On 28 May 2020, the Hungarian Government adopted amendments to the laws on company liquidation and forced deletion procedures to cushion the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic on the economy.

1. Changes related to liquidation

Liquidation is initiated when a company is unable to meet its financial obligations and pay off its debt. However, in Hungary, the courts do not apply an actual insolvency test before ordering liquidation but check only whether certain criteria have been met.

In a bid to assist struggling companies amid the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic, Hungary issued Government Decree No. 249/2020, which amends the Bankruptcy Code and gives companies breathing space while they explore options for rescue.

The changes created by the decree, which came into force on 29 May 2020, will be in effect only during the state of the emergency and include the following:

Restructurings, especially those involving multiple jurisdictions, are invariably complex matters. This CMS Expert Guide provides an overview of the various restructuring possibilities available in a large number of countries, allowing you to compare how the options are deployed in these jurisdictions.

We intend to update it periodically to reflect important changes as they happen.

If you need more information or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The right to set-off claims and obligations in insolvency proceedings is an important tool for creditors in order to protect themselves against the insolvency risk of a contractual counterparty. This article gives a short overview of the rules for set-off in insolvency proceedings in Austria and certain CEE jurisdictions not taking into account special provisions for close-out netting and similar transactions.

Austria

Set-off in insolvency proceedings

This guide provides a comparative analysis of certain key areas of law and procedure for those involved in or affected by financial distress of a corporation and the trading of distressed debt across Europe.

We are pleased to present this Summer 2011 edition of the CMS Restructuring and Insolvency in Europe Newsletter.

Az ENEFI és a román adóhatóság közötti jogvitában az eljáró bíróság előzetes döntéshozatali kérelemmel fordult az Európai Unió Bíróságához, melyben az uniós jog értelmezését kérte a magyarországi fizetésképtelenségi eljárás romániai joghatásával kapcsolatban. Korábbi blogbejegyzésünkben beszámoltunk az ENEFI és a romániai adóhatóság közötti jogvitában 2016.

Short stories

Amendments to the Czech Insolvency Act 2016

The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) has recently rendered a decision in a dispute between the Portuguese investor Dan Cake and Hungary. The dispute was based on a bilateral investment agreement between Portugal and Hungary concluded in 1992. In its decision, the Tribunal declared Hungary liable for the breach of the investment agreement. The Tribunal will decide on the amount of damages at a later date.

Dan Cake versus Hungary

Following the EU Insolvency Regulation Nr. 2015/848 (the “Regulation”) coming into force, the Hungarian legislator has accordingly amended the Hungarian Insolvency Code (the “Code”) with effect from 28 October 2017.