The Serbian Competition Authority (“SCA”) recently focused on unapproved mergers i.e. gun-jumping. The most recent “victim” of the SCA’s investigations into gun-jumping was Fortenova Grupa d.d. (“Fortenova”), with the only previous undertaking fined for gun-jumping being Prointer IT Solutions. Meanwhile, Ernst & Young are also being investigated under the same allegations. Is this simply a witch hunt or is there something going on here? Gun-jumping (not only during the Olympics) Before we get into the heart of the matter let`s define what gun-jumping is. In competition law, gun-jumping is a concept pertaining to an unlawful pre-merger and pre-clearance coordination of […]
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Bogdan Gecić, Managing Partner at Gecić Law, was quoted in Forbes, the leading global business publication, in an article titled “Nine Solutions for Gathering and Responding to Customer Feedback”. Bogdan was asked to join a panel of experts and share his perspective on the best ways to capture and implement client feedback from the point of view of an eminent entrepreneur in the legal and professional services industry. “Surveys and interviews are a great way to gauge what clients are really interested in. In professional services, a client-centric approach to everything we do is essential, while understanding and anticipating our […]
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What do Facebook, WhatsApp and TikTok have in common? Well, they are social media giants, with billions of users all around the world. But there is something else that these platforms have in common that is worthy of attention. Lately, they have all been “hunted down” by regulators over their data policies. So, we wanted to take the time to say a few words on the TikTok case. What makes the TikTok case special? As most of you already know, TikTok is a social media platform used to make short-form videos that last between 15 and 60 seconds. The videos […]
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The Council of the EU agreed on Tuesday to apply its revised enlargement methodology in the accession negotiations of Serbia and Montenegro. The new rules within the accession process aim to increase contacts at the ministerial level and promote fundamental reforms in the two countries. Additionally, the new enlargement methodology has the goal of improving the predictability of the accession process. Furthermore, it reorganizes chapters into clusters to speed up negotiations between the states with the EU. The decision comes after the European Commission issued a Communication in February which addressed the need to improve the accession process. The new […]
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Gecić Law’s expertise was yet again called upon by international media last Friday, as Head of Corporate/M&A Ognjen Colić was quoted in the leading German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (“FAZ”) where he commented on Serbia’s latest Decree on Incentive Measures for Immunisation and Prevention and Suppression of the Infectious Disease COVID-19. In the article, Mr. Colić noted that the Official Gazette is yet to publish the latest decree on the new COVID-19 sick leave payment rules after the Serbian Government announced that only those vaccinated would be eligible for an incentive to on top of regular salary reimbursements. Those infected […]
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Who are “influencers”? Developments in technology and the significant influence of social networks on modern life, have resulted in the development of a completely new breed of digital marketers – influencers[1]. Increasingly, successful brands now recognize influencer marketing as an extremely effective way to advertise their business which in turn expands their reach and increasing the sales of products and services. The term influencers originated in the English language, and many other languages, including Serbian, use anglicisms to refer to influencers to denote influential people within a certain group of people. We are familiar with their work today on various […]
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The UK Supreme Court ruled on February 19, 2021 that Uber drivers must be treated legally as workers. After a five year long legal battle, Mr. James Farrar and Mr. Yaseen Aslam (who jointly initiated the legal process), as well as all their fellow Uber drivers, celebrated the fact that they are finally recognized as workers of Uber, with all privileges and rights (e.g. minimum wage, right to paid holidays, right to unionize) that come with the status. However, in late March Uber stressed that the Supreme Court’s decision meant its drivers were “workers” but not “employees.” Nevertheless, the distinction […]
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I. Introductory Remarks The application of the Act on Determining the Origin of Property and Special Tax (“Act”) started on March 12, 2021. Since the introduction of the bill, the Act has attracted a lot of attention, both from the professional public and others, not only because of the subject of regulation, but also because of its legal solutions. The Act came into force at the start of 2020, but its implementation was postponed for a year. In that period, amid criticism, some amendments were added to the Act, just before the start of its implementation. It is noticeable that […]
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In addition to numerous novelties and changes in Serbian legislation, the beginning of this year was also marked by the legal regulation of archiving materials and similar documentation, which attracted significant attention. The new Archival Material and Archival Activity Act (the “Act“) is not only an important step towards improving the protection of archival material and regulating archival activity but also towards developing awareness of the importance of preservation of archival material, since that helps “protect” the history of our country. Until recently Serbia did not have a specific act that would comprehensively regulate the issue of archival material and […]
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The adoption of amendments, and the new group of energy-related acts are crucial for Serbia’s energy transition, which is set to be implemented through several new regulations. All countries in the Western Balkans must transition to carbon-neutral energy sectors and become part of the integrated energy market. The main goal of the transition is to increase the share of renewable energy sources, improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Members of the Serbian Parliament adopted the Amendments to the Energy Act, the Act on Energy Efficiency and Rational Use of Energy (the “Energy Efficiency Act”) and the Amendments to […]
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