Today, in the Serbia Palace, on the occassion of the nine years of work of Commission for Protection of Competition, a conference was hosted on competition policy in Serbia addressing the possibilities for exemption from measures for protection of competition, (application of immunity program – leniency), which was attended by Mr. Zeljko Sertic, Minister of Economy, Mr. Michael Davenport, Head of EU Delegation in Serbia, Ms.Aleksandra Tomic, Ph.D., President of the Parliamentary Committee for Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy, Ms. Vesna Kovac, State Secretary, Mr.Miloje Obradovic, President of the Commission for Protection of Competition, officials of the Administrative Court, regulatory authorities, academic institutions, as well as law firms and business associations.

The aim of the conference was exchange of experience on the specifics and effects of legal rules on protection of competition, in order for equal market conditions to be created, strengthening the efficiency and development of domestic economy, as well as improving the process of Serbia’s accession to European Union.

Participants agreed that competition is an act of competing where the most agile and the most innovative, lead and determine direction and pace of development of the whole society. That is why the progress, especially economic development, is inseparably tied to competition. For this reason the Commission for Protection of Competition, as a professional and independent government institution, has a key role in protection of competition, or plainly said – its task is to keep the rules of the game in the field of competition, so that each participant has equal conditions for performing its activities, and thus be aware that only from its effectiveness depends the success in production or providing services, to the benefit of all consumers, as was pointed out at the conference.

The conference also served as a framework for the exchange of knowledge in order to promote competition policy in Serbia, as one of the most important policies for the functioning of free market. Once again, it was stressed that its implementation reduces uncertainty faced by market participants, prevents prohibited acts, leading to strengthening of competition in the market or to increase of economic efficiency, economic growth and higher quality of goods and services.

The conference was organized within and with the support of the Project ”Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of the Commission for Protection of Competition of the Republic of Serbia”, funded by European Union.