Austrian Economic Legal Issues and Insolvencies

Read the latest headlines about laws, jurisdictions and court decisions in Vienna and Austria with reference to the international interest

Austria: Creditors of DiTech Faced With Total Losses

The Austrian computer equipment retailer has filed for insolvency proceedings at the end of March.

May 12, 2014 · Updated: May 13, 2014; 10:55

New Serbian Government Wants Speedy EU Accession

The new Serbian government is determined to accelerate the EU accession progress.

May 2, 2014

Slovenia: ”Everything Will Stand Still”

Due to the current political crisis the fear about devastating impacts on the Slovenian economy is high.

April 28, 2014

Immofinanz: Ownership Problems in Romania

According to a court decision Immofinanz has took over not legitimately acquired property in Transsylvania.

April 17, 2014

Serbia: “Radical Measures” Needed to Tackle Grey Economy

Experts call for higher penalties to make tax evasion and gray economy less profitable and establish financial discipline.

April 14, 2014

Hypo Group: Disastrous Losses Revealed

Huge write-offs and value adjustments have sent losses of nationalized problem Hypo Group Alpe Adria soaring. Losses running into the billions are expected.

April 10, 2014

Hypo Group: Former CEO Sentenced to Prison

Former CEO of Hypo and investor Tilo Berlin was sentenced to more than two years in prison.

April 9, 2014

Hypo Group too Expensive for BayernLB

According to an official expert, regional German lender BayernLB’s fatal decision to take over Hypo Group Alpe Adria was based on questionable company evaluations.

April 7, 2014

BayernLB: “Odd“ Sponsoring Contracts in Carinthia

Former managers of the German regional bank are under suspicion of having bribed then-governor of the Austrian province of Carinthia.

March 31, 2014

Austria: Dispute about Hypo Credit to Alpine

The granting of a loan to Alpine Bau, which went bankrupt soon afterwards, in the amount of € 25m by Austrian problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria has become an issue of the Austrian prosecution.

March 31, 2014

Slovenia: Controversial Property Tax Fails

The Slovenian Constitutional Court has rejected the controversial property tax suggested by the government. This will jeopardize this year’s budget.

March 28, 2014

Serbia: Little Faith in Judiciary

The majority of the Serbian population does not trust state institutions, particularly the judiciary.

March 27, 2014

BayernLB Threatens Hypo Group with Damage Claims

BayernLB, former parent company of Hypo Group Alpe Adria International, is threatening to claim damages from its former affiliate.

March 26, 2014

Hypo Group: Spindelegger Still Rejects Investigation Committee

Today the opposition will call for a joint request for a parliamentary investigation committee with regard to ailing bank Hypo Group.

March 25, 2014

Austria: Opposition Criticizes Nationalization

On Thursday Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger expects a binding statement by ailing bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria about how much state aid will be required. The opposition heavily criticizes the nationalization by the Austrian state in 2009.

March 20, 2014

Hungary: Jurisdiction Affects FX Loans and Banks

Hungary’s constitutional court will exert influence on FX loans.

March 18, 2014

Hypo Group: Government Explains Downsizing Solution

On Tuesday the Austrian government will explain the decided downsizing solution for the ailing bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria. Carinthia only wants to pay € 300m in downsizing costs.

March 18, 2014

Serbia: Landslide Victory for Vucic

After Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic’s party saw an overwhelming victory in the early parliamentary elections the new government is facing a hard road ahead.

March 17, 2014

Serbia: Vucic Stands Good Chances of Becoming PM

Vucic is regarded new Serbian Prime Minister in the parliamentary elections.

March 15, 2014

DiTech: Insolvency Postponed

Heavily affected computer equipement trader DiTech has to postpone filing for insolvency proceedings, which was planned today at the Commercial Court in Vienna.

March 14, 2014

Austria: IV Welcomes Government‘s Decision on Hypo

According to Kapsch, president of IV, Hypo Group’s insolvency would have meant uncertainty and damages to the reputation of the business location Austria.

March 14, 2014

Hypo Group: Decision Has Finally Been Made

The government has finally made a decision. Ailing Hypo Group Alpe Adria will be downsized through a private bad bank.

March 14, 2014

Austria/SEE: Crucial Days for Hypo Group’s Future

Today the supervisory board of ailing Hypo Group is gathering to determine the financial gap of Hypo Group and the amount required to complete the balance sheets for 2013. Moreover, a decision about the SEE network will have to be made.

March 14, 2014

Austria: DiTech to be Taken Over by Investor

Insolvent computer equipment trader DiTech is supposed to be taken over by a German investor with Polish roots.

March 13, 2014

Austria: Who Will Pay for Hypo Group?

In the dispute around who is to pay for problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria Chancellor Werner Faymann intends to negotiate with the Austrian provinces about a contribution to the bank levy.

March 13, 2014

Hypo Group: Insolvency Still an Option?

The group of international advisors appointed by the Austrian government seems to have come to a different conclusion than the task force of Hypo Group Alpe Adria.

March 12, 2014

Bank Austria to Focus on Growth Markets in the Future

Because of the high value of write-offs Bank Austria, CEE affiliate of Italian UniCredit, had to face record losses amounting to € 1.6bn. CEO Willibald Cernko, however, does not consider the bank having made any mistakes in the past.

March 12, 2014

Hypo Group: Losses Expected to Run into Billions

Hypo Group Alpe Adria is expected to reveal losses of around € 2bn in the balance sheet for the business year 2013. Up to now, losses in the amount of € 1.3bn were expected.

March 12, 2014

Austria: Computer Trader DiTech Declares Insolvency

Viennese hardware computer trader DiTech has slipped into insolvency.

March 10, 2014

Austria: Spindelegger Still Does Not Exclude Hypo’s Bankruptcy

In an interview with daily “Österreich” Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger announced his intention of very carefull examining the task force’s final report about ailing bank Hypo Group.

March 8, 2014

Austria: Calls for Investigation Committee Get Louder

Calls for establishing a parliamentary investigation committee for Hypo Group Alpe Adria, as demanded by the Austrian opposition, are becoming louder.

March 5, 2014

Hypo Group: Decision about Downsizing Expected Soon

At the beginning of next week the final report for the planned downsizing of Hypo Group will be presented.

March 4, 2014

“Serbia Has to Become Economically and Politically Stable”

Prime Minister Dacic promised to continue to follow the path to an EU membership. Former Austrian Chancellor Gusenbauer underlines Serbia’s importance among Western Balkan states.

March 3, 2014

Austria/Ukraine: Bank Accounts of Former Leading Politicians to be Frozen

Austria imposes unilateral sanctions against 18 members of the overthrown Ukrainian regime. Among the high-ranking officals are former president Viktor Yanukovych and his son Oleksander Yanukovych.

February 28, 2014

Hypo Group: “Worst Thing If Government Does Not Make Decision”

According to Felderer, President of the Fiscal Council, a downgrade in the country rating must not be taken “too seriously”.

February 28, 2014

Romania: Ponta Clinging to Leadership

Reforms in Romania will be carried out even if Ponta’s new government’s majority will be reduced in parliament.

February 27, 2014

Austria: “Council of the Wise“ for Hypo Group

Instead of a parliamentary investigation committee the coalition expressed its wish to appoint a “Council of the Wise” for the the assessment of the ailing bank’s nationalization.

February 25, 2014

Hypo Group: Nowotny to Replace Liebscher

After Liebscher, head of Hypo Group’s task force, announced throwing in the towel Nowotny, Governor of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB), will become his successor.

February 22, 2014

Austria: Investment Banker Part of Hypo’s Expert Group

A former investment banker is supposed to support Austrian government in the Hypo Group issue.

February 21, 2014

Austrian Government Wants International Group of Experts

More and more voices for a parliamentary investigation committee for ailing bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria are being raised even within the SPÖ and the ÖVP. However, the government has other plans.

February 20, 2014

Liebscher: Government Is to Blame

Head of Hypo Group’s Task Force Klaus Liebscher rejects being turned into the scapegoat of delaying important decisions about the downsizing of the problem bank. Instead, he points his finger to the Austrian government.

February 20, 2014

Testimony Against Former Kazakh Diplomat

Today, a press conference about suspected damaged persons by former Kazakh ambassador to Austria, Rahat Aliyev, who is alleged to have disappeared in Malta, will take place at the Media Quarter Marx in Vienna.

February 13, 2014

Austria: Bank Participation for Hypo Off

A participation model with Austrian banks can be ruled out for ailing Hypo Group. Instead, a more expensive version will be applied.

February 10, 2014

FMA: Hypo Group Bankruptcy Incalculable Risk

The government does not dismiss the idea of a bankruptcy of ailing Hypo Alpe Adria. However, the Financial Market Authority (FMA) has expressly warned of this form of downsizing of the state bank.

February 10, 2014

Hypo Group Alpe Adria: Bankruptcy Would Affect Foreign Investors

In case of an unorderly insolvency of the Austrian nationalized lender, not only Austrian creditors would have to absorb losses. The majority of the bondholders are German and Swiss investors.

February 6, 2014

Slovenia: Dispute with Croatia Just Begun

Slovenian Foreign Minister Erjavec announced to continue dispute against Croatia.

January 29, 2014

CEE: Insolvencies Declining But Larger Effect

The number of insolvencies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is declining. However, the individual insolvencies are becoming larger, as reported by French credit insurer Coface.

January 23, 2014

Bank Dispute between Croatia and Slovenia Reappears

Last year Slovenia was ordered in the first instance to pay back the foreign currency deposits of LB’s former affiliate in Sarajevo.

January 22, 2014

Mitterlehner: „Hypo Group Must Not Burden State Budget“

Austria´s Minister of Economics underlined that the Austrian government is looking for an effective and cost-saving solution for the nationalized Lender Hypo Group Alpe Adria.

January 20, 2014

Hungary: Forex Loan Problem to be Solved

According to the Hungarian National Bank (MNB), the problem of the foreign-exchange loans could be solved in the next half year.

January 17, 2014