The Commission for Protection of Competition, marking the annual Serbian Competition Day, organized the International Conference titled “Forward Agenda for Competition Policy”.

The event was opened by keynote addresses given by Siniša Mali, Minister of Finance, Snežana B. Petrović, President of the Committee on the Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Sem Fabrizi, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, and Dr Miloje Obradović, host of the Conference and President of the Commission for Protection of Competition.

In addition to Branko Ružić, Minister of State Administration and Local-Self Government, the ceremony marking the national Competition Day was also attended by senior representatives of all independent bodies and other state authorities of the Republic of Serbia, as well as a number of representatives of the diplomatic corps, academia and professional community, and undertakings operating on the market of the Republic of Serbia.

The team of the Commission for Protection of Competition of the Republic of Serbia, as well as all conference participants were also welcomed in a special video message from Margarethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition. She underscored that all competition authorities share an important privilege: that their work is essential for their citizens.

- If we are successful in our job of bringing about effective competition on the market, our citizens will have a better life. As competition authorities, we can only fulfill our role when we are ready to involve all key stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, national courts, businesses, so that they can better understand what we do and why we do it, said Vestager.

The Commissioner also underlined that the European Commission, and in particular DG COMP, will continue to constantly work with governments and competition authorities in the region, also to prepare for EU membership, and that good initiatives are those that bring together all regional actors in an inclusive format.

The fact that the Serbian Commission was identified by the European Commission, but also EU Parliament, as one of the most efficient independent authorities was commented on by President Obradović, arguing that the teamwork values fostered in the CPC are the key to success, in addition to good relations established with all national institutions and the support received from the state.

- We, at the Commission for Protection of Competition of the Republic of Serbia, do not perceive our institutional independence as a privilege enabling us not to communicate and co-operate with all those who can prove to be our valuable partners in an important task of improving the competition policy in our country – emphasized President Obradović, adding that the Commission’s team is aware that in its work must, foremost, ensure the legality and public interest.

Two panel sessions, “Regional Undertakings and Competition Policy” and “Commitment Decisions and Deterrence of Antitrust Infringements”, are held during the conference.

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The Commission for Protection of Competition has opened an antitrust investigation procedure ex officio on March 25, 2019, against PE Novi Autoprevoz from Vrnjačka Banja.

During the procedure, the Commission will investigate whether the company, as an operator of the only bus terminus in Vrnjačka Banja, has abused its dominance by charging various prices for bus services to passengers and bus carriers.

All persons in possession of valid data, documents or other relevant information that could contribute to the accurate fact-finding in this proceeding are invited to submit said evidence to the following address: Commission for Protection of Competition, 25/IV Savska St., Belgrade.

The Commission for Protection of Competition hereby publishes the Notice of filing commitment proposals, pursuant to Article 58 of the Law on Protection of Competition, which PUC “Gradska toplana” Niš is voluntarily willing to undertake in order to remove potential infringements of competition, with a call to all interested parties to submit observations, positions and opinions relevant to the proposed commitments in written form.

The Committee on the Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia discussed and unanimously adopted the Activity reports of the Commission for Protection of Competition for 2017 and 2018.
President of the Commission Dr Miloje Obradović informed the Committee members that two annual activity reports of the Commission contain all key elements pertaining to the work of the national competition authority. The Commission, according to Dr Obradović, has increased its administrative and institutional capacities during the period referred, and was focused on efficient and effective law enforcement towards ensuring more effective competition in Serbia.

- Our objective is the creation of competitive markets where undertakings will increase their productivity, innovations and investments, resulting in faster economic growth, development and increased standard of living of the citizens of the Republic of Serbia, concluded President Obradović during his presentation of the reports before the Committee.

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Dr Ivana Rakić, Senior Advisor at the Merger Investigation Division of the Commission for Protection of Competition, has won a prestigious global award for the best academic antitrust article.

At the international annual contest traditionally organized by the Institute of Competition Law with offices in Paris and New York, Concurrences, a peer-reviewed journal published by the Institute, and the George Washington University Law School Competition Law Center, USA, Dr Ivana Rakić has received the readers’ vote award for the best academic antitrust article in the Procedure category.

Link to the news.

The topic of the article reviewed by readers of Concurrences journal as one of the best is “The Role of Competition Advocacy: The Serbian Experience”.

Link to the article submitted by Dr Ivana Rakić.

The Commission for Protection of Competition of the Republic of Serbia, in co-operation with the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Belgrade, has organized a seminar on the topic “International Competition Policy – Experiences of the Republic of Korea”.

The event was opened with introductory remarks by Dr Miloje Obradović, President of the Commission for Protection of Competition, followed by keynote addresses by Sang-Jo Kim, Chairman of the Korea Fair Trade Commission, and Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Serbia, H.E. Hyoung-Chan Choe.

In welcoming numerous seminar participants, President Obradović pointed out that competition policy is one of the key segments of economic and business systems of every country. The implementation of competition policy in the Republic of Serbia is performed in accordance with the current legal system, economic factors, sound business principles, and public interest. Dr Obradović underlined that implementation of competition law and policy leads to building adequate business environment and investment climate, in addition to greater involvement of the national economy into the EU economic mainstream.

Our full commitment towards achieving a more efficient competition in our national markets, as well as our genuine desire to establish closer co-operation, are the elements that bind the Korean and Serbian competition authorities, Dr Miloje Obradović said at the time.

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President of the Commission for Protection of Competition Dr Miloje Obradović took part as a panelist at the Kopaonik Business Forum 2019 during the “Protection of Competition in Serbia” panel session.
In addition to Dr Obradović, the participants at this panel session were also Marko Jović, Head of General Affairs, Vip mobile, Prof Dr Boban Stojanović, Faculty of Economics, University of Niš, and Tomislav Momirović, CEO, Mona Hoteli Management, while the session moderator was Prof Dr Dragan Lončar, Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade.

In thanking all panelists for their contribution to the discussion and numerous guests present in the Central Hall during the Kopaonik Business Forum, the Commission President reminded the audience that the protection of competition is one of the key segments of the economic and business system of every country. Dr Obradović underlined that the implementation of competition law and policy leads to building adequate business environment and investment climate, in addition to mainstreaming the Serbian economy into the European Union. The implementation of competition policy in the Republic of Serbia is performed in accordance with the legal system, economic factors, sound business rationale, and public interest.

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The official launching ceremony held at the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia has marked the initiation of the two-year EU-funded Twinning project “Further Development of Protection of Competition in Serbia”, jointly implemented by the Commission for Protection of Competition of the Republic of Serbia and the Italian Competition Authority.

Dr Miloje Obradović, President of the Commission for Protection of Competition spoke on the importance of this project for the development of competition policy in the Republic of Serbia, in addition to Gabriella Muscolo, President of the Italian competition authority, Vesna Kovač, State Secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia, H.E. Carlo Lo Cascio, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy to Serbia, Mateja Norčič Štamcar, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Marko Jovanović, Assistant Minister of Finance for Contracting and Financing of EU Funded Programs, Marko Obradović, CPC Council member, and Alessandra Tonazzi, Director of International and European Affairs at the Italian Competition Authority.
The principal objective of this project is to provide input to the further alignment of national competition legislation with the EU acquis, its efficient enforcement and raising awareness on the competition law and policy among all relevant stakeholders in the Republic of Serbia.

The Commission for Protection of Competition is recognized as one of the parts of the Serbian administration whose work is most harmonized with the acquis communautaire and which improves its work every year, causing positive effects on the improvement of the business environment in the Republic of Serbia.

Noting that the Commission is the end-user, but not the sole project beneficiary, it is expected that the project implementation will secure considerable progress in ensuring the understanding, observance and implementation of competition rules by the courts, regulatory bodies, undertakings and their respective associations. This takes on particular significance in the context of raising capacities of the Serbian economy by strengthening market competition, which represents an important factor in the EU accession process.

This Twinning project that has been awarded to the Republic of Serbia is an important indication that the EU highly values activities implemented by the Commission for Protection of Competition in the previous years. This progress is also recognized in the European Commission’s Annual Report on Serbia 2018.

The project “Further Development of Protection of Competition in Serbia” is a part of the Twinning initiative launched by the European Commission to assist candidate countries in their efforts to strengthen their administrative and judicial capacity for the implementation of the EU acquis. The project budget is about one million euro and will be implemented over 24 months.

Representative of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, Azra Iković, visited the Commission for Protection of Competition.

Speaking to Dr Miloje Obradović, President of the Commission for Protection of Competition, Ms. Iković was introduced to the work of the Commission directed towards improving the business environment in the Republic of Serbia, and in particular with efforts placed with regard to negotiations within Chapter 8: Competition policy.

Dr Obradović also updated the guest with the outputs of the activities implemented by the Commission since the last meeting, particularly those regarding the drafting process of the new Law on Protection of Competition and further harmonization of the competition policy framework with EU acquis and commitments under Article 73 of the Stabilization and Association Agreement.

Also, the parties touched upon the start of activities on a twinning program aimed at advancing competition policy in Serbia, to be implemented in cooperation with the Italian competition authority as a twinning partner.

During the meeting, it was pointed out that the competition policy in Serbia, and especially the work of the Commission for the Protection of Competition, was highly evaluated by the European Commission.

Namely, the Commission for the Protection of Competition has been recognized as one of the parts of the Serbian administration whose work is most harmonized with the acquis communautaire, which improves its work every year, which positively influences the improvement of the economic environment in the Republic of Serbia.

The Commission for Protection of Competition held a public debate at the premises of CCI in Belgrade, dedicated to discussing potential solutions with a view to advancing competition policy and law in the Republic of Serbia.

The public debate is organized under the project “Increasing economic growth through support to the promotion of competition policy”, supported by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As part of the support, the Commission’s efforts during recent months have also been directed at organizing similar events in Kragujevac, Niš and Novi Sad.

In addition to Dr Miloje Obradović, President of the Commission for Protection of Competition, the keynote speakers and panelists at this highly attended event were Jovan Stojić, Chairman of the Working group for drafting new competition act and Assistant Minister of Trade, Gordana Tiodorović, member of the Working group for drafting new competition act delegated by CCI, Dr Milan Kostić and Dr Sandra Fišer-Šobot, Professors at the Faculty of Economics, University of Kragujevac, and Faculty of Law, University of Novi Sad, respectively, Miloš Andrović, as well as Dušan Protić (panel moderator) from the European Policy Center. Representatives of the Commission for Protection of Competition have made a valuable contribution to the overall quality of discussions as well, taking part as the Working group members tasked to draft a new regulatory framework for competition policy.
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