Interview with Pablo Perez Laya of BDK Advokati, a Spanish Consultant at BDK Advokati in Belgrade.

The Third Energy Package and its solutions directed towards the enhancement of competition in and the development of electricity and natural gas markets became part of Serbian law by the adoption of the country’s Energy Law in 2014. The network codes that were adopted after the adoption of the Third Energy Package further contribute to competition and market development. The obligation of the Republic of Serbia to adopt these acts arises from the 2008 Agreement on Stabilization and Association with the EU and the 2006 Energy Community Treaty. Until these codes are implemented through amendments to the Serbian Energy Law, the principles, solutions, and tools contained within them can be implemented in the individual network codes of each transmission system operator via a public procedure set out by the Energy Law.

Serbian Bankruptcy Law allows only bankruptcy proceedings of legal entities; unlike in many European countries, natural persons, entrepreneurs, and farmers cannot be subject to a personal bankruptcy proceeding.

As international arbitration should deliver some degree of certainty to the parties, many party representatives and arbitrators have asked arbitral institutions for information and guidance in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020.

Genetic testing of biological materials reveals unique information about the physiology and health of a natural person. DNA determines to a large degree what a person will be like. The GDPR says that consent must be obtained from people who will be subjected to genetic research and/or genetic testing for health reasons.

Advertising is no easy task for law firms in the former Yugoslavia, and law firm marketing and business development specialists in those legal markets face unique challenges in their attempts to promote their firms and obtain new clients.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the Western Balkans right during a period of accelerating economic activity and a promising economic outlook for 2020. The rapid spread of the virus forced the governments of the Western Balkans countries to introduce protective measures, lockdowns, and temporary business shutdowns. These restrictions had a devastating direct economic impact on a wide range of sectors – particularly the hospitality and transport industries – and the measures had many indirect side effects that significantly decreased economic activity.

Prominent Serbian attorneys provide an overview of the country’s prospects heading out of the recent election cycle and into an uncertain future.

Dentons has advised Umweltbank Aktiengessellschaft, GLS Gemeinschaftsbank EG, and two investment funds managed by Triodos Investment Management on the acquisition of a majority stake in Opportunity Banka a.d. Novi Sad, a Serbian bank, from Opportunity Transformation Investments inc. Andric Law Office provided Serbian advice to the buyers, and Schoenherr reportedly advised Opportunity Transformation Investments.

Zivkovic Samardzic has been appointed the representative of SNAP Inc. under the Serbian Data Protection Act, following a decision by the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection.

The Tax Administration of the Republic of Serbia has recently published a call to natural persons who acquired income abroad in the past period to file tax applications, calculate and pay taxes and contributions for mandatory social insurance with relevant interest as soon as possible, in order to avoid offence liability.

BDK Advokati, working alongside Sweden's Gernandt & Danielsson Advokatbyra KB, has advised the Embracer Group AB on the acquisition of all issued shares of Mad Head Games d.o.o., a game development studio from Novi Sad, Serbia. Sunjka Law advised Mad Head Games shareholders Nenad Tomic, Uros Banjesevic, and Aleksa Todorovic on the deal.

MPR Partners has helped J. Christof E&P Services S.R.L. and Christof Private Firefighting Services S.R.L. provide notification to Romanian and Serbian competition authorities of the economic concentration arising from OMV Petrom’s externalization of several operations and general surface services ancillary to extraction and production of petroleum as well as natural gas, together with the relevant assets and dedicated staff. D&B David and Baias and Karanovic & Partners provided advice to J. Christof E&P and Christof Private Firefighting Services.

In October 2020, the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Serbia published the first draft of the Law on Digital Property (“Draft“) and put it for open discussion. Below we present you with a short overview of the proposed Draft:

Jankovic Popovic Mitic has helped chemical company BASF implement GDPR best practices in Serbia.

At the beginning of 2019, employers and employees disapprovingly accepted a new obligation to document the cost of transportation to and from work and the situation is no different today.

Kinstellar has advised GTT Communications on the USD 2.15 billion sale of its business infrastructure in Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe to I Squared Capital. Linklaters advised the buyer on the deal.

BDK Advokati has launched a Human Rights Protection & Litigation practice, led by Attorney-at-Law Relja Radovic.