On March 12, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a bill on the protection of the rights of a bona fide purchaser.
This bill proposes:
1. Improving law enforcement in recovering property from a bona fide purchaser through a clear distinction between vindication and negative claims.
2. Compensation to a bona fide purchaser when requisitioning property for the benefit of the state or community.
3. Strengthening the protection of the rights of a bona fide purchaser in the event of the disposal of property from state or community ownership.
Among the proposed amendments to the Civil Code, the draft law proposes:
1. Establishing an objective statute of limitations for claims regarding real estate, the right to which is registered in the State Register.
2. Strengthening the rights of a bona fide purchaser:
- Prevention of vindication if more than 10 years have passed since the date of registration of the right.
- Guarantee of recovery of property from critical infrastructure, state-owned objects, cultural heritage, etc.
- Establishing compensation to a bona fide purchaser of the market value of property upon requisition.
- Making it impossible to file a negative claim in cases of property alienation by authorities.
- Extension of compensation conditions to cases in which a decision has not yet been made at the time the Law enters into force.
Among the main risks that this bill may carry, the following can be distinguished:
- The provisions of the bill allow for the legalization of land withdrawn from the ownership of the state or territorial community, if 10 years have passed since the withdrawal.
- The unregulated issue of illegally alienated lands (beaches, forest areas, coastline, etc.).
- The boundaries of nature conservation or cultural heritage lands are often not defined, making it difficult to return these assets.
- The wording of the bill's provisions may complicate the return of property in temporarily occupied territories. This situation was clearly described in a letter by the Legal Department of the Verkhovna Rada.
- Most commentators on the bill adhere to the same opinion, focusing their attention on the unconstitutionality of certain provisions of the draft law that discriminate against the state and territorial communities in their ability to defend their property.
At the moment, the bill has been submitted to the President of Ukraine for signing.
On March 7, the National Bank of Ukraine published the Draft Rules for the Storage, Protection, Use and Disclosure of Bank Secrecy as amended on March 20, 2025 in connection with the adoption of Law No. 4174-IХ of December 19, 2024 "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding Certain Issues of Disclosure of Bank Secrecy and Measures to Establish Custody of the Property of an Individual Recognized as Missing or a Person Missing under Special Circumstances."
This Law supplements Article 62 of Law No. 2121-III, granting notaries, officials of local self-government bodies authorized to perform notarial acts, and consular institutions the right to receive information containing banking secrecy to establish custody of the property of persons recognized as missing or disappeared. The NBU draft contains the procedure for disclosing such information upon requests from notaries and other authorized officials.
The NBU will officially publish the final version of the draft rules after its approval.
On March 12, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a draft law on the organization of labor relations under martial law.
The draft law proposes to amend Law No. 2136 - IX, namely:
1. Article 7: Add the obligation of the parties to ensure communication and notify of changes in contact details within 10 days.
- The employer makes changes to the register.
- The employee reports the current data by mail or email.
2. Article 13: Define the suspension of an employment contract as a temporary termination due to armed aggression, limited to 90 days.
- After this period, the contract is renewed, and if it is impossible to perform, it is terminated.
- Orders with an expired suspension period become invalid.
- Employers are required to update the data in the register within 60 days.
- Employees absent for more than 90 days or in occupied territories must provide current contact information.
These changes will enter into force on the day after the publication of the draft law, except for the provisions of paragraph three of part one and paragraph two of part two of Article 13 of Law No. 2136 - IX, which shall enter into force one year after the entry into force of this Draft Law.
para. 3, part 1 of art. 13 – Suspension of the employment contract may be carried out at the initiative of one of the parties for a total period of no more than 90 calendar days during the martial law (taking into account the terms of its extension)
para. 2, part 2 of article 13 – “The order (instruction) of the employer, which determines the period of suspension of the employment contract, which exceeds the period provided for in part one of this article, shall cease to be valid after the end of the latter.”
On March 27, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted in second reading a draft law on improving the legal regulation of certain issues of home and remote work.
The draft law proposes to supplement the Labor Code with the following provisions:
- sending home and remote workers on business trips, if this is provided for by the employment contract;
- transferring an employee to home or remote work in connection with the distance learning of a child under 14 years of age, upon agreement with the employer.
This law will contribute to legal certainty for employers, regulate the rights of home and remote workers when it comes to sending them on business trips; create appropriate conditions for parents to work, in the case of a child studying remotely in secondary education institutions.
March 14, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved amendments to Resolution No. 314 on certain issues of ensuring the conduct of economic activities under martial law.
These amendments stipulate that declarations of business entities regarding the placement of outdoor advertising submitted before the entry into force of these amendments are valid for three months. During this period, enterprises must obtain the relevant permits.
In addition, sub-clauses were removed that suspended the deadlines for applying for public services during martial law, and also automatically extended the validity of licenses for this period and for another three months after the termination or cancellation of martial law.
Among other things, a new subparagraph was added that allows the declaration to remain valid if the business entity applied for a permit within its validity period and until the permitting authority makes a decision to issue such a permit.
This change will be in effect until the end of the year in which martial law is terminated or abolished, but not less than three months.
On March 21, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a Resolution on the creation of a new regulatory body in the field of organizing and conducting gambling and lottery activities.
According to this resolution, the Government agreed to create the State Agency " PlayCity ", which will replace the liquidated CRGL. The agency will be responsible for implementing state policy in the field of gambling and lotteries, and will be formed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
Among the main objectives of the Resolution:
- Liquidation of CRGL and launch of PlayCity under the coordination of the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
- Moving the licensing process online to minimize corruption.
- Implementation of market control and fight against illegal casinos.
We remind you that by the adopted Law No. 9256-d of January 4, 2025, it was decided to liquidate the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL) and strengthen control over the gambling market.
On March 27, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a bill on the specifics of lending and financial leasing during martial law.
This bill was developed to protect the interests of entrepreneurs, in particular farmers, who lost the opportunity to conduct their activities due to armed aggression.
This bill provides for the exemption of individual borrowers from the obligation to pay on loans during martial law and for one year after its end, supporting businesses whose property is in occupation or combat zones.
Pavlish, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy, the document will help stop the accrual of fines and interest for entrepreneurs who received loans before the invasion began, but cannot operate due to the occupation.
However, this bill also has negative consequences, which were emphasized by the Independent Association of Banks of Ukraine (NABU) back in December 2024.
As the Association noted, this law will directly transfer all losses caused by war consequences to banks. Such a decision will undermine the stability of the banking system in war conditions and will eliminate the creation of war risk insurance. In addition, the adoption of this bill may completely stop financial leasing of transport, which will negatively affect logistics, the agricultural sector and other critically important industries. Therefore, since December of the previous year, the Association has insisted on the rejection of this bill.
If no changes are made to this draft law, then according to the final provisions, it will enter into force on the day after its official publication.
On March 21, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a bill prepared by the State Statistics Service on the resumption of submission of statistical reports by respondents.
Submission of statistical and financial reporting by enterprises, as well as reports on payments to the state, will be resumed in accordance with this draft law. This draft law amends the Law "On Protection of the Interests of Subjects of Reporting and Other Documents during the Period of Martial Law or a State of War."
The main objectives of the above-mentioned bill are as follows:
- Respondents (individuals, sole proprietors, legal entities, except for the defense-industrial complex) will submit reports within 3 months after the termination or cancellation of martial law or a state of war for the entire period of failure to submit reports or the obligation to submit documents.
- Individuals from areas of active hostilities will submit reports within three months after the end of hostilities.
- No sanctions or liability will be applied for failure to submit reports during the period of martial law or a state of war, as well as within three months after its end.
- Verifications by authorized bodies regarding the timeliness and completeness of the submission of any reports or documents of a reporting nature will not be conducted during the period of martial law or a state of war.
- Reports that have not been submitted previously must be submitted within three months of the entry into force of this bill.
This bill proposes:
1. Improving law enforcement in recovering property from a bona fide purchaser through a clear distinction between vindication and negative claims.
2. Compensation to a bona fide purchaser when requisitioning property for the benefit of the state or community.
3. Strengthening the protection of the rights of a bona fide purchaser in the event of the disposal of property from state or community ownership.
Among the proposed amendments to the Civil Code, the draft law proposes:
1. Establishing an objective statute of limitations for claims regarding real estate, the right to which is registered in the State Register.
2. Strengthening the rights of a bona fide purchaser:
- Prevention of vindication if more than 10 years have passed since the date of registration of the right.
- Guarantee of recovery of property from critical infrastructure, state-owned objects, cultural heritage, etc.
- Establishing compensation to a bona fide purchaser of the market value of property upon requisition.
- Making it impossible to file a negative claim in cases of property alienation by authorities.
- Extension of compensation conditions to cases in which a decision has not yet been made at the time the Law enters into force.
Among the main risks that this bill may carry, the following can be distinguished:
- The provisions of the bill allow for the legalization of land withdrawn from the ownership of the state or territorial community, if 10 years have passed since the withdrawal.
- The unregulated issue of illegally alienated lands (beaches, forest areas, coastline, etc.).
- The boundaries of nature conservation or cultural heritage lands are often not defined, making it difficult to return these assets.
- The wording of the bill's provisions may complicate the return of property in temporarily occupied territories. This situation was clearly described in a letter by the Legal Department of the Verkhovna Rada.
- Most commentators on the bill adhere to the same opinion, focusing their attention on the unconstitutionality of certain provisions of the draft law that discriminate against the state and territorial communities in their ability to defend their property.
At the moment, the bill has been submitted to the President of Ukraine for signing.
On March 7, the National Bank of Ukraine published the Draft Rules for the Storage, Protection, Use and Disclosure of Bank Secrecy as amended on March 20, 2025 in connection with the adoption of Law No. 4174-IХ of December 19, 2024 "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding Certain Issues of Disclosure of Bank Secrecy and Measures to Establish Custody of the Property of an Individual Recognized as Missing or a Person Missing under Special Circumstances."
This Law supplements Article 62 of Law No. 2121-III, granting notaries, officials of local self-government bodies authorized to perform notarial acts, and consular institutions the right to receive information containing banking secrecy to establish custody of the property of persons recognized as missing or disappeared. The NBU draft contains the procedure for disclosing such information upon requests from notaries and other authorized officials.
The NBU will officially publish the final version of the draft rules after its approval.
On March 12, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a draft law on the organization of labor relations under martial law.
The draft law proposes to amend Law No. 2136 - IX, namely:
1. Article 7: Add the obligation of the parties to ensure communication and notify of changes in contact details within 10 days.
- The employer makes changes to the register.
- The employee reports the current data by mail or email.
2. Article 13: Define the suspension of an employment contract as a temporary termination due to armed aggression, limited to 90 days.
- After this period, the contract is renewed, and if it is impossible to perform, it is terminated.
- Orders with an expired suspension period become invalid.
- Employers are required to update the data in the register within 60 days.
- Employees absent for more than 90 days or in occupied territories must provide current contact information.
These changes will enter into force on the day after the publication of the draft law, except for the provisions of paragraph three of part one and paragraph two of part two of Article 13 of Law No. 2136 - IX, which shall enter into force one year after the entry into force of this Draft Law.
para. 3, part 1 of art. 13 – Suspension of the employment contract may be carried out at the initiative of one of the parties for a total period of no more than 90 calendar days during the martial law (taking into account the terms of its extension)
para. 2, part 2 of article 13 – “The order (instruction) of the employer, which determines the period of suspension of the employment contract, which exceeds the period provided for in part one of this article, shall cease to be valid after the end of the latter.”
On March 27, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted in second reading a draft law on improving the legal regulation of certain issues of home and remote work.
The draft law proposes to supplement the Labor Code with the following provisions:
- sending home and remote workers on business trips, if this is provided for by the employment contract;
- transferring an employee to home or remote work in connection with the distance learning of a child under 14 years of age, upon agreement with the employer.
This law will contribute to legal certainty for employers, regulate the rights of home and remote workers when it comes to sending them on business trips; create appropriate conditions for parents to work, in the case of a child studying remotely in secondary education institutions.
March 14, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved amendments to Resolution No. 314 on certain issues of ensuring the conduct of economic activities under martial law.
These amendments stipulate that declarations of business entities regarding the placement of outdoor advertising submitted before the entry into force of these amendments are valid for three months. During this period, enterprises must obtain the relevant permits.
In addition, sub-clauses were removed that suspended the deadlines for applying for public services during martial law, and also automatically extended the validity of licenses for this period and for another three months after the termination or cancellation of martial law.
Among other things, a new subparagraph was added that allows the declaration to remain valid if the business entity applied for a permit within its validity period and until the permitting authority makes a decision to issue such a permit.
This change will be in effect until the end of the year in which martial law is terminated or abolished, but not less than three months.
On March 21, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a Resolution on the creation of a new regulatory body in the field of organizing and conducting gambling and lottery activities.
According to this resolution, the Government agreed to create the State Agency " PlayCity ", which will replace the liquidated CRGL. The agency will be responsible for implementing state policy in the field of gambling and lotteries, and will be formed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
Among the main objectives of the Resolution:
- Liquidation of CRGL and launch of PlayCity under the coordination of the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
- Moving the licensing process online to minimize corruption.
- Implementation of market control and fight against illegal casinos.
We remind you that by the adopted Law No. 9256-d of January 4, 2025, it was decided to liquidate the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL) and strengthen control over the gambling market.
On March 27, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a bill on the specifics of lending and financial leasing during martial law.
This bill was developed to protect the interests of entrepreneurs, in particular farmers, who lost the opportunity to conduct their activities due to armed aggression.
This bill provides for the exemption of individual borrowers from the obligation to pay on loans during martial law and for one year after its end, supporting businesses whose property is in occupation or combat zones.
Pavlish, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy, the document will help stop the accrual of fines and interest for entrepreneurs who received loans before the invasion began, but cannot operate due to the occupation.
However, this bill also has negative consequences, which were emphasized by the Independent Association of Banks of Ukraine (NABU) back in December 2024.
As the Association noted, this law will directly transfer all losses caused by war consequences to banks. Such a decision will undermine the stability of the banking system in war conditions and will eliminate the creation of war risk insurance. In addition, the adoption of this bill may completely stop financial leasing of transport, which will negatively affect logistics, the agricultural sector and other critically important industries. Therefore, since December of the previous year, the Association has insisted on the rejection of this bill.
If no changes are made to this draft law, then according to the final provisions, it will enter into force on the day after its official publication.
On March 21, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a bill prepared by the State Statistics Service on the resumption of submission of statistical reports by respondents.
Submission of statistical and financial reporting by enterprises, as well as reports on payments to the state, will be resumed in accordance with this draft law. This draft law amends the Law "On Protection of the Interests of Subjects of Reporting and Other Documents during the Period of Martial Law or a State of War."
The main objectives of the above-mentioned bill are as follows:
- Respondents (individuals, sole proprietors, legal entities, except for the defense-industrial complex) will submit reports within 3 months after the termination or cancellation of martial law or a state of war for the entire period of failure to submit reports or the obligation to submit documents.
- Individuals from areas of active hostilities will submit reports within three months after the end of hostilities.
- No sanctions or liability will be applied for failure to submit reports during the period of martial law or a state of war, as well as within three months after its end.
- Verifications by authorized bodies regarding the timeliness and completeness of the submission of any reports or documents of a reporting nature will not be conducted during the period of martial law or a state of war.
- Reports that have not been submitted previously must be submitted within three months of the entry into force of this bill.
