Aviation Update: Croatia
Privatisation of Croatian Airlines Postponed Due to COVID-19 Crisis
Croatian Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure announced that the government will continue the privatisation of state-owned airline operator Croatia Airlines after the COVID-19 crisis subsides. At the beginning of the year, the government was ready to enter the second phase of negotiations with two interested companies. However, after the COVID-19 outbreak, the aviation […]
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Competition Update: Slovenia
European Commission Clears Fortenova’s Acquisition of Mercator
On 21 September, the European Commission (“EC”) unconditionally cleared a transaction involving the acquisition of the Slovenian retail conglomerate Mercator by Fortenova Group. Both undertakings are active in the supply of daily consumer goods across Southeast Europe. The transaction in question represents a part of a broader restructuring process of Agrokor (Fortenova’s predecessor and majority […]
Read more The First Overseas Office of the International Development Finance Corporation
DFC Opens a Regional Office in Belgrade
22 September 2020 has marked an opening of the first overseas office of the International Development Finance Corporation (“DFC”), America’s development bank, in Serbia’s capital Belgrade. This is one of the first steps following the political agreement signed in Washington on 4 September 2020, as well as letters of interest that Serbia recently signed with […]
Read more Legislation Update - Montenegro
The Montenegrin Competition Agency Starts an In-Depth Investigation on Latest Rounds of Airline State Aid
On 3 September 2020, the Montenegrin Competition Agency (the “Agency”) initiated a formal investigation over the compliance of state aid provided to the Montenegrin national airline with the EU framework and the local state aid rules. The European Commission has been underlining the support given to Montenegro Airlines as potentially problematic from a state aid […]
Read more Legislation Update: Montenegro
Revising the Regulatory Environment for Media in Montenegro
On 27 July 2020, the Montenegrin Parliament enacted a new Media Law (the “Law“), so as to harmonize the legal framework with European Union standards. The new rules introduced in the Law aim to improve transparency of the local media landscape, while trying to keep up with a rapidly evolving world. The main novelties of […]
Read more Intellectual Property Regional Update
Give Your Brand a Boost with Balkan ccTLDs
Domain name extensions have for a long time been only that – domain name extensions. DotCom and DotNet dominated the Internet sky for years with no specific reason – inertia maybe. Now the extensions are substantially integrated into a domain name – not just hanging at the end. Eastern European countries have a lot to […]
Read more Karanovic & Partners and AFA Strengthening their Corporate Partnership
Karanovic & Partners Took Part in Two Webinars Organised by AFA
As a corporate member of Association for Female Affirmation (AFA), Karanovic & Partners took part on 2 webinars organized by AFA on 11 September 2020. Senior Associate* Milica Filipović and Associate* Milijana Tomić held a workshop within “She’s Next” program, designed for female entrepreneurs who are at the very beginning of the development of their […]
Read more Karanovic & Partners Partnered with Blocknify Startup
k/signing powered by Blocknify Launched
Karanovic & Partners launched k/signing, an electronic signature technology, in partnership with Blocknify. With k/signing, we aim to facilitate the procedure of electronic execution of documents in a secure and transparent manner using blockchain. “The absolute need for remote execution of documents is now more evident than ever. This is why we have partnered with […]
Read more Data Protection Update: North Macedonia
Little Under a Year Left for Data Protection Compliance
On 24 February 2020, the new Law on Personal Data Protection (“Law”) entered into force. With it, North Macedonia largely harmonized its data protection legislation with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), however, certain differences do exist. Data subjects have more control over their personal data which is subject to processing, and many obligations are […]
Read more Karanovic & Partners Firm Update
Karanovic & Partners Announces Withdrawal of Patricia Gannon and Dejan Nikolic
After a prolonged process, Karanovic & Partners announces the withdrawal of founding partners Patricia Gannon and Dejan Nikolic. Both Dejan and Patricia have played a vital role in contributing to the immense success of the firm over the past 25 years. Dejan had led the firm’s expansion strategy throughout the former Yugoslavia to what it […]
Read more CEE Legal Matters Experts Review: Energy and Natural Resources
The Gas Sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Regulatory Framework and Obstacles for Market Development
This Article was originally published in Issue 7.6 of the CEE Legal Matters Magazine. Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) is a contracting party to the Energy Community. As such, it has undertaken the obligation to align its energy sector legislation and transpose the Third Energy Package in the gas sector, among others. Such alignment in […]
Read more Success from Here – Stories of People from the IT Sector
Rastko Petakovic at the Documentary about Serbian Startup Scene
Rastko Petaković, Senior Partner at Karanović & Partners, took part in the documentary “Success from here – stories of people from the IT sector”. The movie produced by Talas in cooperation with Startit deals with the rise of the IT sector in Serbia and was premiered on 29 August on N1 television. Rastko Petakovic spoke […]
Read more CEE Legal Matters Experts Review: Energy and Natural Resources
Hoping for Greener Days
This Article was originally published in Issue 7.6 of the CEE Legal Matters Magazine Serbia has pledged to decrease GHG by 9.8% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Although deficiencies in data quality and data availability for the GHG inventory (as published by the Energy Community Secretariat) make that data difficult to properly verify and […]
Read more Covid-19 Update: Serbia
Serbia Adopts a New Package of Economic Measures
According to the newly adopted package of COVID-19 economic measures, financial aid will be provided to Serbian companies registered between 15 March 2020 and 20 July 2020, which were not able to apply for fiscal benefits from April this year. The measure is introduced by Conclusion of Serbian government 05 No. 401-6052/2020 (“Conclusion”). These companies […]
Read more Karanović & Partners and Compass Lexecon advise the World Bank Group and the Se...
Karanovic & Partners Contributed to the Analysis on the Serbian Railway Freight Transport Market
On 12 August 2020, the Competition Commission of Serbia published an analysis on the Serbian railway freight transport market, which was prepared within the Program for Improving the Business Environment for Serbia. The World Bank Group conducted a study of the railway freight transport market in the Republic of Serbia in accordance with the Agreement […]
Read more New Set of Measures of the National Bank of Serbia
NBS Decision on Temporary Measures for Easier Real Estate Financing
The National Bank of Serbia (“NBS”) announced that it adopted the decision concerning temporary measures for Serbian banks (the “Decision”) on 17 August 2020. The Decision is aimed at facilitating an easier access to financial sources for purchasing residential real estate in Serbia by its citizens. The Decision will introduce the set of three temporary measures, intended […]
Read more Energy Update - Croatia
The First Tender for Supporting Renewables in Croatia
The Croatian Energy Market Operator (“HROTE”) issued the first public invitation for submission of bids on a public tender for granting of feed-in-tariffs (“FiT”) and premiums, respectively, as incentives for production of electricity from renewable energy sources. The public invitation is a statutory precondition for the tender and is published two to four months before […]
Read more CEE Legal Matters Experts Review: Data Protection
Walking the Fine Line – Processing Employees Data During COVID-19 Pandemic
This Article was originally published in Issue 7.5 of the CEE Legal Matters Magazine. Companies around the globe are having to make urgent decisions to keep their employees safe and ensure business continuity in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. In order to fulfil these goals, companies need to find the right balance between providing […]
Read more COVID-19 Serbia Update
National Bank of Serbia Further Regulates Moratorium on Loans and Leasing due to COVID-19 Outbreak
On 27 July 2020 the National Bank of Serbia (“NBS”) adopted further decisions concerning emergency measures to facilitate the position of citizens and businesses in servicing debt towards local banks and financial leasing companies in times of the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic crisis, specifically: Decision on temporary measures for banks with the aim to protect the stability of […]
Read more Supporting International Legal Expert Team Engaged by EBRD in Armenia
Karanovic & Partners to Advise on Improvement of Renewables Legal Framework
Petar Mitrović, Partner*, will be a part of an international team of experts contracted by the EBRD to assist the Armenian authorities to improve the institutional and regulatory framework for small-scale renewable energy in the commercial sector. *independent Attorney at Law in cooperation with Karanovic & Partners
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