The Commission for Protection of Competition has organized a public debate in Niš, dedicated to examining potential solutions towards the improvement of competition policy and law in the Republic of Serbia.

The public debate is organized as part of the project “Increasing economic growth through support to the promotion of competition policy”, supported by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Jovan Stojić, Chairman of the Working Group for drafting new competition act and Assistant Minister of Trade, took part in the panel discussions, as well as professors of the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Economics of the Universities of Kragujevac and Niš – Dr Milan Kostić, Prof Dr Boban Stojanović, Miloš Adrović, in addition to Nebojša Lazarević and Dušan Protić (panel moderator) from the European Policy Center. Also, representatives of the University of Niš Faculty of Economics made a valuable contribution to the overall quality of discussions, as well as companies and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, and business clusters from the Region of Niš.

Welcoming the audience, Čedomir Radojčić, member of the CPC Council and Working Group for drafting new competition act, has underlined that the new legal framework governing competition policy should enable the improvement of procedural rights of the parties in specific administrative procedures initiated before the Commission, with due regard for specificities of the proceedings from that area, and in particular for the need for economy and efficiency.
It is established that a new legal framework governing competition policy is needed, both against the background of continued harmonization against EU acquis, and on account of strengthening the existing institutional capacity of the Commission for Protection of Competition. It is also underlined that this is the first time that all relevant stakeholders are taking part in drafting the new regulation led by the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications. In addition to the representatives of the Commission for Protection of Competition, the Working Group is comprised of representatives from numerous associations of undertakings as well.

Jovan Stojić, Assistant Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications and Chairman of the Working Group for drafting new competition act, has underlined that the state wishes to continue to give precedence to the education of undertakings on the importance of observing competition rules over the penalization.

The public debate is organized as part of the project “Increasing economic growth through support to the promotion of competition policy”, supported by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Commission has previously held a highly successful debate in Kragujevac in October this year, while similar events to be held in Novi Sad and Belgrade are scheduled for the beginning of next year. The Commission has previously held a highly successful debate in Kragujevac in October this year, while similar events to be held in Novi Sad and Belgrade are scheduled for the beginning of next year.