PR Legal Contributes to the Legalink Guidelines for Contracts with Public Authorities

We are pleased to announce that PR Legal has contributed to the chapter on Serbia in the 5th edition of the Legalink Guidelines for Contracts with Public Authorities. These Guidelines provide a comprehensive overview of public procurement laws and practices across different jurisdictions. In our chapter, we present an analysis of key aspects of public procurement regulations in Serbia, including relevant regulations, procedures, and recent legislative changes. Legalink is an international legal network of around 70 independent business-oriented law firms with members from the majority of the world’s main commercial centres. The network is Chambers ranked and now composed of...

Join Our Team! We are looking for a Senior Associate

We are currently looking for an Attorney at Law to join the firm's team in the capacity of a Senior Associate, with particular expertise in Corporate Law and Personal Data Protection.  Candidate’s profile/experience: University degree in Law obtained at a university in the Republic of Serbia; Serbian Bar exam; At least 3 years of working experience as an Attorney at Law in the abovementioned practice areas, after passing the Bar exam; Excellent written and spoken English; Strong computer skills; Excellent writing and analytical skills, ability to handle multiple matters with independence and sound judgment; Strong work ethic and strong legal...

Artificial Intelligence and Patent Law

Amidst the adoption of the Artificial Intelligence Act by the European Union Council, as the world's first legislation setting a global standard for regulating artificial intelligence ("AI"), we are entering into the still unregulated territory of the relationship between patent law and AI. Patents are a significant source of new technical information and inspiration for future generations of researchers and inventors. To protect an invention with a patent, a solution to a specific problem can come from any technical field. A patent is an absolute property right granted for an invention that: is novel - identical solutions have not been...

Use of Video Surveillance Footage as Evidence in Disciplinary Proceedings

In this article, we address a common question in practice – under which conditions can an employer use video surveillance footage in disciplinary proceedings against an employee? In this regard, we analyze the following example from European practice, which provides some answers. Namely, the Luxembourg Data Protection Commission (CNPD - Commission Nationale pour la Protection des Données) (“Commission”), as an independent body responsible for overseeing the application of data protection regulations in Luxembourg, issued Decision No. 2FR/2024 (“Decision”) on May 21, 2024. In the Decision, the Commission took the position that the use of video surveillance footage for the purpose...

Legal Regulation of Artificial Intelligence: European AI Act

One of the most current news this year, which turned out to be equally interesting to both legal experts and IT industry professionals, was the adoption of the European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act ("AI Act") as the first regulatory framework regarding artificial intelligence ("AI") adopted at the EU level. The aim of the AI Act is to bring the European Union ("EU") to the forefront of the artificial intelligence race, while simultaneously ensuring the protection of human rights, the environment, the rule of law, and democracy. Although its implementation has not yet begun, the AI Act is expected to clarify...

Non-Compete Clause in Employment Relationships: Can the Validity of the Clause be Terminated Unilaterally by the Employer?

In the practice of the Court of Appeal in Belgrade, in the judgment No. Gž1 1900/20 dated 19.03.2021 ("Judgment"), the following position was taken: An employer who has, by a decision on the termination of employment, released the employee from the obligation to comply with the prohibition of competition clause, which was established by the Employment Contract, is not obliged to pay the employee the compensation that was agreed upon in relation to the obligation to comply with the said clause. This position is particularly interesting because it represents a significant shift in judicial practice. Namely, until the issuance of...

The Republic Geodetic Authority Conducted an Assessment of Apartment Values: A New Standard in Transparency and Accessibility of Real Estate Data

The Republic Geodetic Authority of Serbia ("RGZ") announced in June 2024 that it has conducted a mass assessment of apartment values across Serbia, aiming to set a new standard in transparency and accessibility of real estate data. Currently, professional users such as lawyers and surveying organizations can access assessed property values through the eCadastre system on RGZ's digital portal. It was also announced that this capability will soon be available to citizens for free. Why are apartment values assessed? The authority to conduct assessments by RGZ stems from the Law on State Survey and Cadastre ("Law") and the Rulebook on...

New Rules for the Protection of Minors in the Provision of Media Services

On May 18, 2024, the Rulebook on the Protection of the Rights of Minors in the Provision of Media Services ("Rulebook on Minors") came into force, adopted in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Electronic Media. The Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media ("REM") recently passed a set of regulations regarding the provision of media services, which came into force in May 2024. The new Rulebook on Conditions and Criteria for Issuing a License for the Provision of Media Services ("Rulebook on Licenses") has drawn particular attention. Unlike the previously applicable rulebook, the Rulebook on Licenses does not prescribe...

“Open Banking” in Serbia and Membership in the Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA)

Modernization of Payment Services The National Bank of Serbia (“NBS”) has prepared a Draft Amendments to the Law on Payment Services (“Draft”) and invited experts and other interested parties to submit their suggestions and comments as part of a public consultation by 27 June 2024. Over the past decade, the NBS has advocated for continuous improvement and digitalization of the payment services market in Serbia, implementing various norms and optimizing payment infrastructure. The adoption of the Law on Payment Services (“Law”) in 2014, followed by amendments in 2018, largely aligned the payment services sector with European Union (“EU”) regulations. By...

Privacy vs. Safety: Facial Recognition Systems

Facial recognition has recently become something mundane: for example, every day we can see smartphones that offer the option to unlock the phone using the owner's face. Although this advanced functionality can be justified (and sometimes very useful) for such private needs, its use in public spaces is controversial. In these situations, it can lead to a deep intrusion into the privacy of a large number of individuals who not only did not have the possibility to express whether they want to be recorded, but often do not even know they are being recorded. In this regard, recording large public...