Communication
The aim of the protection of market competition is primarily to create benefits for consumers and equal conditions for all entrepreneurs on the market, who, acting in accordance with the existing rules and competing on the market with the quality, price and innovation of their products and services, contribute to the overall development of the economy.
Appointed new members of the CCA Competition Council
On 28 February 2024, the Croatian Parliament approved the appointment of Mr. Sc. Branimira Kovačević, MEcon., Sandra Mikinac, LLM, Hrvoje Šeremet, LLM, and Denis Matić, LLM, as new members of the CCA Competition Council for a five-year term. All council members have been previously employed at the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) and are long-standing experts in competition law.
Branimira Kovačević has been employed at the CCA since 2002 and has been the head of the Department for International and European Cooperation for many years. Prior to the EU accession, she was responsible for preparing and implementing a series of projects in the field of competition and state aid. She has overseen the cooperation with the European Commission and relevant national competition authorities within the European Competition Network (ECN). She was also a team leader in the EU assistance project – a twinning light project in Montenegro during 2018 and 2019. Since 2020 she has been the head of the national working group for the preparation and negotiation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) within the EU Council working group.
Sandra Mikinac has been working as the head of the Unfair Trading Practices Department for Legal Issues since the beginning of the implementation of the Act on the prohibition of unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food supply chain (UTPs Act). In her six years of experience at the CCA, she has been a major case handler in the most complex administrative cases dealing with unfair trading practices.
Hrvoje Šeremet, in his long-standing experience at the CCA, has led proceedings in 135 cases, whereas in all administrative disputes initiated against the CCA decisions, the High Administrative Court of the Republic of Croatia has confirmed the legality of said decisions. In one of his cases, it has been the first time since the establishment of the CCA, that the CCA established a prohibited horizontal agreement (cartel) in a public procurement procedure.
Denis Matić is a law postgraduate with extensive experience in competition law. He has been a member of the CCA Competition Council for the past two terms of office and has participated in making all decisions falling under the CCA powers. With his previous experience as attorney at law and his knowledge of corporate law, he has made a significant contribution to the implementation of major CCA decisions over the past 10 years.
We use this opportunity to thank the outgoing deputy president of the Council, Vesna Patrlj, LLM, and the Council member Ljiljana Pavlic for their long-standing successful work in the Council, their dedication, and contribution to the development of the CCA practice.