Borko Mihajlović, LL.D.*
THE MOST IMPORTANT NOVELTIES IN THE UPCOMING REFORM OF SERBIAN CONSUMER LAW
Summary
After less than four years of applying the 2021 Consumer Protection Act, a new reform of Serbian consumer law has begun, aimed primarily at strengthening consumer protection in digital markets and further aligning it with European standards in this field. The main focus of this paper is the analysis of the most significant changes introduced by this reform, that is, the key provisions contained in the Draft Consumer Protection Act published by the Ministry of Internal and External Trade in August 2025. In the introductory section, the author provides a general overview of the state of consumer protection in Serbia and an overall assessment of the level of realization of consumer rights. The paper then examines the key solutions and innovations introduced by the Draft Consumer Protection Act. In the author’s assessment, special attention should be devoted to questions concerning the scope of application of the law and the digitalization of consumer law, as well as the changes in consumer contract law. In the final section, the author highlights the new attempt to improve the enforcement of consumer protection regulations by addressing practical shortcomings observed in the mechanism for alternative dispute resolution in consumer matters.
Key words: Draft Consumer Protection Act, consumer rights in digital markets, scope of consumer law, consumer contract law, alternative dispute resolution.