Activity Report of the Commission for Protection of Competition 2018
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Republic of Serbia COMMISSION FOR PROTECTION OF COMPETITION ACTIVITY REPORT OF THE COMMISSION FOR PROTECTION OF COMPETITION 2018 Belgrade, February 2019 COMMISSION FOR PROTECTION OF COMPETITION ACTIVITY REPORT 2018 Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 4 2. MISSION AND VISION ...................................................................................................................... 6 2.1. MISSION ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2. VISION ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 2.3. ACTIVITIES TOWARDS ENSURING ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND WELL-BEING OF THE SOCIETY, AND ESPECIALLY THE BENEFIT OF THE CONSUMERS ........................................................... 7 2.4. TRANSPARENCY AS AN UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE ............................................................................ 8 3. INSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY................................................................... 10 3.1. INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY ................................................................................................................... 10 3.2. ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY ............................................................................................................... 10 3.3. BUSINESS PREMISES OF THE COMMISSION ..................................................................................... 12 3.4. ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEE EDUCATION IN 2018 ................................................................................. 12 4. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ...................................................... 16 4.1. REVENUES ................................................................................................................................................ 16 4.2. EXPENDITURES ....................................................................................................................................... 19 4.3. BUDGET PAYMENTS............................................................................................................................23 5. COMMISSION ACTIVITIES IN ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION .. 25 5.1. RELATIONS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION ....................................................................................... 25 5.2. ASSUMING COMMITMENTS FROM THE STABILIZATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT AND COOPERATION WITH EU INSTITUTIONS ......................................................................................... 25 5.3. EC PROGRESS REPORT ON SERBIA – CHAPTER 8: COMPETITION POLICY .................................. 26 5.4. HARMONIZATION OF NATIONAL REGULATIONS WITH EU ACQUIS COMMUNAUTAIRE ...... 27 6. COMPETITION INFRINGEMENTS .................................................................................................. 28 6.1. COMPETITION INFRINGEMENT PROCEDURES ................................................................................ 29 6.1.1. Cases closed in administrative procedure..........................................................................................31 6.1.2. Pending administrative proceedings – as on December 31, 2018.....................................................35 6.1.3. Monitoring of the proper implementation of commitment decisions ..............................................43 6.2. INDIVIDUAL EXEMPTIONS OF RESTRICTIVE AGREEMENTS FROM PROHIBITION ................. 45 6.2.1. Completed proceedings of individual exemption of restrictive agreements from prohibition, as on December 31, 2018 ................................................................................................................................46 6.2.2. Pending procedures of individual exemption – as on December 31, 2018.......................................52 6.3. ANTITRUST INITIATIVES AND OTHER MEANS OF IDENTIFYING INFRINGEMENTS ............... 53 6.3.1. Processed initiatives and ex officio actions – instituted proceedings ex officio .................................54 6.3.2. Processed initiatives and ex officio actions – closed without instituted proceedings ex officio .........54 6.3.3. PENDING INITIATIVES AS ON DECEMBER 31, 2018.............................................................. 58 6.4. DECISIONS OF THE COMMISSION ON REQUESTS FOR REPETITION OF PROCEEDINGS ......... 60 6.5. DECISIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COURT AND THE HIGH COURT OF CASSATION ......... 60 6.5.1. Decisions of the Administrative Court in 2018 .................................................................................60 6.5.2. Decisions of the High Court of Cassation in 2018.............................................................................61 6.5.3. Pending cases before the Constitutional Court as on December 31, 2018 .......................................61 6.6. DECISIONS OF THE CONSITUTIONAL COURT IN 2018 .................................................................... 62 7. MERGER INVESTIGATIONS............................................................................................................ 63 7.1. MERGERS APPROVED IN SUMMARY PROCEDURE .......................................................................... 69 7.1.1. Mergers created by acquisition of direct or indirect control by one or more undertakings over another or more undertakings or over part or parts of other undertakings (Article 17(1/2) of the Law): .......................................................................................................................................................69 7.1.2. Mergers created in cases of joint venture or acquisition of joint control (Article 17(1/3 of the Law): .......................................................................................................................................................77 7.2. NOTIFIED MERGERS REVIEWED IN EX OFFICIO PROCEEDINGS .................................................. 80 2 COMMISSION FOR PROTECTION OF COMPETITION ACTIVITY REPORT 2018 7.3. MONITORING OF THE PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF CLEARED MERGERS SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS ................................................................................................................................................... 81 7.4. INVESTIGATION OF MERGERS COMPLETED WITHOUT CLEARANCE .......................................... 84 8. OPINIONS ........................................................................................................................................ 85 8.1. OPINIONS ON DRAFT AND CURRENT REGULATIONS WITH IMPACT ON THE MARKET COMPETITION ................................................................................................................................................. 85 8.2. OPINIONS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LEGAL PROVISIONS GOVERNING MERGERS ............................................................................................................................................................................ 94 8.3. OPINIONS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LEGAL PROVISIONS GOVERNING INFRINGEMENTS OF COMPETITION ................................................................................................97 8.4. OPINIONS ON REPORTS OF REGULATORY BODIES ....................................................................... 100 8.5. OPINIONS ON THE PROVISIONS OF THE LAW ON BANKRUPTCY .............................................. 102 9. SECTOR INQUIRIES ...................................................................................................................... 104 9.1. ROLE AND RELEVANCE OF CASEWORK-RELATED ECONOMIC INQUIRIES ............................. 104 9.2. SECTOR INQUIRIES AND INQUIRIES INTO COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS ................................ 104 9.2.1. Sector inquiry into the oil derivatives retail market .......................................................................105 9.2.2. Sector inquiry into the baby equipment wholesale and retail market............................................106 9.2.3. Retail sector inquiry into the sale in nonspecialized stores with food, beverages and tobacco predominating......................................................................................................................................107 9.2.4. Inquiry into competitive conditions on the tire market..................................................................108 9.2.5. Inquiry into competitive conditions on the cement market ...........................................................109 10. COOPERATION WITH REGULATORY BODIES, STATE AUTHORITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS, FACULTIES AND THE CIVIL SECTOR............................................................................................... 110 10.1. AGREEMENTS AND COOPERATION WITH REGULATORY BODIES AND STATE AUTHORITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS ................................................................................................................................ 110 10.2. PROTOCOLS ON COOPERATION WITH THE FACULTIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA AND THEIR IMPLEMENTATION .......................................................................................................................... 111 10.3. PARTICIPATION OF THE COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVES IN THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION FOR STATE AID CONTROL ...............................................................................................