In cooperation with the Embassy of Japan, JFTC – Japan Free Trade Commission and JICA – Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Commission for Protection of Competition organized training sessions on the current and future challenges of Japan in the fight against cartels and bid rigging in public procurements.

These training sessions were undertaken with the prospect of gaining new knowledge and understanding by not only employees of the Commission for Protection of Competition but also representatives of other institutions, as well as stakeholders on the best global practices in competition policy enforcement.

The event was opened by President of the Commission for Protection of Competition Dr. Miloje Obradović and H.E. Junichi Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan to Serbia.

The Commission for Protection of Competition is publishing the Proposal of commitments which the party to the proceedings, company Sirmiumbus from Sremska Mitrovica, is voluntarily willing to undertake in order to eliminate possible infringements of competition, containing terms and conditions for execution of the proposed commitments.

Also, the Commission calls upon all interested parties to submit written remarks, positions and opinions on the proposed commitments, no later than 20 days from the date of publication of the notice.

By way of reminder, the Commission for Protection of Competition had instituted ex officio proceedings against company Sirmiumbus d.o.o. Sremska Mitrovica on September 22, 2017, in order to investigate the infringement of competition from Article 16 of the Law on Protection of Competition (abuse of dominance).

On March 14, 2018, company Sirmiumbus has submitted a submission entitled “Request for suspension of proceedings”, amended by a submission of April 19, 2018, headed “Amendment to the request for suspension of proceedings”. The submissions mentioned also contain the proposal of commitments which company Sirmiumbus is voluntarily willing to undertake in order to eliminate possible infringements of competition, containing terms and conditions for taking the measure.

The Commission has established that the proposal of commitments concerned is admissible, timely and submitted by a duly authorized person.

Pursuant to Article 58(1) of the Law, the Commission may enact a conclusion on suspension of investigation of competition infringement, imposing the measure referred to in Article 59 of the Law, if the party, based on the content of the conclusion on instituting proceedings, that is, facts established in the proceedings, submits a proposal of commitments that is voluntarily willing to undertake in order to eliminate possible infringements of competition, containing terms and conditions for taking the measure. Article 58(2) stipulates a deadline by which the party to the proceedings may place such proposal.

Representatives of the Commission for Protection of Competition have participated as guests at the Working group session of the National Convention on the EU which monitors the negotiations on Chapter 8 – Competition policy, held in Niš. This occasion also served as an opportunity to present results to the expert public of Niš of the Phase I of the Sector inquiry into the food, beverages and tobacco retail market in the Republic of Serbia.

Prof. Dr. Marija Radosavljević, Vice-Dean for Scientific Research, has addressed the audience in the opening of the session, followed by keynote addresses given by Marko Obradović, Council member of the Commission for Protection of Competition, Dr. Boban Stojanović, Full Professor at the Faculty of Economics in Niš, and Ivan Đekić, member of the Working group of the National Convention on the European Union and of the Society of Economists of Niš.

The sector inquiry into the retail market prepared by the Commission was presented by Dr. Siniša Milošević, Head of the Economic Analyses Division, and Aleksandra Ravić, Senior Advisor in this sector.

Following the presentation of the analysis, CPC representatives have opened a discussion on the role and importance of presented results and prospects for the retail sector development.

The Commission for Protection of Competition has instituted a proceedings against seven undertakings alleging that competition from Article 10 of the Law on Protection of Competition has been infringed by bid rigging in public procurements.

Proceedings ex officio is instituted against the following undertakings: Original, preduzeće za spoljnu i unutrašnju trgovinu i usluge doo Beograd (Novi Beograd), Mikops doo Export-Import za proizvodnju, trgovinu i usluge Niš, Preduzeće za usluge i trgovinu Birolinija, društvo sa ograničenom odgovornošću Beograd, Biro print sistemi doo Beograd, Preduzeće za trgovinu i usluge Dikti Line doo, Beograd, Društvo za spoljnu i unutrašnju trgovinu Birodeveloping doo Niš, Društvo za proizvodnju, promet i usluga Birotehnika, Export-Import doo, Jagodina.

By implementing legal powers, officials of the Commission for Protection of Competition have conducted a dawn raid on five locations. Use of dawn raids, as an exceptionally efficient instrument for detecting acts or actions of undertakings that as their purpose or effect have or may have a significant restriction, distortion or prevention of competition, in this instance as well served to collect documentation considered valuable for the further conduct of the Commission in this case.

President of the Commission Dr. Miloje Obradović took part in an event marking the European Competition Day, held this year in Sofia, Bulgaria. During the working session of the largest European gathering on competition policy, Dr. Obradović also met with Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition.

On the occasion, President Obradović introduced the European Commissioner for Competition to activities and plans of the Commission for Protection of Competition and invited the Commissioner to visit Belgrade during the first session of the Western Balkans Forum of Competition Authorities.

Ms. Vestager thanked the Commission for the invitation, noting that the start of operations of the Western Balkans Forum of Competition Authorities is a good occasion for her first visit to the Commission for Protection of Competition of the Republic of Serbia.