Due to its geographical and geopolitical characteristics, Hungary has become an attractive destination for industrial, commercial, and logistics developments in recent years. The government is also encouraging large developments with a number of measures, and remarkable industrial investments have been realized with government support. These investments require growing supplier and storage capacity, and making development sites in favorable locations (uncultivated lands with appropriate zoning, available infrastructure, and traffic approach) is expensive.

The stoppage of Alfoldi Tej’s acquisition and a short-lived amendment to the FDI laws establishing the right of first refusal for the Hungarian State attracted much attention to Hungary’s far too wide FDI regime. Let’s shed light on what it really means.

The key legislative changes in 2025 impacting the Hungarian renewable energy sector include:

Early in the year, the government introduced a new actor into named-patient reimbursement: the Batthyany-Strattmann Laszlo Foundation for Healing, a public benefit foundation empowered to finance medicinal products and medical devices that, although professionally accepted, fell outside social insurance reimbursement. Prior to this change, individualized access decisions sat solely with the National Health Insurance Fund. The foundation’s establishment diversified funding sources, helped alleviate administrative pressure, and introduced discretionary decision-making guided by considerations of life protection, social responsibility, and budget availability.

As AI becomes an integral part of everyday technology, product liability law is evolving to address the new risks it introduces. The new EU Product Liability Directive (2024/2853) marks a fundamental shift in how defective products – including software, AI systems, and digital components – are regulated. Hungary is now preparing to align its national rules with this modernized regime. A legislative proposal to amend the Civil Code is currently before Parliament, and its adoption will significantly broaden liability exposure for businesses involved in developing, modifying, or distributing AI-powered products.

The European Union has made a significant move to reshape its anti-money laundering (AML) framework by creating the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA), based in Frankfurt. This new institution is set to standardize and improve AML compliance throughout the EU, eliminating fragmented oversight and establishing a consistent supervisory system.

In The Debrief, our Practice Leaders across CEE share updates on recent and upcoming legislation, consider the impact of recent court decisions, showcase landmark projects, and keep our readers apprised of the latest developments impacting their respective practice areas.

In a region that has learned to live with uncertainty, Poland stands out for something refreshingly simple: results. A recent Bloomberg column by Matthew A. Winkler captured it perfectly: Poland’s GDP is about USD 915 billion and keeps compounding. Bloomberg calculates that household consumption has surged 125% since the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016; the zloty leads among 23 most-traded emerging-market currencies; Polish government bonds top Europe with over 30% total return; and the Warsaw Stock Exchange ranks among the world’s best performers so far this year. These are facts.

In our Looking In series, we talk to Partners from outside CEE who are keeping an eye on the region to learn how they perceive CEE markets and their evolution. For this issue, we reached out to new Jones Day Partner Veronica Dragalin, who recently joined the firm’s Washington office after working as the Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor in Moldova since 2022.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. This time around, we asked: What is the one most time-consuming administrative task for you as a Managing Partner, and what, if anything, have you done to try to minimize time spent on it?

CEE is increasingly on the radar for businesses looking for efficient and cost-effective dispute resolution. Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii Partner Cornel Popa, PRK Partners Associate Partner Michal Sylla, and Avellum Partner Oleksii Maslov discuss which hubs are leading the way, the challenges they face, and the opportunities shaping the region’s arbitration landscape.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s cross-hatched legal map covering the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska, and the Brcko District forces counsel to marry country-wide coordination with entity-specific nuance. DMB Partners Managing Partner Dina Durakovic, Dimitrijevic & Partners Senior Partner Stevan Dimitrijevic, and IA Law Firm Managing Partner Adi Ibrahimovic walk us through how they staff matters, steer incorporation choices, pick governing law and forums, and keep closings on schedule despite shifting administrative sands.

As Bosnia and Herzegovina advances EU-alignment and energy transition priorities, mandates have broadened across compliance, projects, and cross-border deals. Maric & Co Partner Bojana Bosnjak-London and Sijercic & Partners Senior Partner Nihad Sijercic discuss where the work is coming from, who’s investing, what’s slowing things down, and how the outlook is shaping up.

For the first time, CEE Legal Matters turns its spotlight on Georgia, examining a market that has changed dramatically over the past three decades. From the early days of small local offices to today’s mix of international and domestic players, we look at what has shaped Georgia’s legal landscape.

Reflecting on his path from a fascination with aircraft landings to leading Sarajevo International Airport’s legal team, Sarajevo International Airport Head of Legal Berin Ridjanovic discusses the complexities of air law, managing expansion projects, working with external counsel, and navigating EU regulatory alignment.

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

An in-depth look at Sandro Bibilashvili of BGI Legal, covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer, as well as a few insights about him as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.

The legislative landscape on insolvency in Kosovo has undergone substantial changes with the Law No. 08/L-256 on Bankruptcy (Law on Bankruptcy), which, beyond modernizing domestic procedures, regulates cross-border bankruptcy in line with international standards such as the EU Insolvency Regulation (2015/848). Through such changes, Kosovo moves closer toward protecting cross-border assets and creditors, providing for a better climate for further economic development.