Keeping children safe in education – revised statutory guidance
On 5 September 2016, the Department for Education’s revised guidance, ‘Keeping children safe in education’, came into force. The document is the Government’s statutory guidance which all schools, academies and colleges must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
The European Commission (EC) announced proposals on 22 November 2016, which are intended to harmonise national insolvency laws across the EU through a proposed directive “on preventative restructuring frameworks, second chance and measures to increase the efficiency of restructuring, insolvency and discharge procedures” (Directive). The Directive will need to be passed by the European Council and European Parliament. Then, EU Member States would be required to adopt the Directive’s provisions into their respective national laws within two years from the date of its entry into force.
ITALY
BANCA MONTE DEI PASCHI DI SIENA SpA
Monte dei Paschi di Siena (“Monte Paschi”) founded in 1472 and said to be the oldest bank in the world is, at the time of publication, in a race against the clock to raise EUR 5 billion in capital by the end of December to avoid either a state bail-out or potentially being wound down by the European Central Bank (“ECB”).
Major legislative changes
Reform of English corporate insolvency framework
The Insolvency Service is reviewing responses to its consultation on significant reforms designed to improve the restructuring tools available to companies. These include:
ECJ decides that rights in rem should be interpreted in accordance with German law, despite insolvency proceedings having been opened in France
In the recent case of SCI Senior Home (in Administration) v Gemeinde Wedemark, Hannoversche Volksbank eG, the Court of Justice of the European Union handed down judgment on the question of whether a right in rem created under national law should be considered a "right in rem" for the purposes of Article 5 of the Council Regulation (EC) 1346/2000 on insolvency proceedings (the "Insolvency Regulation").
La sentencia de 10 de noviembre de 2016 de la sala cuarta del TJUE se ha pronunciado sobre los requisitos que deben reunir las prendas de cuenta corriente para quedar cubiertas por el régimen de garantías financieras de la Directiva 47/2002.
El TJUE ha respondido a las cuestiones prejudiciales elevadas por el Tribunal Supremo de Letonia sobre el ámbito de aplicación de la Directiva, después de que los órganos de primera instancia y de apelación letones desestimaran la demanda interpuesta por una compañía letona frente a una entidad financiera.
Fraud victims and their legal counsel have gained an important, new tool for reaching across the Continent with a single ex parte order that will freeze bank accounts in multiple EU countries: the new European Account Preservation Order. Under the EAPO, with a single freeze order, courts in any member state may, as part of any civil or commercial proceeding, freeze a debtors’ bank accounts up to a specified amount, EU-wide, with the except
German insolvency law contains provisions that allow for the challenge of payments/securitisation of certain shareholder loans in insolvency proceedings. The reason for this is that under German insolvency law, a loan repayment claim of a shareholder against ‘his’ corporation is subordinated by law (sec. 39 para. 1 no. 5 German Insolvency Code).
The recast European Insolvency Regulation – impact on distressed debt investors
What's happening?
In 2002, the European Insolvency Regulation (EIR) introduced a regime governing the administration of insolvent corporates or individuals which operate in more than one member state of the European Union (EU). A "recast EIR" will apply to insolvency proceedings commenced on or after 26 June 2017.
Why are the EIRs important?
The Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) announced it is examining registrants’ compliance with key whistleblower provisions arising out of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act).