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Exclusive distribution agreements in the pharma sector in focus of the Serbian Competition Authority
In Serbia, most of the exclusivity arrangements between pharma companies need to be, prior to their implementation, individually exempt by the Serbian Competition Authority (“SCA”). Most recently, the SCA issued two decisions in the individual exemption process. In one it denied, while, in the other it only conditionally approved individual exemptions for exclusive distribution agreements between pharmaceutical companies. These developments show a noticeable shift in the SCA’s stand towards exclusivity arrangements with the SCA taking a stringent approach, limiting the parties' ability to contract exclusivity arrangements in the sector. Below we provide an overview of the individual exemption application requirement
Coffee industry leaders face EUR 2 million fine and secure a conditional merger before Serbian Competition Authority
On 29 February 2024, the Serbian Competition Authority (the “SCA”) published two detailed decisions involving two largest undertakings on the Serbian coffee market. The first one relates to concerted practices that resulted in a joint fine of approximately EUR 2 million, while the other one relates to the conditional approval of the acquisition of Strauss Adriatic by Atlantic Group. As per data released by the SCA, these two enterprises collectively h approximately 70% to 80% of the coffee market in Serbia, boasting a portfolio that includes the most significant coffee brands in the region. In 2021, the SCA conducted a sectorial analysis encompassing various food markets, including a specific focus on the ground coffee
The AI Act – EU’s First Artificial Intelligence Regulation
In a ground-breaking move, on 8 December 2023, the European Parliament officially reached a provisional agreement with the Council on the AI act. With this agreement, the European Union has implemented the world's first comprehensive regulation on artificial intelligence, known as the AI Act. This landmark regulation is now in it’s final stage of implementation, as it still needs to be formally adopted by the Parliament and the Council. The AI Act aims to safeguard the well-being and fundamental rights of EU citizens, setting a precedent for global AI governance. In April 2021, the European Commission proposed the first European Union ("EU") regulatory framework for artificial intelligence ("AI"). The main objective