For boards and CFOs, the most dangerous shortcut is to reduce Serbia’s new regime to the phrase ‘the fine is 0.2%’. The Act actually starts with a basic amount of 0.1% or 0.2% of total annual revenue generated in Serbia and then adjusts that amount by reference to specified statutory circumstances. Procedural and periodic penalties, corrective measures, and public enforcement exposure sit alongside that calculation. Why the CFO and board should track this risk Unfair-trading-practice exposure is not confined to the legal team. The basic amount is tied to the party’s total annual revenue generated in Serbia in the year […]
Details
Serbia’s new trading-practices regime changes more than contract drafting. It also changes how the regulator can reconstruct a commercial relationship, from bargaining power and the legal category of the conduct to the actual counter-performance, fee calculation, and evidence showing what really happened. A new enforcement function for the SCA The Trade Practices Act for Certain Types of Products gives Serbia’s Competition Authority (SCA) a distinct enforcement mandate under the new regime. The SCA is not merely an interpretative authority: it can open and conduct investigative proceedings, impose administrative measures, carry out special sector inquiries, and publish acts and information relevant […]
Details
On July 30, 2026, the Government of Montenegro adopted the Proposal for the Establishment of an Effective Foreign Direct Investment (“FDI”) Screening Mechanism in Montenegro (“Proposal“), prepared by the Ministry of Economic Development (“Ministry”). As the frontrunner among European Union (“EU”) candidate countries, and with the ambition of concluding accession negotiations in the near term, Montenegro will be required to operate an FDI screening mechanism that meets EU standards from the day of accession. The EU recently strengthened those standards by adopting a revised FDI screening framework in June 2026. The drafters of the Montenegrin Proposal, therefore, aligned it with […]
Details
For companies operating in the relevant supply chains, September 1, 2026, marks a key compliance date. The applicable statute is the Trade Practices Act for Certain Types of Products (the “Act”). The Act appears in the “Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No. 35/2026. The Act entered into force on May 1, 2026. Article 58 gives each entity four months to comply. This duty applies to entities in supply chains for products within the Act’s scope. Each entity must align its general terms and conditions, contracts, internal guidelines, and practices with the new rules. In the final days before […]
Details
The new Trade Practices Act for Certain Types of Products (the “Act”) introduces two categories of unfair trading practices, with materially different legal consequences: practices on the black list are prohibited in all circumstances, whereas practices on the grey list are presumed to be unfair unless the buyer proves otherwise. 1. Absolutely and conditionally prohibited trading practices – the black and grey lists Article 5 of the Act divides unfair trading practices by buyers into practices that are absolutely prohibited and those that are conditionally prohibited. The black list under Article 6 of the Act sets out practices that are […]
Details
For businesses operating in Serbia’s product supply chains, September 1, 2026, is more than just another date. The entry into force of the new Trade Practices Act for Certain Types of Products (Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 35/2026) (the “Act”) on May 1, 2026, introduced a new regulatory framework and provided market participants with four months to bring their operations into full compliance. Every participant in the supply chain for products specifically identified in the Act and the relevant secondary legislation that meets the applicable criteria will be required to align its contracts, general terms and conditions, […]
Details
Anthropic recently confirmed that Claude models launched from August 2, 2026, onward embed an invisible watermark directly into the text they generate. The update has been widely reported, and not always accurately. Some coverage described it as a breakthrough in detection. Others called it a privacy risk. Neither framing is quite right, and the difference matters for anyone building a product on Claude or using it to produce content that reaches EU users, including businesses based in Serbia and the wider Balkans. What the watermark actually is According to Anthropic’s own documentation, the mark is woven into the generated text itself, […]
Details
The bilateral investment treaty between the Republic of Serbia and Japan (the “BIT”), officially titled the Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and Japan for the Promotion and Protection of Investment, was signed in Belgrade on December 24, 2025 and is expected to enter into force by the end of July 2026, following completion of the respective domestic procedures in both countries. This agreement forms part of a broader trend towards the institutional strengthening of economic relations between Serbia and Japan. That process also includes the Agreement for the Elimination of Double Taxation, signed in 2020, which further facilitated cross-border […]
Details
Gecić Law proudly announces its debut in the 2026 IP STARS rankings, following the firm’s first submission last year. The guide placed Gecić Law in Tier 3 for intellectual property in Serbia. This result marks an exceptional first appearance, as the firm skipped two lower-ranking levels and entered directly into Tier 3. IP STARS also recognized Counsel Vera Davidović as a Notable Practitioner. The guide named Senior Associate Uroš Rajić a Rising Star. Together, these distinctions highlight the strength, depth, and momentum of Gecić Law’s fast-growing intellectual property practice. About IP STARS IP STARS is Managing IP’s specialist guide to […]
Details
Gecić Law Founding Partner Bogdan Gecić spoke with CorD magazine for its USA 2026 edition about American business culture, the rule of law, legal certainty, artificial intelligence, and Serbia’s role in the global economy. In the interview, Bogdan explains how the American model — grounded in meritocracy, strong institutions, and accountability — can support sustainable development across Serbia and the wider region. He also highlights the importance of U.S. partnership in raising professional standards, strengthening investor confidence, and creating new opportunities for local talent. American Standards and Regional Modernization Reflecting on his Harvard Law School experience, Bogdan describes Harvard not […]
Details