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ESG

Get an overview of our legal expertise in relation to environmental, social and governance.

Our CEE-wide expertise across several legal areas and industries allows our teams to advise on all environmental, social and governance related questions and challenges. Over the past years, our experts have been guiding clients on an increasing number of ESG-related matters, litigations and transactions, with a particularly strong focus on energy, environment, (social) infrastructure and public law, corporate governance (including stakeholder activism), CSR, finance and regulatory issues, including advertising clearance and litigation as well as registration and enforcement of certification marks.

Historically, Schoenherr has been involved in the development and implementation of much of Europe's most impactful energy market and climate protection legislation. Similarly, we are actively involved in many governance-related initiatives, spanning legislation drafting, education initiatives and supporting best practices. The firm has supported ESG strategies throughout the CEE region by providing innovative legislative and regulatory solutions for governments and sub-nationals.

We are well-known for advising:

  • governments, national regulators and other governmental institutions on environmental law and energy sector reform, green energy transition strategies, green policy design and the enhancement of environmental and energy regulations in light of the ongoing challenges of climate protection;
  • on a wide range of international and domestic energy matters, including energy transition projects (primarily renewable projects), "green" transactions and large development projects;
  • on innovative projects such as "floating" solar plants, geothermal projects, electrolysers for the production of green hydrogen;
  • clients on innovative waste management strategies aimed at preventing, mitigating and recycling operational waste flows;
  • stakeholder associations (such as chambers of commerce) on the improvement of environmental and energy efficiency legislation;
  • domestic and international clients on compliance with environmental law and ESG requirements;
  • clients on "green" public procurement and financing (e.g. issuance of green bonds or venture capital investments in ESG-focused startups);
  • governments, national regulators, stock exchanges, professional organizations and clients on drafting legislation, identifying/defining best practices and training initiatives in the corporate governance area;
  • certification bodies and agencies in obtaining protection for and enforcing certification marks; and
  • clients on clearance of sustainability advertising claims, including representation in misleading advertising litigation.
contact us

 

 

ESG deal news selection

press release

Austria: Schoenherr advises ARA on cooperation agreement for construction of sorting plant with Der Grüne Punkt and Bernegger GmbH

Schoenherr advised Altstoff Recycling Austria AG (ARA) on the negotiation and conclusion of a cooperation agreement for the construction of a new high-performance high-tech sorting plant in Upper Austria with DSD - Duales System Deutschland (Der Grüne Punkt) and Bernegger GmbH.

more
press release

Romania: Schoenherr advises Samsung C&T Corporation on sale of 45 MW solar PV park to GreenVolt

Schoenherr Romania advised Samsung C&T Corporation on the sale of its participation in LJG Green Source Energy Alpha, a solar photovoltaic ("PV") project with an installed capacity of 45 MW, located in Giurgiu county. The solar PV park was sold to Greenvolt – Energias Renováveis ("GreenVolt") through its subsidiaries V-Ridium Solar 45 and V-Ridium Renewables.

more
press release

Bulgaria: Schoenherr advises RGREEN INVEST on unique EUR 15m green bond to finance photovoltaic plant in Bulgaria

Schoenherr advised RGreen Invest, a French management company representing a fund for green energy projects, on a EUR 15m bond to finance the construction of a photovoltaic plant near the town of Razlog in southwestern Bulgaria, as well as on a standard security package for it. The bond's issuer is a member of the Renalfa group, a leading Bulgarian clean energy and e-mobility provider with a focus on renewable energy generation assets.

more
press release

Austria: Schoenherr advises e-mobility start-up Easelink on EUR 8.3m financing round (Series A)

Schoenherr advised the Austrian high-tech company Easelink, a provider of automated electric vehicle charging solutions, on its EUR 8.3m Series A financing round.

more
press release

Croatia: Schoenherr advises Mirova and RP Global on sale and refinancing of onshore wind farms in Croatia

Schoenherr advised Mirova and RP Global on the sale of two onshore wind farms in Dalmatia, Danilo (44MW) and Rudine (34MW), to Professio Energia d.d. (DLPR, Zagreb Stock Exchange).

more
press release

Austria: Schoenherr advises UNIQA on successful issue of new EUR 375m green tier 2 notes and notes repurchase

more
press release

Bulgaria: Schoenherr advises MET Group on the acquisition of a 60 MW operational wind park in Western Bulgaria

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press release

27 February 2019

austria

C.Schumacher

Schoenherr registers first ever certification mark for Styria vitalis' "Grüner Teller"

Schoenherr advised the Styrian association Styria vitalis on the registration of its quality seal "Grüner Teller", Austria's first registered certification mark.

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local ESG updates

Find more local legal updates and information in our country-specific ESG pages:

Our experts from various legal areas not only advise on ESG-related matters, but also publish articles on new developments and sum up what that could mean for businesses.

Here you can find our latest ESG-related legal updates: publications, press releases about matters we advised on, newsletters on legal developments and more. 

Do you have questions? Contact our ESG task force!

 

guide

Legal Overview of Renewable Energy in CEE

Developments at EU level - e.g. the European Climate Change Act, the European Green Deal, the REPowerEU Plan, and the Renewable Energy Directive II - will certainly result in a further immediate (and mid-term) boost for development of renewable energy projects and related financing in the CEE region. Take a look at our guide to get an CEE overview.

read more
newsletter

24 April 2023

N.Zafoschnig

EU Parliament approves new Emissions Trading System

On 18 April 2023, the EU Parliament approved the provisional political plan to reduce CO2 emissions in the EU agreed on by the Council and the European Parliament on 18 December 2022.

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event

20 March 2023

C.Cudlik B.Schlatter

Webinar | Emergency Response to Energy Price Surges - RePowerEU Considerations for Energy Market Players

The expansion of renewables is currently taking place at various speeds across the EU. 

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newsletter

17 February 2023

austria

B.Rajal M.Krzystek

Erneuerbares-Gas-Gesetz (EGG) mit Déjà vu: Die Strafzahlung für Gasversorger und die daran anknüpfende Frage der Weiterverrechnung an Endkunden!

Am 15.02.2023 wurde der Begutachtungsentwurf zum Bundesgesetz über die Einführung einer Versorgerverpflichtung für Gas aus erneuerbaren Quellen veröffentlicht ("Erneuerbares-Gas-Gesetz-Entwurf" – "EGG-Entwurf"). Der EGG-Entwurf sieht die Verpflichtung von Gasversorgern vor, einen bestimmten Anteil der von ihnen verkauften Gasmengen durch erneuerbare Gase zu ersetzen. Kommen Gasversorger dieser Verpflichtung nicht nach, drohen Strafzahlungen in Form eines Ausgleichsbetrags, der von der Regulierungsbehörde (E-Control) durch Bescheid vorgeschrieben wird. Die Strafzahlungen könnten nicht nur Versorger, sondern letztlich auch deren Endkunden zu spüren bekommen.

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roadmap

MiCA: A new era in crypto regulation

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roadmap

Must-know: The new EU collective action

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roadmap

Relevance of ESG criteria for management decisions

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roadmap

Upcoming legal requirements to integrate ESG risks into diligent risk management

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roadmap

ESG: Why does it matter?

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roadmap

2023

serbia

N. Lalatović Đorđević | D. Nikolić

ESG-related arbitrations: A new kid on the block

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roadmap

Courts against climate change? Climate change litigations are reaching Europe

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roadmap

Sustainability claims: trendy but tricky

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roadmap

ESG labels protected as certification marks: five years of practice with this new kind of trademark

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roadmap

Competition in the tomorrow's European energy markets of tomorrow: between uncertainties and opportunities

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roadmap

Legitimate sustainability cooperation or cartel greenwashing?

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roadmap

Management of limited liability companies under the microscope: director, employee or all of the above?

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roadmap

ESG in action. How ESG is influencing the Hungarian office real estate submarket

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roadmap

Does rental housing in Slovakia have a future?

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roadmap

Photovoltaic plant subsidies in Czechia

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roadmap

Green leases all the rage in commercial leasing

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roadmap

Photovoltaics: the green energy source. Austrian tax aspects to consider when implementing photovoltaic systems

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roadmap

2023

poland

P. Kapica | O. Jezierska 

Green finance takes root in Poland

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roadmap

Market and legal update on green bonds on the EU and Austrian level: how to finance the energy transition (even in times of crisis)

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roadmap

Greenwashing class action risk in light of upcoming Slovak laws

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roadmap

The hydrogen backbone: Broken from the beginning?

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roadmap

Renewable energy transition ahead

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publication

Chambers Environmental Law 2022

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publication

to the point: Finance | Q4 2022

Welcome to our newest edition of Schoenherr's quarterly to the point: finance newsletter!

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media coverage

ESG – A Gentle Reminder for a Corporate Strategy Update

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publication

International Comparative Legal Guide - Renewable Energy 2023

The International Comparative Legal Guides provide current and practical comparative legal information on a range of practice areas, following a Q&A format to ensure thorough coverage of each topic within different legal systems worldwide.

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newsletter

15 September 2022

austria

B.Rajal

The European Commission's emergency interventions in the energy market: Legal basis disputable

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publication

to the point: Finance | Q3 2022

Welcome to our newest edition of Schoenherr's quarterly to the point: finance newsletter!

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publication

Chambers Climate Change Regulation Guide 2022

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newsletter

07 September 2022

austria

B.Rajal M.Ebner M.Florea

Renewable Energy in CEE

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event

08 September 2022

hungary

L.Krüpl

Real Estate Beach Conference

The annual Real Estate Beach Conference takes place on 8 September at Lake Balaton in Hungary. The program is built on keynotes and panels covering the most important developments in the real estate industry.

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newsletter

25 July 2022

austria

B.Schlatter

Ausbau von Großflächen-PV in NÖ rückt näher

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press release

Schönherr berät ARA bei Kooperation für Errichtung einer Sortieranlage mit Der Grüne Punkt und Bernegger zur Erreichung der EU-Recyclingziele

Schönherr hat die Altstoff Recycling Austria AG (ARA) bei der Verhandlung und dem Abschluss eines Kooperationsvertrags für die Errichtung einer neuen leistungsstarken Hightech-Sortieranlage in Oberösterreich mit DSD - Duales System Deutschland (Der Grüne Punkt) und Bernegger GmbH beraten.

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press release

Austria: Schoenherr advises ARA on cooperation agreement for construction of sorting plant with Der Grüne Punkt and Bernegger GmbH

Schoenherr advised Altstoff Recycling Austria AG (ARA) on the negotiation and conclusion of a cooperation agreement for the construction of a new high-performance high-tech sorting plant in Upper Austria with DSD - Duales System Deutschland (Der Grüne Punkt) and Bernegger GmbH.

more
publication

to the point: Finance | Q2 2022

Welcome to our newest edition of Schoenherr's quarterly to the point: finance newsletter!

more
newsletter

01 July 2022

austria

B.Rajal

Erneuerbare Energie in Österreich – Marktprämienauktionen starten!

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press release

Romania: Schoenherr advises Samsung C&T Corporation on sale of 45 MW solar PV park to GreenVolt

Schoenherr Romania advised Samsung C&T Corporation on the sale of its participation in LJG Green Source Energy Alpha, a solar photovoltaic ("PV") project with an installed capacity of 45 MW, located in Giurgiu county. The solar PV park was sold to Greenvolt – Energias Renováveis ("GreenVolt") through its subsidiaries V-Ridium Solar 45 and V-Ridium Renewables.

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newsletter

Nachhaltigkeit beim Vertrieb von Versicherungsprodukten

Rechtliche Konsequenzen der nicht (vollständigen) Abfrage von Kundenpräferenzen

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newsletter

30 May 2022

hungary

G.Szalóki

Hungarian National Bank and European Investment Bank agree to boost green financing

more
newsletter

19 May 2022

austria

C.Cudlik

REPowerEU – Erste Einblicke in den Kommissionsvorschlag zur Beschleunigung von Erneuerbaren-Energie-Projekten

more
newsletter

EAG-Investitionszuschüsseverordnung Strom in Kraft

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newsletter

12 April 2022

romania

M.Cojocaru

Romania launches new renewables support scheme for wind and solar projects. Over EUR 450m up for grabs

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event

07 April 2022

austria

C.Cudlik

webinar: "water law in practice"

more
publication

The International Comparative Legal Guide - Environment & Climate Change Law 2022

more
publication

to the point: Finance | Q1 2022

Welcome to our newest edition of Schoenherr's quarterly to the point: finance newsletter!

more
newsletter

21 February 2022

hungary

G.Szalóki

Hungarian National Bank issues green bond guideline

more
newsletter

09 February 2022

austria

F.Schneider B.Rajal

Weiterer Meilenstein am Weg zu 100% Ökostrom bis 2030: EAG-Investitionszuschüsseverordnung Strom in Begutachtung geschickt

more
press release

Bulgaria: Schoenherr advises RGREEN INVEST on unique EUR 15m green bond to finance photovoltaic plant in Bulgaria

Schoenherr advised RGreen Invest, a French management company representing a fund for green energy projects, on a EUR 15m bond to finance the construction of a photovoltaic plant near the town of Razlog in southwestern Bulgaria, as well as on a standard security package for it. The bond's issuer is a member of the Renalfa group, a leading Bulgarian clean energy and e-mobility provider with a focus on renewable energy generation assets.

more
press release

Austria: Schoenherr advises e-mobility start-up Easelink on EUR 8.3m financing round (Series A)

Schoenherr advised the Austrian high-tech company Easelink, a provider of automated electric vehicle charging solutions, on its EUR 8.3m Series A financing round.

more
publication

14 January 2022

austria

B.Rajal

Energiegemeinschaften - Elektrizitätsunternehmen oder Gewerbebetrieb?

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press release

Croatia: Schoenherr advises Mirova and RP Global on sale and refinancing of onshore wind farms in Croatia

Schoenherr advised Mirova and RP Global on the sale of two onshore wind farms in Dalmatia, Danilo (44MW) and Rudine (34MW), to Professio Energia d.d. (DLPR, Zagreb Stock Exchange).

more
newsletter

12 January 2022

austria

B.Rajal

EAG-Novelle 2022 – Windkraft im Fokus

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newsletter

Bulgaria (Energy): Record high electricity prices lead to zero premium for RES producers and moratorium on the regulated market

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press release

Austria: Schoenherr advises UNIQA on successful issue of new EUR 375m green tier 2 notes and notes repurchase

more
newsletter

14 December 2021

austria

C.Haid A.Reumann

Green Antitrust: the very thin red line between legitimate sustainability cooperation and illegal collusion

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blog

10 December 2021

romania

D.Iàcona

The profile of Italian investors in Romania's second wave of renewable energy investment has changed

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newsletter

30 November 2021

austria

B.Rajal

Drafts of the recast of Gas Directive and Regulation leaked: First glimpse of the regulation of hydrogen networks

more
publication

Chambers Environmental Law 2021

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newsletter

19 November 2021

austria

B.Rajal

WEG-Novelle: Gesetzliche Erleichterungen für hausinterne E-Tankstellen und Photovoltaikanlagen

more
publication

19 October 2021

austria

M.Zöhrer A.Reumann

KaWeRÄG 2021 - Ökologisierung des Kartellrechts?

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event

08 September 2021

austria

B.Rajal

Energy Tomorrow

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press release

Bulgaria: Schoenherr advises MET Group on the acquisition of a 60 MW operational wind park in Western Bulgaria

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press release

Romania: Schoenherr advises Nofar Energy on the acquisition of a 153 MW photovoltaic park under development in Romania

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newsletter

21 July 2021

austria

B.Rajal

Neue Leitlinien für staatliche Klima-, Umwelt- und Energiebeihilfen am Start!

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event

03 August 2021

austria

B.Rajal

Road to Renewables | Update: Das Erneuerbaren-Ausbau-Gesetz

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event

20 October 2021

C.Schmelz B.Rajal C.Cudlik

1. Österreichischer Wasserstofftag

Von der Vision zur Realität

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newsletter

09 July 2021

austria

B.Rajal

EAG-Gesetzespaket nun endlich beschlossen – Was ist neu?

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press release

Austria: Schoenherr advises Joint Lead Managers on issue of EUR 250m green mortgage covered bonds by Oberbank AG

Schoenherr advised the Joint Lead Managers Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, DekaBank, Erste Group and Raiffeisen Bank International on the successful green mortgage covered bank bond issue by Oberbank AG.

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newsletter

Austria: Energy from biomass and biogas

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blog

14 June 2021

austria

F.Terharen

Austria's winding road to a lawful Digital Green Certificate

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newsletter

Austria: New wind power system blows onto renewable energy scene

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press release

Romania: Schoenherr advises ENGIE Romania on the acquisition of an operational PV park

Schoenherr Romania advised ENGIE Romania ("ENGIE") on the acquisition of a fully operational photovoltaic ("PV") project with an installed capacity of 5.46 megawatt (MW), located in Teleorman county, Romania from two German investors.

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newsletter

18 May 2021

romania

M.Cojocaru

Romania is getting ready to ride a second wave of renewable energy investments

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newsletter

17 May 2021

austria

B.Rajal

Austria: Electricity producers welcome in future energy communities

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publication

renew romania 2021

the investor’s guide to renewable energy projects 2021

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press release

11 May 2021

romania

M.Cojocaru

Romania: Schoenherr advises Risen Energy Solar Project GmbH on the sale of 20 MW PV park to Alternus Energy Group plc.

Schoenherr Romania advised Risen Energy Solar Project GmbH on the sale of a photovoltaic ("PV") project with an installed capacity of 20 MW, located in Giurgiu county, Romania to Alternus Energy Group plc.

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newsletter

05 May 2021

austria

B.Rajal

Austria: Which company structure is best for renewable energy communities?

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press release

Austria: Schoenherr advises leading energy service providers on e-mobility joint venture

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event

13 May 2021

romania

M.Cojocaru

Webinar: Renew Romania

renewable energy | bridging the gap between the current reality and 2030 ambitions

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newsletter

27 April 2021

L.Schwitzer M.Ebner

Green April: European Commission publishes sustainable finance and reporting package

On 21 April 2021, the European Commission (ECOM) published measures aimed at fostering sustainable investment and steering finance towards the European Green Deal.

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newsletter

Die Hüterin der EAG-Förderungen: Überblick zur EAG-Förderabwicklungsstelle

In Schönherrs Erneuerbaren-Ausbau-Gesetz Infocorner werden die wesentlichen Eckpunkte des EAG-Pakets dargestellt und praxisrelevante Rechtsfragen behandelt. Bleiben Sie zudem über aktuelle Veranstaltungen und Webinare informiert.

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press release

Austria: Schoenherr advises bookrunners on the successful issue of EUR 500 million Green and Sustainability-Linked Notes by VERBUND AG

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publication

01 April 2021

austria

B.Rajal

Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs): Neue Wege der Stromvermarktung?

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publication

31 March 2021

austria

C.Cudlik

VwGH bestätigt UVP-Genehmigung für das Vorhaben SKW Kühtai

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publication

Die Rolle der Energiegemeinschaften im österreichischen Energierecht

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newsletter

Energie aus Biomasse und Biogas

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newsletter

23 March 2021

austria

N.Zafoschnig

EAG: Änderungen des ElWOG und GWG

Die am 17.03.2021 veröffentlichte Regierungsvorlage des EAG-Gesetzespakets umfasst neben dem neuen Erneuerbaren-Ausbau-Gesetz unter anderem auch Novellen des ElWOG und des GWG. Diese Novellen haben das Ziel, erneuerbare Energiequellen in das Energiesystem zu integrieren und die Systeminnovationen zu implementieren.

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media coverage

22 March 2021

B.Rajal

Stromerzeuger in zukünftigen Energiegemeinschaften willkommen

In seiner aktuellen Version ist das Erneuerbaren-Ausbau-Gesetz in einem zentralen Punkt praxisnäher geworden.

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newsletter

22 March 2021

austria

B.Rajal

Hier kommt die Sonne(nenergie)

Am 17.03.2021 wurde der mit Spannung erwartete Entwurf des Bundesgesetzes über den Ausbau von Energie aus erneuerbaren Quellen (Erneuerbaren-Ausbau-Gesetz – EAG) im Ministerrat beschlossen. Um die Investitionssicherheit für bestehende und zukünftige Anlagen zu gewährleisten, bringt der Entwurf bedeutende Änderungen des Fördersystems für Photovoltaikanlagen – ein erster Überblick!

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newsletter

Don Quijote aufgepasst: Ein neues Fördersystem für Windkraft kommt!

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newsletter

Wasser(kraft) marsch! Ein Überblick zum neuen Fördersystem für Wasserkraft

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newsletter

22 March 2021

austria

B.Rajal

Erneuerbaren-Ausbau-Gesetz (EAG)

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newsletter

19 March 2021

austria

B.Rajal

Neues EAG: Update zu Energiegemeinschaften!

Am 17.03.2021 wurde die Regierungsvorlage zum geplanten Bundesgesetz über den Ausbau von Energie aus erneuerbaren Quellen (Erneuerbaren-Ausbau-Gesetz – EAG) veröffentlicht. Diesem lang ersehnten Schritt geht ein Begutachtungsverfahren mit über 100 Stellungnahmen voraus. Mehr als 6 Monate wurde am Begutachtungsentwurf gearbeitet. Für die geplanten Energiegemeinschaften gibt es einige wesentliche Änderungen.

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event

25 March 2021

austria

B.Rajal

Road to Renewables: Power Purchase Agreements

Unsere Webinarreihe rund um das Erneuerbaren-Ausbau-Gesetz (EAG) geht in die nächste Runde. Freuen Sie sich im März auf den folgenden Termin:

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media coverage

18 February 2021

B.Rajal

Schwierige Wahl der Gesellschaftsform für erneuerbare Energie

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publication

10 February 2021

austria

B.Schlatter

Alles neu bei den Erneuerbaren

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Schoenherr's ESG task force is made up of experienced experts in various legal areas and industries across the CEE region. The team advises on all environmental, social and governance-related questions and challenges.

If you have any questions about ESG, please contact our ESG task force!

contact us

Austria and CEE

Martin
Ebner

Partner

austria vienna

Bernd
Rajal

Partner

austria vienna

Sascha
Hödl

Partner

austria vienna

Czech Republic

Jan
Kupčík

Attorney at Law

czech republic

Michal
Jendželovský

Attorney at Law

czech republic

Monika
Voldánová

Attorney at Law

czech republic

Kristýna
Tupá

Attorney at Law

czech republic