-? Will you follow the UEFA European Championship? Whom do you think will be this year’s champion? In a recent survey CEPER asked these questions from Central Europeans, click here to find out more about our opinion poll!
-?The Lithuanian Paysera’s Bulgarian subsidiary raised 1.15 million levs in its IPO, entering the Bulgarian Stock Exchange.
-?Some months after the Slovenian parliament mandated electronic devices and service providers to make the Slovenian language available for their users, Slovenian was confirmed to arrive to iOS devices by no later than this autumn.
- Czechia recently launched a new platform, called Work in Czechia that aims to attract foreign skilled labour to the country. The website offers a comprehensive guide (especially targeting IT professionals) about moving and settling in Czechia. The goals of the project are in line with the EU’s so-called Deep Tech Talent Initiative that aims to upskill one million individuals in deep tech fields by the end of new year. Due to demographic changes lately Czechia has been focusing on attracting foreign workers – the number of non-Czech workers in the country increased by over 30?000 last year, reaching over 820?000 in total.
- The Slovenian language will soon become available on iPhones and iPads. The coming iOS 18 operating system will offer Slovenian as an option, enabling iPhone Xs and newer models’ users to switch to this language. IPhone moved to make Slovenian available for its users after the Slovenian parliament changed a law on the public use of Slovenian requiring electronic devices and services providers to make this language available to users.
- In 2022 Serbia halted Rio Tinto’s lithium mine and processing plant building plans in the Jadar valley due to widespread protests. The new Serbian prime minister, Milo? Vu?evi?, has been silent on the issue so far – according to him the government has not discussed the continuation of the Anglo-Austrian mining company’s plans. This week, however, he disclosed that Belgrade is open to all development projects, including lithium mining related ones. The prime minister also highlighted the importance of listening to experts and using a sustainable development-oriented strategy.
- Croatia fined a multitude of Slovenian fishermen for fishing in waters that have been awarded to Slovenia by a border arbitration tribunal but whose decision Croatia does not recognize. As the latest reiteration of the dispute between the two countries Slovenia moved to set up a government support program for those fishermen who were fined by the neighboring Croatia.
- Inspections were carried out in the headquarters of 14 Romanian businesses (operating in the IT and communication equipment market). The Competition Council’s inspections are part of an investigation that is related to sales by Cisco Systems Romania SRL, that might have violated public tenders. The anti-competitive practices of the accused companies might have started as early as 2019. In case the Competition Council finds proof for the violation of rules the involved companies risk being fined up to 10% of their turnover.
- The Lithuanian Paysera’s Bulgarian payment service provider raised some 1.15 million levs in an IPO, initial public offering. Paysera Bulgaria’s value now stands over 10 million levs on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange. Paysera listed 163?000 ordinary shares at a 12.2 levs price. From the income made from the IPO, Paysera is planning to improve its digital payment services offered to its Bulgarian and Romanian customers.
- The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) committed itself to a 15 million euro equity investment into Eldrive Holding. Eldrive Holding is a Bulgarian electric vehicle charging station operator, that is now planning to expand its infrastructure in Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania. The company that now operates 900 charging stations, is planning to install over 7?000 more stations in the coming 4 years (about 4 000 in Romania, 1?000 in Bulgaria and 2?500 in Lithuania).?
