Set of laws in the field of trade adopted

The Serbian Parliament has adopted a set of laws in the field of trade, namely laws on trade, trade practices and consumer protection.

The amendments to the Trade Act, as emphasized, align the legal solutions with the legal acquis in the field of consumer protection, and also improve the conduct of trade and prescribe the obligation to introduce a register of purchase points. Minister of Internal and Foreign Trade Jagoda Lazarevic previously said that the amendments to the Trade Act reduced unfair competition and the risk of the shadow economy and tax evasion, as well as unfair competition. She also pointed out that the existing Trade Act recognized farmers as traders, and that this was now being specified. She pointed out that the intention of the amendment was to prevent any kind of abuse of reselling someone else’s products by registering traders, taking into account the protection of farmers who can sell their products, but also be registered traders.

The Act on Trade Practices introduced the instrument of the Collaborator in the Proceedings, or Whistleblower. This is a mechanism that will enable, if there are credible findings that an unfair trade practice is involved in a specific case, the whistleblower to raise the alarm. The Act on Trade Practices is being enacted for the first time in our country and its importance, it is pointed out, is reflected in the prevention of unfair trade practices and the establishment of fair, transparent and more equitable relations between all market actors – traders, producers/processors and primary agricultural producers. This act was drafted based on solutions already applied in the European Union, but with a significant expansion of the scope of products and solutions that are not present in other European legislation, it is emphasized.

In addition to agricultural and food products, the Act also covers products of particular importance for market supply, which include household chemicals, personal hygiene products, cosmetics and others, as well as products of particular importance for agricultural production – plant nutrition and protection products and soil conditioners.

As for the Consumer Protection Act, the new feature is that retailers will be obliged to update the price list in real time whenever there is a price change, so that the data always corresponds to the actual, current prices in the store and online sales, so that consumers are informed accurately and in a timely manner. In practice, this means that retail chains will be obliged to publish the price list of products on a daily basis on their website, as well as on their account on the National Open Data Portal. In addition, better protection of minors and public health is envisaged, as the ban on the sale of tobacco products to minors has been extended to related products (electronic devices for heating tobacco or herbal products and electronic cigarettes).

Narodna skupština Republike Srbije

Ministarstvo unutrašnje i spoljne trgovine Republike Srbije

National Assembly of Serbia

Trade Act

Act on Trade Practices

Consumer Protection Act

Jagoda Lazarević