The Estonian Bankruptcy Act has been amended to establish the Insolvency Division, a state entity responsible for supervising the activities of insolvent debtors and funding bankruptcy proceedings where it deems it necessary to improve the business culture. Modelled after the Finnish bankruptcy ombudsman’s institution, the service aims to bring more efficiency to bankruptcy proceedings. The Insolvency Division is highly anticipated and welcomed, as the previous supervision system did not meet expectations in satisfying creditors’ claims or identifying the causes of debtor insolvency.

Many companies will likely be forced to deal with debts and liquidity issues – one must act smart and promptly to keep the problems from snowballing.

Advice to creditors: Stop the snowballing effect!

Set the credit limit and ask for advance payments

Suspension of the management board’s obligation to file a bankruptcy application

Persons entitled to file an insolvency application and insolvency (IS) proceedings entry criteria: 

1) A non-secured creditor or a secured creditor (regarding the non-secured part of the claim), in cases where:

Preconditions for starting an LPP:

1) no liquidation initiated against the debtor;

2) in the previous 5 years, the debtor has not implemented and completed LPP;

1) Debtor prepares OCLPP plan & obtains approval from creditors:

- more than 50% non-secured creditors (total of principal claims);

- at least 2/3 secured creditors (total of principal claims).

Who may not vote (on approval the plan): persons in the same group of companies, shareholders (natural persons) with decisive influence and persons who acquired claims against the debtor from the aforementioned persons within the previous 2 years.

2) Debtor and creditors agree on supervisor's candidate during OCLPP.

On 16 April 2014 the Estonian Parliament adopted amendments to the bankruptcy and reorganisation laws. The law has now been published in Riigi Teataja (the official journal) and will enter into force on 19 May 2014.