Bulgaria: Amendment to the pricing and reimbursements process for pharmaceuticals
The amendment aims at alleviating the existing regime for pricing of pharmaceuticals for home treatment of chronic, genetic and/or rare diseases and paid by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). It affects the interests of individuals with health insurance and the activities of more than 290 authorisation holders, of the wholesalers of pharmaceuticals, and of …
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Malta Stock Exchange: European capital raising now easier for SMEs
While larger enterprises often steal the limelight, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), very often being family businesses, make up the very backbone of most economies, with SMEs constituting the vast majority of companies within the EU. In Malta, 99.9% of Maltese companies are classified as SMEs, with 4.8% classified as small to medium enterprises and …
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IFLR: “Philippines: Promoting foreign investment”
The February issue of the International Financial Law Review (IFLR) includes an international briefing article by SyCipLaw partner Aaron Roi B. Riturban entitled “Philippines: Promoting foreign investment”. The article focuses on Republic Act no. 10881, which lifts the foreign investment limitations found in laws governing adjustment companies, lending companies, financing companies, and investment houses. Read the article online …
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Processing Personal Data Based on Legitimate Interest: A Comparison of Turkish Data Protection Law
Processing Personal Data Based on Legitimate Interest: A Comparison of Turkish Data Protection Law, the Directive 95/46/EC and the GDPR Turkey's first and only law specifically dedicated to data protection and privacy, the Law No. 6698 on Protection of Personal Data ("Law No. 6698"), came into force on April 7, 2016 with certain transition periods. …
The Use of Dispatch Workers: Ironing Out Yet Another Wrinkle for its Successful Implementation
From a purely employer’s perspective, foreign companies operating in Korea are often frustrated (or at times, even amazed) at some of the protections provided to employees under the Korean employment laws. A few of the most difficult legal requirements include the strict just-cause requirement for termination, the durational limits on the use of fixed-term (contract) …
Korea’s New Supreme Court Case Excludes Mileage From Vat Taxation:
Used mileage points interpreted as sales allowance deductible from tax base If a business operates a customer loyalty program together with other business, in which the amount of mileage points granted for the customers’ primary transaction is deducted from the purchase price of the customers’ secondary transaction and those customers only have to pay the …
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Austria: Hospital Consolidation – a Driver of M&A Activity
2016 has seen a surprising level of deal activity in the (private) Austrian hospital sector: in Vienna, PremiQaMed, a 100 % subsidiary of UNIQA insurance group, acquired a 75 % stake in the renowned private hospital "Goldenes Kreuz", and the hospitals Hartmannspital and St. Elisabeth announced a merger to form the new "Franziskus" hospital. In Linz (Upper …
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The EU Capital Markets Union – Recent developments on Venture Capital
On 16 December 2016, the Council of the European Union announced agreement on its negotiating stance in relation to the proposed regulation amending the European Venture Capital Funds ("EuVECA") Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 345/2013) and the European Social Entrepreneurship Funds ("EuSEF") Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 346/2013), which is now at the European Parliament's ECON committee, …
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Boost your Start-Up with an Advisory Board – Points to consider
Most start-ups are founded by first-time founders directly after graduation, with the founding team consisting, also in most cases, of not more than two members. Such founders are naturally not equipped for all of their business challenges. Founders thus often make mistakes, especially at the very beginning of their activities, e.g. in relation to developing …
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Unjust Banking Practices in Swiss Franc Loan Agreements
The Cypriot banking system is currently being confronted with the issue of providing foreign loans and in particular Swiss francs to both locals and foreigners to cover their housing requirements. Of principle concern in Cypriot and European Courts are the banking practices used in attracting clients to these financial institutions. It seems that misinformation through …
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