Implementation of international standards in Serbian contract law: An overview of solutions offered by the future civil code of Serbia

Abstract

SažetakRad se bavi analizom primene primene međunarodnih standarda u srpskom ugovornom pravu. U radu su analizirani najznačajniji transnacionalni dokumenti relevantni za oblast ugovornog prava -međunarodne konvencije i ostali izvori uniformnog ugovornog prava, Konvencija UN o ugovorima o međunarodnoj prodaji robe (Bečka konvencija o međunarodnoj prodaji), oblast primene Konvencije, osnovne razlike između Konvencije i Srpskog Zakona o obligacionim odnosima, primena Konvencije od strane srpskih sudova i arbitraža, kao i prednosti primene Konvencije u poslovnoj praksi. Pored toga, u radu je učinjen osvrt na osnovna rešenja, principe i reforme budućeg Građanskog zakonika Srbije u oblasti ugovornog prava, posebno sa aspekta prihvaćenosti međunarodnih standarda i načela u Zakoniku. Učinjena analiza vodi zaključku da budući Građanski zakonik predstavlja nastavak procesa potpunog usklađivanja srpskog ugovornog prava sa međunarodno prihvaćenim standardima i tekovinama Evropske pravne civilizacije, čime značajno doprinosi unapređenju uslova poslovnog okruženja u Srbiji.Ključne reči: međunarodni standardi, transnacionalni dokumenti, međunarodne konvencije, ugovorno pravo, uniformna pravila, Građanski zakonik, primena, poslovna praksa AbstractThe paper presents a brief analysis of the most important issues related to the implementation of international standards in Serbian contract law. In that respect, the paper examines main transnational documents relevant for contract law -international conventions and other sources of uniform contract law, the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), the sphere of its application, the main differences between the CISG and the Serbian Law of Obligations, the application of the CISG by Serbian courts and arbitrations and the advantages of its application in business practice. Furthermore, it provides readers with an overview of the future Civil Code of Serbia, its central principles, solutions and reforms in the field of contract law, particularly with regard to the acceptance of international standards and principles. The analysis has lead the authors to the conclusion that the future codification in the form of Civil Code is a continuation of the process of full harmonization of Serbian contract law with the internationally accepted standards and achievements of European legal civilization, which can strongly contribute to the overall improvement of business environment in Serbia.

Limitations on liability for loss caused by a breach of business contracts: From the perspective of the Serbian Law on Obligations

“…In this context, the paper analyses the rules of the Law on Obligations governing the exemption of liability which apply unless the contracting parties have provided otherwise in the contract. When it comes to the contractual provisions on exemption and limitation of liability, the fundamental question relates to the validity and the effects of the exemption clauses, and the paper examines both the basic solutions of the Serbian Law and the solutions offered in comparative 16 For more details on clauses excluding and limiting liability, see [19, pp. 95-135].…”

“…As a rule, the limitation clauses, and in particular the exclusion clauses, carry a risk of non-performance of contractual obligations and may create uncertainty in contractual relationships, therefore contractual parties need to devote special attention to this issue. 16 …”