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Ombudsman inquiry on Commission President’s text messages is a wake-up call for EU

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The European Ombudsman inquiry into the Commission’s handling of a request for text messages between its President and the CEO of a pharmaceutical company is a wake-up call for all EU institutions about ensuring accountability in an era of instant messaging. One year after the initial request by a journalist, the Commission has still not clarified whether messages reported to concern major vaccine procurement deals exist and whether the public is entitled to see them. The Ombudsman had asked the Commission, in a finding of maladministration in January, to conduct a more thorough search for the text messages. The Commission’s recent response failed to say whether it had looked directly and correctly for the text messages and if not, why not. While the response recognised that work-related text messages can be EU documents, it reiterated that the Commission’s internal policy is, in effect, not to register text messages. The Ombudsman has closed  the inquiry  and upheld...
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Fully-funded PhD position in AI, Law and Public Power

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Erasmus University Rotterdam School of Law, department Law & Markets, is looking for a fulltime PhD researcher in AI, Law and Public Power (4,5 years with 20% teaching tasks). PhD AI, Law and Public Power Are you curious about how artificial intelligence is changing state actor powers? Do you want to conduct critical and in-depth legal research at the intersection of technology, law and power? And would you like to combine that with academic teaching? Then this PhD position at Erasmus School of Law is for you. Within the Law & Markets team, you will spend 4.5 years researching the legal regulation of AI in the public sector. How do we protect fundamental rights when algorithms help decide on who receives public benefits, how to perform enforcement or how to enact environmental policy? What is the role of the state, and where is the limit of government power in a data-driven society? You will have plenty of space to choose your own research angle and work in a multidisci...
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Gigantic fine for unfair practices imposed on Booking.com by the Competition Authority of Hungary

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One of the highest fines for violation of unfair competition law has been imposed (28/4/2020) on online hotel booking platform ‘’Booking.com’’ by the Hungarian Competition Authority. The amount of the fine (approximately EUR 6 million / HUF 2.5 billion) imposed by the Authority illustrates the seriousness of the Dutch company's violations. The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) imposed a fine of HUF 2.5 billion on the operator of the online booking portal booking.com, and at the same time banned the Dutch company from continuing its aggressive sales methods. According to the decision of the competition authority, Booking.com B.V. engaged in unfair commercial practices against consumers by, among other things, misleadingly advertising some of its accommodations with a free cancellation option and exerting undue psychological pressure on consumers to make early bookings. As a result of the Competition Authority’s competition supervision proceeding  initiated in 2018, the autho...
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The Concept of "Habitual Residence" as a Jurisdictional Basis in International Parental Responsibility Disputes: The Cypriot Approach

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Written By Giorgos Kazoleas, Lawyer at Legal Experts Cyprus In modern private international law, determining the Forum Conveniens (the appropriate court) for resolving parental responsibility disputes is a critical issue for ensuring the best interests of the child. Within the Cypriot legal order, the jurisdiction of Family Courts in cases involving international elements—such as those involving third-country nationals—is primarily established through the concept of "habitual residence." 1. The Legal Framework: The 1996 Hague Convention and National Law The establishment of jurisdiction for Cypriot Courts arises from the combined application of international and national rules: 1996 Hague Convention [1] : According to Article 5, the judicial or administrative authorities of the Contracting State of the child’s habitual residence have jurisdiction to take measures directed at the protection of the child’s person or property. The Family Courts Law (Law 23/1990) : Arti...
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Pretextual Threats of Collective Redundancies: A Form of Workplace Harassment (Mobbing) under Cyprus Law

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Written by Giorgos Kazoleas, Managing Partner Lawyer at Legal Experts Cyprus In the Cypriot labor market, personnel management is often characterized by employer practices that exploit the fear and insecurity of employees. A particularly serious issue is the pretextual threat of collective redundancies within companies and enterprises. When such a threat does not reflect a genuine need for restructuring or financial distress, but is instead used deceptively as leverage to intensify labor and suppress claims (e.g., salary increases, bonus claims, other benefits, promotions, etc.), it transforms into a form of workplace harassment (mobbing) with specific legal implications. The Specialized Legal Framework: Law 42(I)/2025 The legal handling of this phenomenon—which has reached concerning proportions in Cyprus—was decisively strengthened by the enactment of the Prevention and Combating of Violence and Harassment at the Workplace Law of 2025 (Law 42(I)/2025). This law incorporates the...
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The Delivery Delay Clause in Residential Construction Contracts: Consumer Protection in Cyprus and Europe

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By Giorgos Kazoleas, LL.M., Lawyer, Managing Partner at Legal Experts Cyprus The purchase or construction of a new residence is one of the most significant financial and personal decisions a consumer can make. Residential construction contracts or agreements for the sale of property under construction are a crucial and defining element of the entire process, as certain terms they may contain can be detrimental to the buyer. One of the most critical aspects is the contractual delivery time of the project and the provision for delay, through the so-called delivery delay clause. The Delivery Delay Clause: Its Role and Legal Nature The delivery delay clause (also known as a penalty clause in the event of default) is a term usually included in the contract that specifies a predetermined compensation amount that the contractor or seller must pay to the buyer for every day, week, or month of delay beyond the agreed delivery date. The purpose of the clause is twofold: -Compensatory: ...
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Annual Report on the execution of the European Court's judgments and decisions

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The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, has called for further efforts to implement judgments from the European Court of Human Rights. Commenting on the  annual report for 2024  on the execution of the Court’s rulings, published today, the Secretary General said: “ This report shows what a concrete, positive impact judgments from the European Court of Human Rights have on the daily lives of the people of Europe. While a lot has been achieved, more needs to be done. The efficient execution of the Court's judgments is essential for the rule of law and democratic accountability in Europe .” The annual report from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers shows that 992 cases were transferred from the European Court of Human Rights to Committee, which supervises their implementation by member states, in 2024. Of those 992 new cases, 194 were “leading” cases – often requiring action to be taken by states to prevent the same violations happ...
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