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Montenegro lacks specific legal regulations or national strategies for AI, with current AI activities governed by general legal principles from existing laws. Despite the absence of detailed regulations or strong government support, public awareness of AI is relatively high, with 59.1 % of citizens familiar with the technology. Several initiatives are actively promoting the safe development and use of AI, reflecting a growing public interest in influencing future AI regulations.

As in every year, the Hungarian tax administration has published its yearly summary with the most important trends and numbers regarding taxation in Hungary during 2023. In the last year it seemed that, while the tax authority was still increasing its efforts to entice the taxpayers’ voluntary compliance, fines have also soared to unprecedented heights. The statistics also show that it remains worthwhile to take the case to the courts if one finds the National Tax and Customs Administration’s decisions unlawful.

Default penalty amounts generally has been doubled in Hungary as of 1 August 2024. According to the Governmental Decree published in the Hungarian Gazette on 8 July 2024, overwriting the Act on the Rules of Taxation, the increase is due to the Ukrainian war and is theoretically effective by the end of the emergency period.

The Parliament of Montenegro passed the Law on the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources, which was published in the Official Gazette of Montenegro on August 23rd, 2024. The Law will enter into force on the eighth day from the day of its publication in the Official Gazette of Montenegro.

As we wrote in our earlier article, according to the decision made by the German data protection authority at the end of last year, the use of the “pay-or-okay” principle is generally allowed. This model involves a cookie notice (via a so-called cookie banner) on a website, giving the user the choice between:

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), along with the NIS2 directive, is a crucial piece of European legislation aimed at strengthening cybersecurity within the EU. While NIS2 focuses on a broader range of critical sectors, DORA specifically targets the financial sector, establishing a robust framework to ensure that regulated financial entities can withstand, respond to and recover from disruptions and threats related to information and communications technology (ICT). DORA complements other EU regulatory frameworks by introducing standardised requirements for digital operational resilience, which financial entities must incorporate into their risk management strategies by its effective date of 17 January 2025.

North Macedonia currently lacks AI-specific regulations, lagging behind neighbouring countries that have implemented guidelines or laws. Although the Macedonian Fund for Innovation and Technology Development (FITD) and the government initiated efforts in 2021 to create a National Strategy for AI (National Strategy), progress has been slow due to challenges such as insufficient data, human resources, and technical capabilities. Despite this, there is a strong commitment, supported by organisations like the World Bank and UNDP, to develop a comprehensive AI strategy aligned with European Union (EU) standards.

The European Union lawmakers have completed the group of many sustainability and circularity-focused initiatives introduced during the last legislative cycle. The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) is a significant step towards promoting sustainable and responsible business practices and more transparent company operations. This Directive completes the Corporate Sustainable Reporting Directive (CSRD) from December 2022, which updates the process of how and what companies report in their non-financial statements, according to European sustainability standards.

On 16 August 2024, the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as of 9 August 2024 No. 925 ("Amending Resolution") became effective and introduced amendments to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as of 18 March 2022 No. 314 "On Certain Issues of Ensuring of Carrying Out Commercial Activities During Martial Law" ("Resolution on Simplified Licensing Procedure").

In 2024, Hungary introduced new regulations concerning the employment of guest workers. The new law, which took effect at the start of the year, outlines specific criteria for obtaining a guest worker residence permit. Under the new regulations, a guest worker can receive a residence permit if the following conditions are met:

In August 2024, Montenegro’s government took a significant step towards modernising the country’s gambling industry by adopting the Fiscal Strategy for 2024-2027. This ambitious plan, aimed at ensuring macroeconomic stability and responsible governance, includes substantial changes to the gambling framework that could reshape the sector’s future.