The article drafted by Suzana Pavlovic & Jelena Pejovic, Associates for Lexology on April 27,2026
On 23 April 2026, the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Trade (the “Adopted Law”) previously submitted by the Government on 13 March 2026.
The Adopted Law introduces several significant changes to commercial practice and the Serbian market, with expected positive effects for both producers and consumers. Overall, the Adopted Law aims to bring Serbian trade regulation into closer alignment with EU standards, particularly in the areas of misleading price reductions, unfair market practices and the further development of digitalization in the area of trade regulation.
A key area of reform concerns the concept of the “previous price” used as a reference for price reductions. In practice, the Serbian market has seen irregularities in price display and discount calculation, resulting in inconsistent application of the existing rules. In particular, traders have occasionally increased prices shortly before announcing a discount, thereby creating the impression of a greater price reduction between the so-called “old” and “new” prices.
In order to further align Serbian law with EU legislation – most notably Directive 98/6/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 1998 on consumer protection in the indication of the prices of products offered to consumers, and Directive (EU) 2019/2161 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC and Directives 98/6/EC, 2005/29/EC and 2011/83/EU as regards the better enforcement and modernization of Union consumer protection rules – the Adopted Law introduces a clearer and more precise regulatory framework.
First, when advertising a price reduction, the reference price must be the lowest price at which the trader offered the goods during the 30-day period preceding the reduction. This rule does not apply in the same way to perishable goods and goods with a short shelf life. In addition, where a product has been part of the trader’s assortment for less than 30 days, the previous price would be the lowest price applied during a period of at least 15 days prior to the reduction taking effect. This solution is intended to ensure greater transparency and a more uniform approach in the market.
A further important area addressed by the Adopted Law concerns the absence of a unified register of purchasers, as well as the lack of detailed rules governing registration and record-keeping in this area. According to the Adopted Law, the introduction of such a system should facilitate the monitoring of active purchasers, improve inspection planning and provide better visibility into the grey market, where payments are often made exclusively in cash. In that sense, the Adopted Law also appears designed to strengthen compliance with broader regulatory objectives relating to anti-money laundering.
To that end, the Adopted Law provides that the Ministry of Trade would maintain the Register of Purchasers as a unified electronic database, referred to as the “e-purchase place”. A trader operating at a purchasing point would be required to prominently display key information, including its business name, registration number, tax identification number, the type of products being purchased, working hours and the relevant period of the year during which purchasing is carried out. In addition, the trader would be obliged to display a notice clearly informing agricultural producers of the general purchasing terms prior to the sale of goods. The Adopted Law further provides that the Minister of Trade, together with the minister responsible for agriculture, would prescribe in more detail the minimum technical requirements applicable to trade at purchasing points.
You can read the article on Lexology here: Serbia Adopts Amendments to the Law on Trade: Key Changes and Market Impact – Lexology
The full article is also available here: ROKAS_Lexology_Serbia Adopts Amendments to the Law on Trade Key Changes and Market Impact