENER”) has received 62 applications from 32 companies during the first 15 days of April 2016. As of April 25, it has granted 16 permits for the importation of gasoline and 26 permits for the importation of diesel. Read the full alert ...
Another piece of news related to our competition team in Serbia are the recent signings of a Memorandum of Understanding and Agreement of Cooperation in the field of forensics between the Commission for the Protection of Competition and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) ...
On May 2, 2016, the Colorado Supreme Court issued two anticipated opinions that are important to the oil and gas industry in Colorado, and could be precedent for similar efforts pending in a number of states where local governmental entities are trying to rein in fracking ...
On April 29, 2016, the National Center for Energy Control (“CENACE”) announced the second auction for long-term supply and purchase contracts to satisfy the need of basic service suppliers (for the time being, the Federal Electricity Commission, perhaps better known for its acronym, “CFE”), for power, capacity, and clean energy certificates. The standard commercial operation date of the projects awarded under the auction is scheduled for January 1, 2019 ...
TheSarajevo Business Forum2016(SBF) was, among hosting a number of lectures and discussions, a platform for one of the largest post-war investments in the energy sector in Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH) ...
Poland did not manage to implement the EU’s new procurement directives on schedule, but contracting authorities are required to conduct proceedings in full compliance with EU law. “In Principle”: The deadline for implementation of the new procurement directives into national law passed in April, but the old act is still in force in Poland ...
Slovenia has amended the Financial Operations, Insolvency Proceedings and Compulsory Dissolution Act (ZFPPIPP or the Insolvency Act) again, following amendments in 2013, amending preventive restructuring, simplified compulsory settlement and personal bankruptcy proceedings. Amendments to the Insolvency Act, which were adopted by the National Assembly on 31 March 2016, will come into force on 26 April 2016 ...
The Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (DTSA) - arguably the most significant change to U.S. intellectual property laws in the past decade - was signed into law by President Obama on May 11, 2016. The DTSA creates a federal, civil remedy for misappropriation of a trade secret that is related to a product or service used in, or intended for use in, interstate or foreign commerce ...
Last May 10, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy, Martin Coiteux, announced the tabling of several amendments to Bill 83 dealing with various legislative provisions on municipal matters. These amendments pertain to the recommendations contained in the report of the Charbonneau Commission ...
On March 1st, 2016, Supreme Decree N° 62 of the Ministry of Economy, introduced in 2006 (hereinafter, the “Decree 62”), that regulates capacity transfers among power generation companies entered into force, modifying the methodology used to calculate transfers.IntroductionThe Chilean electric system remunerates power generation companies for two products: energy and capacity ...
The latest activity update regarding the Serbian Competition Commission has been the Decision brought by the Commission's President to initiate ex officio proceedings for suspected price fixing against 26 undertakings operating in the field of geodetic services.The proceedings come following a complaint by the Belgrade Land Development Public Agency, delivered to the Commission in April this year ...
The implementation process for the three new European directives (i.e. Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement. Directive 2014/23/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the award of concession contracts ...
The second edition of The Public-Private Partnership Law Review has been published. Each jurisdiction chapter contains information on general framework, bidding and award procedure, contract, finance, recent decisions, and outlook. The Philippine chapter was contributed by the SyCipLaw Partners Marievic G. Ramos-Añonuevo and Arlene M. Maneja ...
The Indonesian Government has released the long-awaited revision to the Negative List (“DNI”). The revised regulation (Presidential Regulation No. 44/2016) was promulgated on 18 May 2016 and circulated to the public on 24 May. The DNI regulates the sectors which are closed, open, or conditionally open to investment. The DNI revision is keenly awaited as it stipulates, amongst other matters, restrictions on foreign participation in various business activities in Indonesia ...
Further to our client alert of 25 May, we include here the full list of changes to the 2014 Negative List (DNI), as contained in Presidential Regulation No. 44/2016 and its attachments. Note, again, that existing investors’ licensing will be grandfathered. ASEAN investors have preferential arrangements in many cases ...
Guatemala is experiencing an unprecedented and well-deserved offensive against corruption. An Ex-President and Vice-President along with many ex-Cabinet members are currently being prosecuted for a growing array of crimes including passive graft, money laundering and tax fraud, among others. The indictments are being brought through the efforts of a UN-sponsored commission which, until recently, had limited success in dismantling “organized crime”, its principal mandate ...
At the recently held coordination meeting of IPA (Instrument for Pre Accession Assistance) multi-beneficiary programs in Herceg Novi, the main focus was put on announcing the importance of EU funds for the implementation of important internal reforms and the progress of the Western Balkan countries towards membership in the European Union ...
The government recently announced that a bill will be submitted to Congress to modify the Chilean Data Privacy Law N° 19,628 (“DPL”). In connection with the future bill (yet to be presented before Congress), the Ministry of Finance sent to several members of Congress a set of informal minutes outlining the structure and core aspects of the bill.The following is a summary of the minutes, and an initial legal analysis prepared by Carey ...
The Central Bank of Montenegro has recently published a report on foreign direct investments (FDI) that have been made in Montenegro during the first three months of this year. This FDI total has amounted to EUR 223 million, thus presenting proof of noticeable growth in this sense when compared to last year's EUR 100 million over the same period of time ...
In a decision issued last May 20,1 the Québec Court of Appeal affirmed a judgment2 of the Superior Court of Québec rendered on October 28, 2013, which dismissed the action in damages for more than $7 million brought by a former representative in insurance of persons and in group savings plan brokerage, Mr. Alan Murphy, against the Autorité des marchés financiers (?AMF?).FactsMr ...
In the short term, the vote to leave the European Union doesn’t signal an immediate change. It’s business as usual for the UK and the EU. The EU Treaties and laws continue to apply without exception in the UK – as does the obligation to comply. The process of the UK exiting from the EU will, however, be the focus over the next few months ...
Background The UK referendum held on 23 June 2016 has resulted in a majority voting in favour of the UK leaving the EU. As of now the UK is still a part of the EU notwithstanding the vote on 23 June. It is now up to the UK parliament to decide if, and if so when, to formally start the process to leave the EU. The exit of a member state from the EU is dealt with in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) which has only existed since 1 December 2009 ...
