How certain is the development of the ever-increasing use and application of electronic documents, especially in terms of legalization of documents for international legal transactions?

Damjan Despotovic, Marina Nikolic, Milorad Glavan, and Srecko Vujakovic have established DNGV Attorneys in Belgrade.

Gecic Law has launched an Environmental, Social & Governance Practice.

The Ministry of Health passed a new bylaw within the health care system. The Rulebook on Forms in Health Care System was published in the Official Gazette of RS no. 31/2021 on March 31, 2021, and entered into force on April 8, 2021 (the “Rulebook”).

Former Schoenherr Partner Petar Kojdic has joined Kinstellar as a Partner and Head of the firm’s Banking & Finance practice in Belgrade.

The Commission for Protection of Competition initiated ex officio antitrust proceedings against Atlantic Group, Atlantic Brands and Strauss Adriatic and conducted dawn raids, in order to investigate potential existence of restrictive agreements.

Doklestic Repic & Gajin has advised the Czech Pronatal Group on establishing a gynecology hospital in Belgrade.

On 6 September 2021, the Competition Commission (the “Commission”) has initiated a formal procedure against company MAT – Real Estate for potential gun-jumping. The transaction concerned involves the acquisition of company Radijator d.o.o., a distributor of plumbing and heating equipment.

Not so long ago (12 years!) Serbia adopted the amendments to the Agricultural Land Act which was supposed to allow the use of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes, mainly to support the growing renewable energy sector. Of course, this was conditioned with adopting an adequate Regulation by the Serbian Government, which everyone waited for since 2009. Finally, patience paid off and in July 2021, the Serbian Government adopted the Regulation on the conditions, manner and procedure for giving state-owned agricultural land for use for non-agricultural purposes (hereinafter: “Regulation”).

Application of the Law on Fiscalization (Official Gazette of RS no. 153/2020) (“the Law”), that we have discussed before, which has repealed Serbian Law on Fiscal Cash Registers (Official Gazette of RS no. 135/04 and 93/12) by entering into force on December 29, 2020, will start on January 1, 2022 (except for several provisions that have already started to apply, on the day of entry into force). The regulation concerned, along with the set of by-laws enacted for its implementation, introduces a completely new model of fiscalization, which – among other things – implies a wider circle of taxpayers who will be obliged to apply it, new rules regarding the characteristics of fiscal cash registers and fiscal receipts, as well as certain subsidies for the entities covered by fiscalization.

Dentons has advised SPI International shareholders Loni Farhi and Berk Uziyel on the sale of a 70% stake in the company to Canal+. Rymarz Zdort advised the buyer.

Harrisons has advised the EBRD on a EUR 10 million senior secured loan for the Umka Cardboard Mill, a recycled cardboard manufacturer in the Western Balkans region.

Zivkovic Samardzic has advised technology employer review platform Joberty on a USD 350,000 early-stage investment from Kroog Ventures. Isailovic & Partners advised Kroog Ventures on the deal.

Harrisons has advised the EBRD on a RSD 2.9 billion (EUR 24.7 million) credit line to Eurobank Serbia for financing small and mid-size Serbian enterprises and investments in working capital as well as permanent assets.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia passed the Decision on the level of minimum labour wage for the period January – December 2022 and it was published in the Official Gazette of RS no. 87/2021 of 10 September 2021, while it shall apply from 1 January 2022 (“the Decision”).

Ognjen Colic has been promoted to Partner at Gecic Law.

Former Senior Associate Aleksandar Popovic has been promoted to Partner with JPM Jankovic Popovic Mitic and will head the firm's newly established Creative Industries practice area.

Karanovic & Partners has announced it entered into an agreement with Gypsy Roma Urban Balkan Beats to provide ongoing pro bono legal support on contracts, scholarships, and copyright matters.