Competition Newsletter: March-April 2023

Law firm rankings: Doklestic Repic & Gajin ranked in Chambers Europe and Legal 500 EMEA

Spring is time of year when leading legal guides publish their new law firm rankings. This year, our law firm did well, entering the Chambers rankings for Competition/Antitrust in Serbia (please see here) and retaining a Tier 2 ranking for the same area in the Legal 500 rankings (please see here). Elsewhere in the guides, Doklestic Repic & Gajin is one of only a handful of firms with a Legal 500 ranking across Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

here here

Doklestic Repic & Gajin merger control app goes iOS

We are pleased to announce that our merger control app, which enables you to quickly check whether your transaction is notifiable in the Western Balkans, is now available in an iOS version as well. If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can download our app from App Store by clicking here. If you like our app, you can leave us up to a five-star review in App Store.

here

Merger control

Gun-jumping investigation in the hospitality sector

The Serbian NCA has started another gun-jumping investigation, this time in the hospitality sector. Specifically, the NCA is alleging that the company that manages one of the most well-known hotels in Belgrade (Hotel Moskva) acquired a hotel in the Serbian resort town of Vrnjačka Banja without notifying it to the NCA.

Report on a sectoral inquiry into the cement and RMX markets published

The Serbian NCA has published its report on the sectoral inquiry it conducted into the Serbian cement and ready-mix-concrete (RMX) markets. The report covers the period 2018-2021 and analyzes the main trends on these two markets during the examined period.

Merger control

14 new merger notifications

During March and April, the Montenegrin NCA announced the receipt of 14 new merger notifications:

• HELIX Beteiligungs GmbH (Austria), AGRANA Sales & Marketing GmbH (Austria) - Beta Pura GmbH (Austria)
• Hemofarm ad (Serbia) - Optimus Pharmaceuticals d.o.o. (Serbia) [assets]
• Wienerberger AG (Germany) - Terreal Holding S.A.S. (France)
• Mr. Alexander Shnaider (Canada) - Expobank ad (Serbia)
• Volkswagen AG (Germany) - paragon semvox GmbH (Germany)
• OTP Bank Nyrt. (Hungary) - Joint-Stock Commercial Mortgage Bank "IPOTEKA BANK (Uzbekistan)
• Volkswagen AG (Germany) - Hexad GmbH (Germany) [assets]
• APS HOLDING CYPRUS LTD (Cyprus) - Holdco East doo (Montenegro)
• Volkswagen AG (Germany), Horizon Robotics (Cayman Islands) [JV]
• Českȧ spořitelna, a.s., (Czechia) - Sberbank CZ, a.s. (in liquidation) (Czechia)
• OTP Alapkezelő Zártkörűen Működő Részvénytársaság (Hungary) - Ilirika DZU a.d. (Serbia)
• Volkswagen AG (Germany) - NIRA Dynamics AB (Sweden)
• Jugopetrol ad (Montenegro) - EKO petrol doo [assets] (Montenegro)
• Telekomunikacije Republike Srpske ad (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - TRION TEL d.o.o. (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Antitrust

Raiffeisen Bank infringed competition related to crypto-currency market

The Bosnian NCA has published an interesting decision concerning the crypto currency market. It found that the Bosnian subsidiary of Raiffeisen Bank infringed Bosnian competition legislation by preventing transactions related to trading in digital asset trading through an account opened with the bank. The authority qualified such acts of the bank as the conclusion of a restrictive agreement. It did not explain, however, with whom did the bank conclude such restrictive agreement.

Merger control

20 new merger notifications

In March and April, the North Macedonian NCA announced the receipt of 20 new merger notifications:

• Interenergo Makedonija dooel (North Macedonia) - BPPV Energy doo (North Macedonia)
• HELIX Beteiligungs GmbH (Austria), AGRANA Sales & Marketing GmbH (Austria) - Beta Pura GmbH (Austria)
• MTEL dooel (North Macedonia) - Neotel doo (North Macedonia)
• Voklswagen AG (Germany) - Hexad GmbH (Germany)
• Pozavarovalnica Sava, d.d. (Slovenia) - Application Software Partner doo (Serbia)
• Mr. Filip Spasovski (North Macedonia) - Eurovia Solar dooel (North Macedonia)
• Sato doo (Croatia) - AD Kiro Dandaro (North Macedonia)
• Borov dol dooel (North Macedonia) - Buchim dooel (North Macedonia)
• HTL Macedonia dooel (North Macedonia) - Royal Eagle doo (North Macedonia)
• Telemach Slovenia doo (Slovenia) - KTV Dravograd doo (Slovenia), NAKOM doo (Slovenia)
• Comet International Holding Ltd (UK) - Comac Medical OOD (Bulgaria)
• ALFI PE doo (Slovenia) - Vemo trade doo (Croatia)
• CARIAD Estonia AS (Estonia) - Shanghai Muchuan Industrial Design Co., Ltd. (China)
• Public Power Corporation S.A. (Greece) - Enel Green Power Romania et al.
• Lamium Trade Limited (Cyprus), H-Planet doo (Slovenia), Ivicom Holding GmbH (Austria) - VE Rakova Bara doo (Serbia)
• A1 Srbija doo (Serbia) - Conexio doo (Serbia)
• Atradius Collections Holding B.V. (Netherlands) - Pro Kolekt doo (Slovenia)
• Renalfa IPP (Austria), Solarpro Technologies ad (Bulgaria), Renalfa ad (Bulgaria) - Alpiq Group Bulgaria
• Spika SAS (France), Faurecia Exhaust International (France), PSA Automobiles SA (France) - Symbio SAS (France)
• Zweite Pierer Beteiligung GmbH (Austria) - Leoni AG (Germany)

Antitrust

Price fixing between driving schools

The Albanian NCA has established the existence of a price-fixing arrangement in the filed of driving schools. Specifically, the NCA found that an agreement between the General Directorate of Road Transport Services, two associations of driving schools and the General Directorate of Taxes had as its object the fixing of the fee for preparation for taking a driver’s license exam. To ensure that this kind of arrangement will not be implemented, the NCA will monitor the market for a period of one year.

Antitrust

Sunflower oil market investigated

The Albanian NCA has investigated several undertakings active on the market for wholesale of sunflower oil in Albania, to probe whether there are any anti-competitive activities concerning the setting of prices. In the end, the NCA did not establish any foul play, as it found that the wholesale price increases made by the investigated companies reflected the increase in the average import price.

Merger control

Nine new merger notifications

During March and April, the Albanian NCA announced the receipt of nine new merger notifications:

• FUJITSU GENERAL (Euro) GmbH (Germany) - FG SOUTH EAST EUROPE SA (Greece)
• Sourya Manthan Renewable Energy Private Limited (India) - Khidrat Renewable Energy Private Limited (India)
• Eagle Hills Real Estate Development SHPK (Albania), Albanian Seaports Development Company SHA (Albania) [JV]
• CARIAD SE (Germany) - Mobility Servis Platform [assets]
• CARIAD SE (Germany) - NIRA Dynamics AB (Sweden)
• Delta Holding SHPK (Albania) - Delta Pharma - AL SHPK (Albania)
• Delta Holding SHPK (Albania) - Avicena SHPK (Albania)
• Delta Holding SHPK (Albania) - METRO FARMACI SHPK (Albania)
• GENKLAUDIS SHA (Albania) - GEGA OIL SHA (Albania)