When Paid Leave and Sick Leave Collide
As stated by the European Court of Justice (“ECJ”), the right of employees to paid annual leave is a “particularly important principle of the European Union social law” which cannot be derogated from the competent local authorities or practices, such as collective agreements, and whose implementation by the said authorities or practices must not fall …
[SOUTH KOREA] Korean Supreme Court Issues Several Rulings on Whether a Foreign Company Doing …
Korean Supreme Court Issues Several Rulings on Whether a Foreign Company Doing Business in Korea May Be Found to Have a Permanent Establishment In 2016, the Korean Supreme Court issued several rulings shedding light on its approach when analyzing whether a foreign company conducting business in Korea may be found to have a permanent establishment …
[SOUTH KOREA] KFTC Announces Its Enforcement Plan Detailing Its Focus Areas for 2017
On January 5, 2017, the Korea Fair Trade Commission ("KFTC") announced its enforcement plan for 2017 (the "Plan"), and set out detailed policies to: (i) monitor and remedy anti-competitive structure and behavior; (ii) establish a healthy business system among large conglomerates and small and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”); and (iii) build a consumer-friendly environment promoting consumers’ …
[SOUTH KOREA] Ministry of Environment (i) Strengthens Safety/Labeling Standards for …
Ministry of Environment (i) Strengthens Safety/Labeling Standards for Potentially Risky Products and (ii) Introduces Biocides Act Modeled After EU’s Similar Regulation On December 30, 2016, Korea’s Ministry of Environment (“MOE”) announced an amendment to the “Potentially Risky Product Designation & Safety/Labeling Standards” (“MOE’s Notice”), which strengthens the safety and labeling standards relating to potentially risky …
Turkey Introduces a New Regulation on Packaging in line with EU Directives
Turkey Introduces a New Regulation on Packaging, Inserts and Tracking of Pharmaceuticals, in line with EU Directives I – Introduction On April 25th, 2017, the Ministry of Health ("Ministry") has published the Regulation on Packaging Information, Inserts and Tracking of Medicinal Products for Human Use ("Regulation") on the Official Gazette. Upon publication of the Regulation, …
Continue reading “Turkey Introduces a New Regulation on Packaging in line with EU Directives”
When the spirit of the law shines
2 May 2017 at 04:00 NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS When the spirit of the law shines The current government has been trying very hard to make Thailand a jurisdiction that places more emphasis on substance and less on surface appearances. This is evident in recent legal reforms, but the attitudes of state authorities remain problematic. Many …
Hungary: New Arbitration Legislation?
The Ministry of Justice has circulated its initiative for improving the legal environment with the aim of increasing Hungary's competitiveness by amending certain regulations and institutions. Among other things, the initiative concerns cross-border mergers and operation of trustees, and generally aims to lighten administrative burdens. Most notably, if adopted in its current form, it will …
Liberalisation Of The Gas Distribution Service: An Uphill Struggle?
The Legislative Decree No. 164/2000 (also known as “Letta Decree”) qualifies the natural-gas distribution activity as a public service. This qualification derives from the aim of natural-gas distribution to meet the needs of the community, by ensuring the equal access to the gas grid (so-called “third party access”), the continuity and the quality of the …
Continue reading “Liberalisation Of The Gas Distribution Service: An Uphill Struggle?”
SyCipLaw Tax Bulletin: Philippine BIR Rules on Proper Tax Treatment of Passed-on Gross Receipts Tax
On June 13, 2016, the then Commissioner of Internal Revenue issued Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 62-2016 purporting to clarify the proper tax treatment of percentage tax or gross receipts tax (GRT) due on transactions covered by Sections 1211 and 1222 of the Tax Code which are shifted through contractual stipulations to borrowers/customers/clients (“passed-on” GRT). Banks, …
DOJ Publishes New Evaluation Questionnaire on Compliance Programs
United States Department of Justice ("DOJ") published on its website a new guidance paper called "Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs" ("Evaluation") in February 2017. The Evaluation provides insight into how the DOJ evaluates compliance programs by setting forth the questions DOJ frequently uses when deciding on fine mitigation or entering into a plea agreements.