Editorial | Restructuring Directive  

Does the extension of pandemic protections risk creating 'zombie' businesses in the building sector?

The government has extended measures in the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (CIGA) to protect businesses during the pandemic until 30 September 2021.

The CIGA came into force on 26 June 2020. It introduced new procedures and measures to rescue companies in financial distress as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pandemic protection

Am 16.06.2021 wurde von der Bundesregierung der Entwurf der neuen Restrukturierungsordnung (ReO), mit der die RL (EU) 2019/1023 (RestrukturierungsRL) umgesetzt wird, beschlossen (siehe hier).

The amendment to the Business Corporations Act effective from 1 January of this year (the "Amendment") brings, among other things, a significant change in the liability of members of a statutory body, which will affect the current topic of insolvency.

Members of a statutory body may now be liable in the event of insolvency for a much wider range of misconduct than was the case until the end of 2020. And not only them. The Amendment explicitly widens the range of persons to whom the new liability rules will apply.

The Council of Ministers has approved the creation of the Fund for the Recapitalisation of Companies Affected by COVID-19 (the "FREAC"), which will be funded with 1,000 million euros and will be managed directly by COFIDES. The purpose of the FREAC is to provide a temporary public support under criteria of profitability, risk and impact on sustainable development, in order to strengthen the solvency of medium-sized companies with registered offices in Spain.

An appellate court judgment will bring comfort to liquidators of insolvent companies in respect of the limitation periods applicable in cases of fraud or deliberate concealment

Streamlined bankruptcy rules are due to come into force in June to shield healthy businesses hit by the pandemic

Belgium's Chamber of Representatives has approved (14 March 2021) a bill modifying the current insolvency laws with respect to – and alongside other minor changes – judicial reorganisation, pre-packaged insolvency and fiscal reform.

Editorial | CEE

Am 23.02.2021 wurde der lang erwartete Entwurf der Restrukturierungsordnung veröffentlicht. Mit dem Entwurf soll die Richtlinie (EU) 2019/1023 (RestrukturierungsRL) in Österreich umgesetzt werden.

Der Entwurf in 5 Fragen

Warum?

Erleichterung der Sanierung durch Möglichkeit einer gerichtlich bestätigten Mehrheitsentscheidung der Gläubiger.

Wer?

1.1 Corona Relief Fund (for more details check out our legal insight)