RELEVANT LEGISLATION AND STATUTORY STANDARDS

Overview of relevant legislation

Croatian antitrust law is generally contained in the Law on Protection of Market Competition (LPMC), adopted in July 2003. The LPMC has been in effect as from 1 October 2003, and replaced the LPMC adopted in 1995 (as amended in 1997 and 1998) as the first law ever to regulate market competition in Croatia. The LPMC applies in cases of distortion of free market competition through agreements restricting market competition, monopolistic practices and concentrations.

The body of Croatian merger control regulations, contained in the LPMC, was brought substantially into line with the key concepts and procedural approach as set out in Council Regulation (EEC) 4064/89 of 21 December 1989 on the control of concentrations between undertakings, as subsequently amended by Council Regulation (EC) 1310/97 and Council Regulation (EC) 4447/98 (‘the CMCR 1989’).

Based on the provisions of the LPMC, the Government of the Republic of Croatia issued in 2004 the Regulation on Deinition of the Relevant Market7 (‘the Relevant Market Regulation’), and the Regulation on Notiication and Assessment of Concentrations (‘the Notiication Regulation’).