06 Mar 2020

Amendments to the Cadaster Registry Act – additional benefits for the parties

On 24 February 2020 the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Registry of Real Estate, Overhead Lines and Underground Ducts (Registration Procedure) Amendment Act (“Registration Procedure Act”).  The amendments will enter into force on 3 March 2020, while certain provisions shall apply as from 31 March 2020. The main idea was to simplify the procedure before the Republic Ordnance Survey Authority. A key change concerns Article 39 of the Registration Procedure Act, which now stipulates that service of procedural documents to parties will be effected in the form of an electronic document via single electronic mailbox.  If […]

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10 Feb 2020

Gecić Law Contributes to The TerraLex Cross-Border Tailored Guides for Clients

We are thrilled to announce that TerraLex has launched a new cross-border guides tool that offers clients access to invaluable overviews of various areas of law from multiple jurisdictions, with the ability to compare them. Gecić Law, together with RPC from UK, Schiff Hardin LLP from US, Hylands Law Firm from China, among other selected TerraLex members worldwide, contributed to the creation of these tailored guides.  Our leading experts provided input on Serbian legislation for the Pre-Merger Notification, Cross-Border Copyright and Tracing Assets Around the World guides. About TerraLex TerraLex is a worldwide legal network which helps member firms serve […]

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27 Jan 2020

The UK’s CMA: Facebook and eBay to Tackle Fake Reviews

We don our Facebook spyglass once again.  However, unlike the last time it was on our radar, Facebook is now a model co-operator. With the goal of putting their products and services on the map, and bringing home the bacon, many users on social media and other online platforms have been involved in trading fake and misleading reviews as a way of reaching their selling point.  The thing is, Facebook and eBay users have been using word-of-mouth marketing to go viral.  Creating a buzz around your product/service is certainly what sells in this digital age. Good for them!  What is […]

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24 Jan 2020

Brexit Up and Running

“Saying goodbye to everyone at a party and then proceeding to stick around“ – meaning of Brexiting as branded by the Urban dictionary to describe a specific social faux pas.  Though, as of today, it represents an expression not very up-to-date.  Namely, Presidents of the European Council Charles Michel and of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen signed the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the UK.  The EU Parliament’s plenary is on the move and will vote on the agreement on January 29.  Respectfully, the last step is the adoption by the Council of the reached decision, on behalf […]

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24 Jan 2020

Enforcement Orders Now Available On Court E-Bulletin Boards

On 1 January 2020, Serbia rolled out its first court electronic bulletin board service, giving enforcement creditors and enforcement debtors online access to orders and other procedural documentation, which the court or public bailiff failed to serve on them personally. The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia in cooperation with USAID Rule of Law Project has made it possible to post enforcement orders and other procedural documentation online, while also giving parties to enforcement proceedings access to information about their enforcement proceedings. The service of written documents and decisions is a key element of civil court proceedings.  Consequently, […]

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22 Jan 2020

Ognjen Colić enlisted by World Bank as a Local Expert in Agriculture Law

It is our great pleasure to announce that our Senior Counsel Ognjen Colić participated in the World Bank’s “Enabling the Business of Agriculture in Serbia 2019” by providing the World Bank’s Agriculture team with responses to an exhaustive legal questionnaire addressing key legal matters for businesses and individuals intending to invest in or expand their investments in agriculture in Serbia. As a token of appreciation of Ognjen’s contribution to the project and the Serbian agriculture law expertise he and his team provided, he has been enlisted by the World Bank as one of a select few local agricultural law experts. […]

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16 Jan 2020

The Nikola Spasić Endowment – once larger than the Nobel Fund, today donates hundreds of thousands of euros

The Endowment of the great Serbian national benefactor, Nikola Spasić, maintains a long-standing tradition of financially rewarding the best students from the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Agriculture in Belgrade. In 2019, the Endowment donated approximately €300,000 to charity. A total of 13 students with outstanding grade averages from the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Agriculture were awarded. Congratulations to all the award winners, and kudos to the Nikola Spasić Foundation Board for this exceptional charitable gesture. About the Nikola Spasić Endowment Nikola Spasić was a prominent Serbian businessman of the 19th century, President of the Belgrade Stock […]

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13 Jan 2020

Arbitral Dispute Resolution – Serious competitor to State Judiciary?

Defining arbitration There is no universally accepted definition of arbitration as a way of resolving disputes. Attempts have been made to define it, albeit unsuccessfully.  Defining it is mission impossible owing to its multifaceted characteristics, and is only exacerbated by the existence of domestic, and international arbitration. Primarily, to grasp the essence of arbitration, it should be noted that this is an alternative mechanism of resolving disputes, therefore, without recourse to courts of law.  The parties at odds can go to court and initiate litigation.  Alternatively, arbitration is another avenue for settling the dispute.  Arbitration is not only reserved for […]

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06 Jan 2020

Serbia’s financial system reforms receive European Commission stamp of approval

The National Bank of Serbia is making inroads into harmonizing local legislation with European Union (“EU”) legislation, especially into amending regulations governing the operation of banks and other financial institutions. The European Commission (“EC”) adopted a decision of importance for the Republic of Serbia, which was published on 18 December 2019 in the Official Journal of the EU. Serbia’s push to amend the regulatory and supervisory framework concerning banks’ operations and in particular to amend anti-money laundering and terrorist financing regulation has borne fruit and is a step in the right direction for building a stable financial system. This decision […]

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04 Dec 2019

First Council of Serbia’s New State Aid Watchdog to be Appointed by Parliament

Serbia’s Parliamentary Committee on Finance, State Budget and Control of Public Spending held a public hearing yesterday, December 3, 2019. Among the items on the agenda was the shortlisting of candidates for election to the State Aid Commission’s new Council and election of the Commission’s chairperson. Incumbent chairperson of the Commission, Vladimir Antonijević, was nominated for reelection to another five years in office, whereas other nominees for Council membership include Marko Vidaković, Ljiljana Blagojević, Dragan Đurđević, and Dušica Đorđević. In the light of the recently enacted new State Aid Act, on which draft we provided proposals in the course of […]

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