On March 6, 2006, the Ministry of the Economy published the Explanatory Notes for the Tariff Classification of Goods in the Federal Official Gazette, after a delay of over four years from the date of publication of the Federal Law on Import and Export Duties (“FLIED”) on January 18, 2002. These Explanatory Rules should have been published at the same time ...
Thanks to Houston's leading role in energy, the exotic names of former Soviet Republics forming the Commonwealth of Independent States -- entities such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- are familiar to locals active in oil and gas. They are also well known to Houston law firms that serve energy interests. Serving Russia and the Caspian region, Haynes and Boone LLP opened a Moscow office last year ...
An amendment to the Law Regulating Article 27 of the Mexican Constitution Concerning Petroleum (the “Law”) was recently passed by the Mexican Congress and published in the Federal Official Gazette on January 12, 2006 ...
On December 28, 2005, the Mexican Ministry of Finance published in the Federal Official Gazette notice of an increase in domestic electricity power supply charges to be implemented during the year 2006. Such increase will not exceed 4% and will be put into effect gradually, month-by-month, throughout the year. As of the end of 2004, Mexico had 24 million domestic power supply consumers ...
Purchasing a yacht should be a pleasurable experience given that the craft in question is most likely to be used for the owner’s leisure pursuits. Yachts, however, whether they are second-hand, new, large or small, have one thing in common. They are expensive. However, many purchasers whether they are paying £10,000 or £1,000,000 are sometimes less cautious than perhaps they should be when buying what is in effect a “toy” ...
The State Council promulgated the Regulations for the Administration of Direct Sales (the “Direct Sales Regulations”) and the Regulations for the Prohibition of Pyramid Sales (the “Pyramid Regulations”) on 23 August 2005. The Direct Sales Regulations, which entered into effect on 1 December 2005, allow the reintroduction into China of the direct sales business model that was banned in 1998 ...
The Central Government of the People’s Republic of China (“the Mainland”) and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“Hong Kong”) reached a further understanding regarding the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement between the Mainland and Hong Kong (“CEPA”) (as discussed in the July 2003 and November 2003 issues of China Legal Update) on 27 August 2004 ...
The Ministry of Finance promulgated the Measures for the Examination and Approval of the Advanced Recovery of Their Investment by Foreign Partners in Chinese-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprises on 9 June 2005. The Measures, which entered into effect on 1 September 2005, specify the conditions that foreign investors must satisfy to obtain advanced recovery of their investment in a Chinese-foreign cooperative joint venture (“CJV”) ...
The National Development and Reform Commission promulgated the Provisional Measures for the Administration of Venture Capital Enterprises on 15 November 2005. When they enter into effect on 1 March 2006, the Measures will be the first national statute governing venture capital investment in China ...
The Wider Economic Environment In 1978, the Government of the People’s Republic of China embarked on a comprehensive program to reform China’s state-planned economy and introduce a free market economy. The new capitalist structures were initially intended to co-exist with the state-planned economy, but a massive surge in foreign investment has since stimulated the free market economy to eclipse the public sector in the industrialised south and eastern seaboard of the country ...
This Order . which came into effect on 1 December 2005, facilitates the expansion of the electronic filing system in the Companies Registration Office. Companies may now appoint Electronic Filing Agents to sign and file documents with the CRO in electronic form. The Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr Michael Ahern, stated, “The introduction of a statutory Electronic Filing Agent will greatly simplify the process for companies and their agents ...
Per Decree 1404 issued on May 5, 2005 (“Decree 1404”), the Colombian Government approved the sale of the State’s majority interest in the largest gas transportation company in Colombia, Empresa Colombiana de Gas (“Ecogás”). An introduction to Ecogás and the privatization process is set forth below. 1 ...
Judgement of the European Court of Justice in case C-231/03 – Consorzio Aziende Metano (Coname) v. Commune di Cingia de’Botti, dated 21 July 2005 The case developed out of a dispute between Consorzio Aziende Metano (Coname) and the Comune di Cingia de’ Botti (municipality of Cingia de’ Botti) concerning the award by the latter to Padania Acque SpA, of a concession for provision of service covering management, distribution and maintenance of methane gas distribution installations ...
In February of the present year, the Law No. 511 on the Creation of the Superintendence of Public Services (SISEP) was enacted. This Law substituted on its functions the Institutions rendering Public Services of Telecommunications, Energy and Drinking Water, (INAA, TELCOR; INE), and revoked their Organic Laws leaving them without any effect. From this legal event it existed in Nicaragua uncertainty for all the private parties who had established legal relationships with these institutions ...
Re Hunting plc [2004] EWCH 2591 (Ch) Facts: The company’s issued share capital consisted of ordinary shares and convertible preference shares. Under the company’s Articles of Association, the preference shareholders were not entitled to attend at or vote at general meetings of the company, unless, among other things, a resolution was to be proposed at that meeting which modified any of the rights attaching to the preference shares ...
The funds industry in Ireland has exceeded US$500 billion (over €410 Billion), according to the latest edition of Fitzrovia International’s Dublin Fund Encyclopaedia. A&L Goodbody remains the leading legal adviser by net asset value, representing funds in excess of US$149 billion, i.e. 25.8% of all funds in the Irish market ...
Energy Policy Elert, please click on link to view full publication ...
The simplest way of achieving your objective might be to consider the introduction of a share option scheme – this would enable your company to grant its employees rights to acquire shares at a pre-determined point in the future (i.e. on the occurrence of a flotation), but at a price which is fixed when the options are awarded ...
The State Administration of Foreign Exchange ("SAFE") issued the Notice on Relevant Issues in Perfecting Foreign Exchange Control in Mergers and Acquisitions by Foreign Investors ("Notice 1") on 24 January 2005 and the Notice on Relevant Issues in the Registration of the Offshore Investments of Individual Domestic Residents and Foreign Exchange Registration of Mergers and Acquisitions by Foreign Investors ("Notice 2") on 21 April 2005 ...
The Ministry of Commerce ("MOFCOM") promulgated the Measures for the Administration of Foreign Investment in the Leasing Industry on 21 January 2005. The Measures superseded the 2001 Provisional Measures for the Administration of the Examination and Approval of Leasing Companies with Foreign Investment when they entered into effect on 5 March 2005 ...
The Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce jointly promulgated the Implementing Measures for the Administration of Branded Automobile Sales on 21 February 2005. The Measures, which entered into effect on 1 April 2005, are aimed at bringing more order in the Chinese automobile market ...
The General Office of the Ministry of Commerce issued the Notice on Transmitting and Issuing the Letter of Reply of the General Office of the State Council on the Issue of the Detailed Applicability of the Capital Contributions of Investors in, and the Liquidation of, Foreign Investment Enterprises ("the Reply") on 18 March 2005 ...
