SEE Property Forum 2024, Romania’s leading international real estate event, brought together top economic minds to debate the effects of the economic convergence process in the region and also the current and future economic outlook of CEE.

Hungary's construction sector showed a spectacular rebound in April, with output volumes up 11% on the previous month, completely making up for the feeble performance of the previous two months. The production figures in recent months for a sector in fundamentally poor shape are far from tragic, nor are the order books figures, but we are seeing such huge month-to-month fluctuations that it is very difficult to assess what is happening in the construction sector.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has reduced its main interest rate from 4% to 3.75%, following Canada's rate cut earlier in the week. ECB President Christine Lagarde announced that the outlook for inflation had significantly improved, which enabled the rate cut. However, she warned that inflation would likely stay above the 2% target, averaging 2.5% in 2024 and 2.2% in 2025. The ECB remains committed to keeping its policy restrictive to achieve the inflation target. This rate cut, though anticipated, is seen as a relief for consumers and businesses, aiming to stimulate economic activity by making borrowing cheaper.

In less than five months, the new building code for common buildings in the Czech Republic is going to enter into force. However, clouds are gathering around it. Builders are afraid of the shortcomings they have encountered recently when familiarizing themselves with the new requirements of the legislation, reports Seznamzpravy.cz.

The past year has probably been the weakest since 2009 in terms of the volume of investments in real estate, both in the Czech Republic and throughout Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). This conclusion has resulted from the KPMG Property Lending Barometer survey. It has involved representatives of 48 banks from 10 CEE countries.

As part of the so-called consolidation package, which has changed several dozen laws since January in the Czech Republic, the property tax is rising by an additional 80% starting this year, reports Seznamspravy.cz.

The Construction Act in Slovakia has been in force for half a century, and this year will probably not be its last either. The new Construction Act, or the Construction Act and Spatial Planning Act, was supposed to enter into force in Slovakia on 1st April 2024. The validity of part of the new legislation will be postponed, reports yimba.sk.

Industrial parks should become a powerful driver of the economy and a driving force for the development of the Ukrainian industry and its inclusion in the European system. The state has created the prerequisites for this: in addition to tax incentives, the draft budget for 2024 provides UAH 1 billion (€26 million) for a program to support industrial parks. Iryna Nastych summarised the situation in an article prepared by the Ukrainian Real Estate Club for Property Forum. She analysed how the segment of industrial parks has received a boost in development despite the war, what is the synergy between the state, business and local communities, and what prevents more active development of this area.

According to the preliminary results of the parliamentary elections held in Poland on Sunday, after 2 terms and 8 years of independent rule, Prawo i Spawiedliwość (Law and Justice) will have to hand over power to the opposition. This is certainly good news for foreign investors, who may have feared worsening chaos in law and taxation and, in the longer term, Poland's potential exit from the structures of the European Union.

Just ahead of the Expo Real investment fair in Munich, experts of Avison Young presented an overview of the current situation in the Polish commercial real estate market.