On 28 March 2026, four new regulations entered into force concerning the exemption of certain agreements from the prohibition of restrictive agreements:
- Regulation on Categories of Vertical Agreements Exempted from the Prohibition of Restrictive Agreements
- Regulation on Categories of Technology Transfer Agreements Exempted from the Prohibition of Restrictive Agreements
- Regulation on Categories of Vertical Agreements in Motor Vehicles Sector Exempted from the Prohibition of Restrictive Agreements
- Regulation on Categories of Agreements in the Railway and Road Transport Sector Exempted from the Prohibition of Restrictive Agreements
Key change
Upon entry into force of new Regulation on Categories of Vertical Agreements, the former regulation from 2010 (‘’Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia’’, No. 11/10) has ceased to exist.
Transitional period
The new regulation provides for a transitional regime for existing contracts:
- Agreements concluded before its entry into force that were compliant with the old regulation, but do not meet the conditions of the new regulation, remain exempt for an additional 6 months
- Within this period, market participants are required to align their agreements with the new rules
New areas of regulation
The remaining three regulations introduce new rules and regulate in detail:
- agreements on technology transfer
- agreements in the motor vehicle sector (including repair, maintenance, and sale of spare parts)
- agreements in the rail and road transport sector
These regulations are largely aligned with the legal framework of the European Union in the field of competition law, representing a significant step toward harmonizing domestic legislation.
What does this mean for companies?
Companies should:
- review their existing contracts
- assess compliance with the new rules
- timely adapt their business models to avoid the risk of infringing competition law
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