With effect from 1 January 2024, the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS) of the Czech Republic issued a new notice on compliance programs specifying how ÚOHS will consider internal competition compliance rules as a mitigating circumstance when imposing fines. Since 2022, ÚOHS has recognized the enhancement of an existing compliance program, or the introduction of a new program, as a mitigating circumstance when imposing fines, subject to certain conditions. Building on the experience gained, the new ÚOHS notice outlines the conditions that businesses must meet for a compliance program to be considered effective and by how much the imposed fines can be reduced.

The new Act on Screening of Foreign Investments – revamping the foreign direct investment screening mechanism in Slovakia – entered into force on 1 March 2023. Drawing from the EU FDI Regulation, the new FIR Act will have significant impact on inbound investments meeting specific legal criteria into Slovakia by non-EU investors.