The office focuses on the areas of state aid, energy, environment, EU research policy, telecommunication, media, trade, competition and transport, social and regional policy.

The Brussels office of Kuhbier is the representative office for the European Renewable Energies Federation (EREF) and the German Wind Energy Association (Bundesverband Windenergie BWE). BWE is often represented by our Brussels staff on the board of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

The Brussels office regularly provides advice to municipalities regarding the organisation of local public services.

Consultancy to European companies on European law and European affairs and especially in their activities in the Community and in Central and Eastern Europe is one of its main aims. Having acquired a profound experience in the field of state aid, the lawyers are actively involved in law cases before the European Courts.

The Commission of the European Communities has asked the office for advice several times, especially in the fields of Central and Eastern Europe and in legal affairs.

Recently, it was member of a consortium on a TACIS Project concerning Energy Legislation, Taxation and Finance Assistance to the Energy Sector of Azerbaijan (TACIS; EAZ 9502). The office was the lead firm in an assistance contract to the European Commission, DG 16 (regional policy) concerning the evaluation and assistance of the multi-regional TERRA programme in respect to the economical and tourist development of major river basins in the European Union.

It was consultants to electricity companies and municipalities in the European Union concerning the different aspects of the liberalisation of the electricity market.

The lawyers have in-depth experience in the set-up of new economic ventures, including business planning, licence agreements, establishment of viable business structures and negotiations with international partners.

Key qualification:

• Strong working experiences with the institutions of the European Communities especially the DG Competition, Regional Policy, Tacis and PHARE and the work of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Steady co-operation with the European Commission especially on projects for German clients in Eastern Europe or concerning Eastern Europe.
• In-depth experience as administrative lawyer (civil servant) in Hamburg including preparation of new legislation, co-operation within the administration in the field of legislative preparations with the second chamber of the federal legislative branch (Bundesrat), review on existing legislation in order to prepare improvements.
• Experience in legal advise to international finance and investment projects concerning infrastructure in developing countries.

Specific experience:

• Legal analysis for French law firm concerning relation between specific topics of the German "Gesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb (UWG)" and the German merger control regulation (Fusionskontrollverordnung) (2000).
• Advice to specific energy company in Germany concerning the UWG and the European competition law (since 1998).
• Several legal opinions in the field of UWG and energy industry (since 1998).
• Legal advice to a German finance institution concerning the reform of the German income tax law (§ 2 a Einkommenssteuergesetz) and its relation to the European law on subsidies (Art. 87 ECT) (1999).
• Legal advice to a German company concerning the question whether the new German tax reforms contains subsidies for a specific efficient electricity production (since 1999).
• European Court of First Instance - procedure T 29/99 concerning subsidies in the coal sector: Several legal opinions to various clients concerning the question of the German feed-in regulations for renewable energies and the involvement of state aid (2000).
• Legal advice and opinion for a German client concerning specific modernisation programmes and the relation to regional aid schemes (2000).
• May 1998 to March 2000: TERRAssistance, DG 16, EU Commission: Responsible for the evaluation and technical assistance concerning the five major river projects in the EU, financed under the DG 16, TERRA scheme / European Spatial Planning.
• In-depth project and consulting experience in East-European, advising governmental institutions in countries, such as Azerbaidjan, Moldavia, Russia, and other PHARE countries, e.g. Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania.
• International corporation and business joint venture in various industrial sectors ranging from textiles and fashion to information technology in both transatlantic and Euro-Asian activities.

Contact

Dr. Dörte Fouquet*
Rechtsanwältin
Membre Associé du Barreau de Bruxelles