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From July 21, the reform of rules on prospectuses, intended to establish a common rulebook across the EU to encourage financing through capital markets, will directly apply in Spain.

Timing and Objectives

An EU directive aimed at harmonizing Member State restructuring and insolvency laws (the “Directive”) was published in the Official Journal on June 26, 2019 and entered into force on July 16, 2019. Member States are required to adopt and publish compliant laws and regulations by July 17, 2021.

The Preventive Restructuring Frameworks Directive (EU) 2019/1023 is finally in force. Following its implementation into EU member states’ national law, the directive will hopefully prove an effective tool for Europe’s restructuring practitioners, just as the continent’s economic outlook darkens.

At the European Union level, the cross-border proceedings benefit under EU Regulation 848/2015 from a unitary framework who general declared purpose is to ensure the optimal functioning of the internal market. To this end, there are a series of rules and principles intended to prevent the transfer of assets or judicial proceedings from one member state to another in the attempt to obtain a more favorable legal situation to the detriment of the creditors’ list.

There has been an influx of company voluntary arrangements (“CVAs”) in recent times, as retailers fight to rescue their UK high street stores. Retail CVAs accounts for the highest proportion of CVAs at 19%. As more and more CVAs are approved, we consider some of the recent trends seen in the retail sector which showcase the flexibility of a CVA and reflect the demands of landlords whose support is vital to the continuing viability of a business.

What is a CVA?

The list of successful restructurings outside insolvency proceedings is as long as it is confidential. Every year, companies of all sizes are stabilised and sustainably restructured without the stigma of insolvency proceedings. However, until now there has been no European legal framework for pre-insolvency restructurings and only a few national laws explicitly provide for the possibility of such preventive restructurings. This will change now.

Persisting political and economic uncertainty means awareness of market changes remains crucial.

The 2008 distress cycle triggered defaults and restructurings for European PE portfolio companies, as maintenance covenant defaults and balance sheet deleveraging forced refinancings and debt-for-equity swaps. While restructuring conditions for PE firms are stronger in 2019 than they were in 2008, persisting political and economic uncertainty means that awareness of market developments remains important.

The banking reform package marks an important step toward the completion of the European post-crisis regulatory reforms

The EU Directive on restructuring and insolvency was published in the OJEU on Wednesday. Members states have until 17 July 2020 to implement it, and this includes the UK as it stands: the UK has much – but not all – of it already. The UK Government has its own plans for reforming insolvency law of course, including to re-introduce Crown Preference. It is mostly about creating a rescue framework.