At the session of the Committee on the Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, members of the Committee have reviewed the Operations Report for 2016 of the Commission for Protection of Competition.

President of the Commission for Protection of Competition Dr. Miloje Obradović informed the Committee members that 2016 was the jubilee year of operating activities of the Commission for Protection of Competition. He emphasized that the Commission in accordance with its legal competences, efficiently implements all activities toward securing protection of competition in the Republic of Serbia.

Dr. Obradović stated that during the reporting period, inter alia, activities within the accession process of Serbia to the EU are continued, as well as that the said activities were positively assessed on the part of the European Commission in regard the screening outcome for Negotiation Chapter 8.

Following the rationale to the Operations Report of the Commission for Protection of Competition, President of the Committee proposed the adoption of the Report of the Commission for Protection of Competition, which was accepted by the majority of votes of the Committee members.

The session was headed by the President of the Committee Snežana B. Petrović, and attended by members and deputy members of the Committee, as well as members of the Council and officials of the Commission for Protection of Competition.

The Commission has extended the deadline for submission of comments and opinions to the Draft Regulation on Technology Transfer Agreements Exempt from the Prohibition, and Draft Regulation on Agreements between Undertakings Operating in the Rail, Road and Inland Waterways Transport Sector Exempt from the Prohibition, to October 17, 2017.
Undertakings, business associations, law offices, expert public and all other interested parties may submit to the Commission their comments and opinions in reference to the texts of Draft regulations via email address komentar@kzk.gov.rs.

The Commission for Protection of Competition has prepared the Draft Regulation on Agreements on the Repair and Maintenance of Motor Vehicles and Agreements on the Distribution of Spare Parts for Motor Vehicles Exempt from the Prohibition, to be submitted to the Government of the Republic of Serbia for consideration and enactment, in accordance with competences stipulated by the Law on Protection of Competition.

The intent of the Commission is that new regulation will regulate conditions pertaining to the exemption of agreements from prohibition in the area of repair and maintenance of motor vehicles and distribution of spare parts for motor vehicles by taking into consideration specificities of this area, which are not regulated by the general competition policy rules.

The Commission calls all undertakings, business associations, law offices, expert public and all other interested parties that from October 2-17, 2017, submit to the Commission their comments and opinions in reference to the text of the Draft regulation via e-mail address komentar@kzk.gov.rs.

Distribution System Operator “EPS Distribucija” LLC Beograd, acting on the Decision of the Commission for Protection of Competition of December 23, 2016, has implemented all orders of the Commission, wherewith has implemented measures pertaining to the removal of competition infringement within deadlines stipulated for related implementation.

In such manner is provided that equal treatment of all undertakings as distribution system users is secured, along with the possibility for creation of effective competition on the electric power supply market.

The Commission uses this opportunity to particularly emphasize on the importance of a number of legal instruments to its disposal, which enable the Commission to implement effective protection of competition and to obligate undertakings to regulate their behaviors in accordance with the foundations of the market economy toward achieving economic progress and wellbeing of the society, and particularly in delivering benefits for consumers.

During the meeting held today between Marko Čadež, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, and Dr. Miloje Obradović, President of the Commission for Protection of Competition, was agreed that representatives of the CCI will partake in the Working group for drafting the law on protection of competition and endeavor to incorporate positions of business community representatives into new legal solution.

Following the Commission’s announcement of activities directed toward new legislative drafting, CCI has instituted a dialogue with business community aimed at improving current competition policy regulatory framework and securing a stable, predictable and stimulating business environment.

“CCI is the sole business association with the Agreement on cooperation with the Commission for Protection of Competition, and is active in advancing competition policy in Serbia and securing compliance with the equal conditions for all undertakings, and in providing information and education for business representatives toward more efficient implementation of related regulation”, said Marko Čadež, CCI President.

“It is in the interest of Serbian economy that the Commission disposes of instruments enabling effective protection of competition, which is the foundation of the market economy and enables more efficient utilization of current resources, improved supply, quality and well-being for consumers”, said Dr. Miloje Obradović, and added that the Commission will continue being a stable and predictable partner to the Serbian economy in advancing business environment.

President of the Commission Dr. Miloje Obradović held today a joint meeting with Deputy President of the RBA Council Goran Petrović, and Director of RATEL Dr. Vladica Tintor, and their associates in the premises of the Commission for Protection of Competition.

During the meeting is established that although these institutions have achieved successful cooperation, there still remains room for further advancing of accomplished cooperation. The parties have agreed on concrete steps that will secure advanced efficiency of joint activities, resulting in more qualitative operating activities implemented on the part of each institution individually.

President of the Commission for Protection of Competition, Dr Miloje Obradović, held a discussion with Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia, Ms. Vera Nikolić Dimić.

Dr Obradović introduced his guest with present activities, along with plans of the Commission aimed at advancing competition policy in Serbia. Particular emphasis was placed on details concerning initiated activities of drafting the new competition policy legislative act.

During the talks, parties have jointly assessed as a very good solution to actively involve representatives of the expert public, as well as domestic and foreign companies operating in Serbia in creating the new Law on Protection of Competition.

The parties have also emphasized the importance of further intensification of cooperation in the field of additional education of all business entities in Serbia concerning competition law and policy. To that end and as agreed, the AmCham will be involved in all activities of the Commission aimed at promoting competition policy.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia has over 190 members. It is part of the network of American Chambers of Commerce in Europe, composed of 45 chambers, with over 16,000 member companies that combinedly employ more than four million persons in Europe.

Commission for Protection of Competition has prepared the Draft regulation on technology transfer agreements exempt from the prohibition, to be submitted to the Government of the Republic of Serbia for consideration and enactment, in accordance with competences stipulated by the Law on Protection of Competition.

The intent of the Commission is that new regulation will regulate conditions pertaining to the exemption of technology transfer agreements from prohibition, by taking into consideration specificities of the sector concerned, and the fact that current regulations do not regulate the exemption of these kind of agreements.

The Commission calls all undertakings, business associations, law offices, expert public and all other interested parties that from September 12-27, 2017, submit to the Commission their comments and opinions in reference to the text of the Draft regulation via e-mail address komentar@kzk.gov.rs.

Commission for Protection of Competition has prepared the Draft regulation on agreements between undertakings operating in the rail, road and inland waterways transport sector exempt from the prohibition, to be submitted to the Government of the Republic of Serbia for consideration and enactment, in accordance with competences stipulated by the Law on Protection of Competition.

The intent of the Commission is that this new regulation will regulate conditions pertaining to the exemption of agreements from prohibition in the rail and road transport and inland waterways transport sectors, by taking into consideration specificities of the transport sector which are not regulated by the general competition policy regulations.

The Commission calls all undertakings, business associations, law offices, expert public and all other interested parties that from September 12-27, 2017, submit to the Commission their comments and opinions in reference to the text of the Draft regulation via e-mail address komentar@kzk.gov.rs.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia announced an active participation in all activities with reference to drafting of the new law on protection of competition, instituted at the beginning of this year by the Commission for Protection of Competition.

Following the announcement by the Commission for Protection of Competition on the legislative advancing efforts toward the current Law on Protection of Competition, as per regular procedure regulating the CCIS legislative activities, we have addressed our members with a proposal to submit their comments to the current Law on Protection of Competition toward bringing together related guidelines and positions of the commercial sector pertaining to the Law. We emphasize that when addressing our members on the matter, we have underlined the fact concerning the established cooperation between the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia and the Commission for Protection of Competition, the Memorandum on cooperation between two institutions in effect, and have clearly presented our proposal that gathered positions of the CCIS members will be forwarded to the Commission – states in the letter sent by Mr. Marko Čadež, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, addressed to Dr. Miloje Obradović, President of the Commission for Protection of Competition.