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Given the growth of the Bulgarian pharmaceutical retail sector, it is essential to understand the legal framework governing the operation of pharmacies, drugstores, cosmetics counters and optical retailers. Each of these types of businesses is subject to specific regulatory requirements designed to safeguard public health, ensure quality control and maintain compliance with both national and EU legislation.

Schoenherr has advised OMV Aktiengesellschaft on the issuance of EUR 750 million in perpetual, subordinated hybrid notes with J.P. Morgan and MUFG acting as the structuring agents and joint global coordinators and BofA Securities, Erste Group, ING, LBBW, and SMBC as the joint bookrunners. Wolf Theiss, working with the White & Case Frankfurt office, advised the bookrunners.

The European Commission (EC) has published a comprehensive communication introducing a playbook for Member States on designing state aid measures to support their objectives under the Clean Industrial Deal. This framework aims to facilitate industrial decarbonisation and the rollout of clean energy and will remain in force until 31 December 2030. The Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) is intended to offer a wide range of companies long-term investment predictability.

Starting next year, the rules on corporate criminal liability in Hungary will undergo significant reforms aimed at making companies' participation in criminal proceedings more effective, predictable and proactive. Among the most notable innovations is the introduction of plea deals for companies, intended to enhance both accountability and cooperation between companies and criminal authorities.

Schoenherr has advised Enery Element on the sale of its 50% stake in Dunav Solar Plant, the developer of the Gabare photovoltaic project in northwest Bulgaria, to OMV Petrom, as part of a 50-50 joint venture between the two companies. Simultaneously, Enery Element transferred the remaining 50% of its shares to Enery Power Holding.

In a recent landmark decision, the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) addressed whether law enforcement authorities were entitled to unlock a suspect's smartphone by forcibly using their fingerprint. The BGH accepted this conduct under the specific circumstances and explicitly ruled out a violation of the prohibition against self-incrimination.

Bulgaria’s renewable energy sector has seen significant growth in recent years. In 2024, almost 1 gigawatt of new renewable energy capacity was connected to the grid, predominantly from solar energy. Notably, no new wind farms have been commissioned since 2012, primarily due to administrative barriers and local opposition. However, investor interest remains high, especially in the southern and northwestern regions. Projects like the 238-megawatt Tenevo hybrid solar plant in Yambol, which plans to integrate a solar park, wind turbines, and energy storage, exemplify this trend.

Significant amendments to Hungary's foreign direct investment (FDI) control regime entered into force on 24 June 2025, introducing expanded pre-emption rights for the state and revised procedural timelines.

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