Competition & Antitrust

Developing Framework
The countries of South East Europe are at different stages of development of competition policy and strategies. Progress in this area is largely dependent on the individual country’s stage in the process of EU accession and the stage it is at with the incorporation of the EU acquis into its competition strategy or legislation to address existing deficiencies in the competition framework. The harmonization process across the region has also included the implementation of competition law into secondary legislation such as the application of the provisions of competition law to restrictive agreements, abuse of dominance and the application of sanctions and remedies in the conditional approval of mergers.

Business Savvy Approach
Competition law has also seen its application in the telecommunications sector, the transport sector, as well as in the motor vehicle industry and the insurance sector in the form of block exemptions and minor infringements, in addition to restrictive agreements, abuse of dominance and merger control. SELA member firms understand that competition policy is a key building block for the foundation of a prosperous market economy and is of major importance for economic progress in the region, which is why when advising clients SELA experts takes a commercial approach to advising on the formation of business strategies and the implementation of competition policies in daily business.

Broad Experience
SELA has broad experience advising on all aspects of competition law. International and domestic corporates across various industry sectors rely on the SELA member firms to advise them on abuse of dominance, horizontal and vertical commercial agreements, competition litigation, compliance training and reviews, merger control, state aid and competition proceedings such as dawn raids, infringement matters and on forming business strategies and policies in line with the competition legislation of that jurisdiction, as well as being involved in policy advocacy and providing bespoke training to corporate teams to limit the chances of unintentional infringements.

Independent Reviews

• Uroš Popović frequently assists multinational clients with competition law compliance matters and advises on merger clearance filings in Serbia. "He's very insightful and knows the market. His advice has always been straightforward, user-friendly and easy for the clients to understand." "He possesses a remarkable combination of legal expertise, analytical skills, effective communication, integrity and resilience." "He has a deep and comprehensive understanding of the law." – Chambers Europe 2024 – Competition / Antitrust
• Dimitrijević & Partners is a respected corporate practice which counts on in-depth experience advising on significant M&A and joint ventures, as well as general corporate matters. Nina Vjestica assists clients with a mix of corporate work, as well as offering expertise in financing and regulatory matters. She enters the rankings following excellent client feedback. "Nina strives to find a solution for problems in often complex Bosnian law matters." – Chambers Europe 2024 – General Business Law
• Dinova Rusev & Partners undertakes a diverse range of competition mandates, chiefly merger control, market reviews, antitrust proceedings and compliance issues arising out of the advertising industry. "Milen Rusev is an outstanding competition specialist. Working with him is a pleasure. He is friendly and cooperative."