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In a very hard year for the Czech economy, the former overly-optimistic comments about the economy have been replaced by more realism and pessimism. But many of the remaining law firms continue to prosper. Paul Lee reports

In October the Commission held an oral hearing to discuss the way forward following the publication of its Green Paper on vertical restraints, referred to in the March 1997 issue of International Financial Law Review (see page 62).

A new rule opens Saudi Arabia to independent power projects for the first time. Project finance is likely to take off, and the forthcoming power plant, Shuaiba, may be a BOO project. By Steven Miles of Arent Fox, Washington DC and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Law 8/1987 of June 8 regulating pension funds (Planes y Fondos de Pensiones), provides that each fund has a single managing and a single depositary entity. This gives rise to a system of mutual controls between the entities, and the legal regime of the liabilities arising from their actions. The new law allows pension funds to invest in foreign financial assets, where their investments are regulated by the statutory law pertaining to Spanish outward foreign investment and exchange control.

In 1992, the Faroe Islands, controlled by Denmark under a home rule arrangement, were hit by financial problems. At the time, Den Danske Bank owned the majority shareholding of Føroya Bank, a major Faroe Islands Bank.

The European Council meeting in Luxembourg on December 12 and 13 1997 developed a specific pre-accession strategy for Cyprus. The conclusions note the accession process formally begins on March 30 1998 when the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the 15 member states meet their opposite numbers from Cyprus and the 10 central and eastern European applicant states. The European Council decided to convene bilateral inter-governmental conferences with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia to negotiate the conditions of their entry into the EU and the necessary Treaty adjustments. In addition to the establishment of an accession partnership and an increase in pre-accession aid available to all applicants, the specific pre-accession strategy for Cyprus will be based on the following:

Tender bids for Singapore's second fixed-line licence and third mobile phone licence closed on December 31 1997.

A recent High Court decision (Anchorage Management Limited v D A Oldham & P J Cordner as trustees of the Royds Family Trust) provides a useful reminder of the potential impact of the Limitation Act 1950. The case involved a debt due from a family trust which was 'payable on demand'. The court reaffirmed a centuries' old rule that, on their own, the words 'payable on demand' are not sufficient to qualify the implied promise of immediate repayment.

The Zedillo administration continues to privatize the nation's most valued sectors, making1998 a promising year for international investors. Privatizations in 1996 and 1997, particularly in telecommunications (satellites, PCS auctions and long distance telephone competition) and transport (railways and ports), indicate Mexico's commitment to the long-term economic development model. Privatizations in 1998 will involve permits or concessions in natural gas, airports and telecommunications.

The central bank's circular 2.785 of November 27 1997 limited the total amount of margins and premiums paid by foreign capital vehicles to 5% (or 20% or 50%) of their respective net assets, when equivalent total investments in derivatives are the same as (or up to three or more than three times) their net assets.