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CEE Transposition Status of the EU Pay Transparency Directive
The EU Pay Transparency Directive is no longer a distant HR compliance topic. It will require employers to review how pay is set, documented, disclosed and justified, with a particular focus on equal pay for equal work and work of equal value. EU Member States must transpose the Directive into national law by 7 June 2026. The European Commission has confirmed that, after that deadline, it will assess whether national legislation properly reflects the Directive’s requirements. With the deadline now only weeks away, the picture across the region remains uneven. Some countries have published draft legislation, some are still preparing proposals, and Slovakia has already completed the legislative process. Employers with
AI in HR: More time to prepare – not less to do
On 7 May 2026, the European Parliament and Council reached a political agreement to postpone the application of key obligations for high-risk AI systems under the EU AI Act. For standalone systems, including many HR and recruitment tools, the deadline is expected to move from 2 August 2026 to 2 December 2027. The European Parliament and Council must now formally adopt the political agreement. This is a welcome development for many organisations. It recognises that the compliance framework is still maturing, but it should not be misunderstood. The extension affects timing, not substance. The underlying legal and operational expectations remain unchanged. Several of the AI Act’s most important provisions are
The European Cybersecurity Reform – Expanded overview
We are pleased to share our updated and extended overview and critical analysis of the European cybersecurity reform, Cybersecurity Act 2.0 (CSA2), now including additional jurisdictions. This overview examines one of the most significant proposed shifts in the EU’s digital regulatory framework since the adoption of the original Cybersecurity Act. It outlines the key elements of the European Commission’s proposal, including the expansion of ENISA’s mandate, the centralisation of certain cybersecurity competences at EU level, and a harmonised framework addressing “non-technical risks” linked to third-country suppliers. The analysis also highlights the potential impact of CSA2 on Member States’ sovereignty
EU 20th sanctions package against Russia: Implications for financial services and crypto-assets
EU Member States have adopted the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. The package has a pronounced anti‑circumvention focus and significantly expands measures affecting financial services and crypto‑assets. It is expressly designed to close existing and emerging circumvention pathways, including those involving third‑country financial institutions and crypto‑based payment rails. The legal acts entered into force on 24 April 2026. For EU financial institutions and crypto‑asset service providers (CASPs), the new package raises compliance, enforcement, and governance expectations, requiring a review of exposures, internal controls, and escalation frameworks. Expansion of banking and payment restrictions
EU Insolvency Law redrawn: What directive 2026/799 changes and why it matters
Until last week, an investor assessing a distressed exposure in another EU member state had to navigate up to 27 different insolvency regimes, each with its own rules on look-back periods, directors' obligations, asset recovery, and creditor rights. Recovery timelines ranged from seven months to seven years. Directive (EU) 2026/799 of the European Parliament and of the Council harmonising certain aspects of insolvency law, published in the Official Journal on 1 April 2026 and in force as of 21 April 2026, represents the first substantive legislative response to that fragmentation. Scope and architecture The Directive is a minimum-harmonisation instrument. The definition of insolvency, the thresholds for opening
Kinstellar advises MOL on its restructuring into a holding entity
We are proud to have advised Hungarian oil and gas company MOL Plc. on its transformation into a holding entity—the largest corporate restructuring to date in Hungary. The transaction was exceptional in both scale and complexity, making it a rare event in the Hungarian market. Kinstellar’s Budapest office is privileged to have assisted MOL in this significant transformation. As part of the demerger, MOL transferred its upstream, downstream, and retail businesses into three newly established operating companies, each wholly owned by MOL Plc. The holding structure enables the full legal separation of business activities‚—streamlining operational complexity and supporting more autonomous decision-making of the businesses—while
The European Cybersecurity Reform
We are pleased to share our latest overview and critical analysis of the European cybersecurity reform, Cybersecurity Act 2.0 (CSA2). This overview examines one of the most significant proposed shifts in the EU’s digital regulatory framework since the adoption of the original Cybersecurity Act. It outlines the key elements of the European Commission’s proposal, including the expansion of ENISA’s mandate, the centralisation of certain cybersecurity competences at EU level, and a harmonised framework addressing “non-technical risks” linked to third-country suppliers. The analysis also highlights the potential impact of CSA2 on Member States’ sovereignty, public procurement, certification schemes, and the
Regional report: Energy and natural resources trends in the CEE, SEE, Central and Southeast Asia for the year 2026
We are excited to release the second edition of the Report | Energy and Natural Resources Trends in the CEE, SEE, Central and Southeast Asia for the year 2026. This report provides an overview of the latest and upcoming developments in the energy and natural resources sector, with a particular focus on opportunities and advances in renewable energy, battery energy storage systems, hydrogen, nuclear energy, and oil and gas. It is tailored to the specific energy landscape of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, as well as Cambodia and Vietnam, in collaboration with our sister law firms there. Through this report, we aim to provide
Kinstellar announces new Partner and Counsel promotions
Kinstellar is pleased to announce the promotions to Partner of Pavel Kornilov (Almaty), Yerlan Akhmetov (Almaty), Olga Šipka (Belgrade), Dominika Bajzáthová (Bratislava), Theodor Artenie (Bucharest), Maksym Tesliar (Kyiv), Mladen Minev (Sofia), and Svilen Issaev (Sofia), and to Counsel of Katarina Živković (Belgrade), Lukáš Mrázik (Bratislava), Lidia Zarnescu (Bucharest), Razvan Constantinescu (Bucharest), Dániel Péter (Budapest), Adam Němec (Prague), and Radim Kotrba (Prague). Partners Pavel Kornilov, Astana/Almaty Pavel is recognised as a top-tier lawyer with extensive experience in capital markets, debt finance, banking, and M&A matters. He advises clients on equity and debt capital markets
Dual distribution in automotive: Competition law risks and national approaches
This newsletter is the final entry in our three-part series on the legal aspects of transitioning to the agency model (where dealers become “agents” making sales on behalf of manufacturers) within the EU automotive sales sector. The first part focused primarily on the basic parameters of agency models and on the issues surrounding the termination of existing contractual agreements. The second newsletter focused on agency models in relation to consumers, outlining the key obligations and risks for manufacturers and agents. In this entry, we examine the competition law risks associated with both the agency and dual distribution (selling vehicles both through independent authorized dealers and directly to end-consumers)
Transparency back in the spotlight: Revisiting GDPR awareness
In an increasingly digital and complex data environment, the GDPR continues to play a central role for organisations, even eight years after taking effect. Transparency is once again in the spotlight, with data protection authorities and EU regulatory bodies reinforcing that compliance goes beyond simply informing data subjects, and that organisations are expected to ensure transparency by design and by default. 1. Coordinated enforcement framework On 19 March, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) launched its Coordinated Enforcement Framework action for 2026. Following the 2025 coordinated action on the right to erasure, this year’s initiative focuses on compliance with transparency and information obligations
Kinstellar advises shareholders of ROFA Industrial Automation on the sale of ROFA Group to SPIE
Kinstellar is advising the shareholders of ROFA Industrial Automation on the sale of the German ROFA Group to the listed French SPIE Group. ROFA Industrial Automation (ROFA), headquartered in Bavaria, is a leading provider of automation technology, intralogistics solutions, and special‑purpose machinery with operations in China, Austria, Hungary, Romania, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United States. ROFA’s portfolio covers the full project lifecycle, from consulting and software/hardware engineering to manufacturing, commissioning, and after-sales services. By acquiring ROFA, SPIE aims to strengthen its strategic position in the German industrial services market. The transaction remains subject to antitrust