05
Thu, Dec
22 New Articles

In light of Elon Musk’s recently expanded lawsuit, which includes antitrust claims and names Microsoft as an additional defendant, OpenAI faces yet another legal challenge. As a global leader in the development of generative artificial intelligence, OpenAI remains committed to its mission: creating AI technology that benefits humanity while actively addressing legal and ethical dilemmas.

The longstanding partnership between Hungary and Serbia has taken another step forward with the recent amendment to the double taxation convention. These agreements are crucial for eliminating double taxation on income and assets for both individuals and companies, fostering a more favorable business climate.

Non-material damage is determined by Serbian law as inflicting on another physical or psychological pain or causing fear. Also, the law prescribes that the court shall, after finding that the circumstances of the case and particularly the intensity of pains and fear, and their duration, provide a corresponding ground thereof – award equitable damages for physical pains suffered, for mental anguish suffered due to reduction of life activities, for becoming disfigured, for offended reputation, honor, freedom or rights of personality, for the death of a close person, as well as for fear suffered.

The Serbian Parliament has passed the amendments to the Energy Act, introducing significant reforms to the nation’s energy policy – a landmark change is lifting the long-standing moratorium on nuclear power plant construction, which has been in place since 1989 following the Chernobyl disaster. The updated legislation also includes broader measures aimed at modernizing Serbia’s energy sector.

The IT sector, a cornerstone of modern economies, is not immune to market fluctuations and corporate restructuring. While its growth trajectory often defies broader economic downturns, redundancies in IT have become a reality in Serbia and across Europe due to shifts in demand, technological evolution, and economic uncertainties. This article delves into the redundancy procedure in Serbia’s IT sector, contrasts it with practices in Europe, and explores the causes and potential outcomes of such measures, with real-world examples.

Back in the year 2021 the platform „eConsultations“ was set up under the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia on the establishment of platform „eConsultations“ with the goal of enabling easier participation of interested parties/public in the process of preparation and adoption of not only laws, but also of other regulations and acts, by possibility for the public to be informed through this platform of whether certain law or regulation is in the process of preparation or of when shall the public hearing regarding a draft law take place, as well as by possibility for the interested parties/public to take part in the process of preparation and adoption of these acts by providing comments electronically (online).

As someone leading my firm's digital transformation efforts over the past five years, together with the firm’s Senior Partners, I've been involved in the adoption of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. It has been a challenging yet stimulating journey, and I want to share my insights into what drove this transformation.

Serbia appears to be entering a period of robust growth and transformation, driven in large part by Expo 2027 and targeted investment initiatives, according to MMD Advokati Partner Rastko Malisic. While the real estate and hospitality sectors are at the forefront of this boom, Malisic notes that other industries are grappling with challenges amid broader geopolitical uncertainties.

On October 10, 2024, the Serbian Commission for the Protection of Competition (Commission) launched an investigation against four large retail chains – Delhaize Serbia, Mercator-S, Univerexport, and DIS – over possible anti-competitive practices, i.e., alleged retail price-fixing and coordination. The four major retailers account for over 50% of the Serbian retail market.

The advancement of technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), inevitably affects our daily lives and raises important questions regarding privacy protection. This article explores the key aspects of the relations between artificial intelligence and personal data protection, with a particular focus on the European Regulation on Artificial Intelligence (AI Act) in relation to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as well as the legislation of Serbia.

Serbia’s renewable energy market is in the midst of transformation, driven by domestic reforms and international partnerships – most recently, with the governments of France and the USA in the field of energy efficiency.

Excitement was high when, just over three years ago, the Law on Digital Assets came into effect, positioning Serbia as a pioneer among countries recognizing the development opportunities of advanced technologies that lacked a regulatory framework to reach their full potential. This was followed by a protracted period of enacting secondary legislation, alongside global macroeconomic turbulence, which inevitably impacted the development of industries and markets, especially those that are “young” and insufficiently mature. Despite the enthusiasm and efforts of the local Web3 community and advocates for using digital assets as a tool to boost the national economy, these hurdles appear to have significantly slowed the anticipated growth.

The Serbian financial sector is undergoing significant changes, with recent and upcoming legislative reforms set to reshape its landscape. The Payment Services Law, adopted on July 31, 2024, introduces key regulatory updates aimed at modernizing payment systems and aligning them with European standards. Additionally, amendments to the Banking Law and the new Financial Consumer Protection Law are expected to be adopted soon, further strengthening the regulatory framework. Together, these changes are expected to have a profound impact on market participants, from traditional banks to fintech companies, as well as consumers, who stand to benefit from enhanced protections and greater transparency.

By the spring of 2025, Serbia will likely have a new cybersecurity law. The law is aimed at bringing the national legal framework in line with that in Europe as expressed in the NIS2 Directive (2022). The draft law that passed the process of the public consultation in 2023 and underwent minor additional changes in 2024 (Draft Law) nevertheless differs from NIS2 in certain important aspects.

In The Debrief, our Practice Leaders across CEE share updates on recent and upcoming legislation, consider the impact of recent court decisions, showcase landmark projects, and keep our readers apprised of the latest developments impacting their respective practice areas.

Serbia Knowledge Partner

SOG in cooperation with Kinstellar is a full-service business law firm in Serbia that provides foreign and domestic clients with premium-quality legal advice and assistance across a wide range of key areas of corporate law. The firm was founded in 2015 by a group of seasoned, internationally-trained lawyers. SOG has developed a distinctively dynamic culture, bringing together top talent, fostering entrepreneurship, and maintaining exceptional relationships with its clients.

SOG has achieved consistent growth in the volume of its business, accompanied by an exponential increase in the number of hired associate lawyers and the firm’s network of business contacts. SOG has a robust client base of multinationals, investment and private equity firms, and financial institutions. Clients praise SOG for being commercially minded, very responsive and knowledgeable.

Establishing permanent cooperation with Kinstellar is part of realising SOG's long-term development strategy to be the leading provider of legal services in the Western Balkans market.

Firm's website: https://www.kinstellar.com/

 

Our Latest Issue