Serbian Commission for Protection of Competition as a Case Study of Institution Building: From Raising Administrative Capacities toward Competition Advocacy and More Effective Enforcement

The paper explores the development of the institutional capacity of the Serbian competition authority by observing the evolution of its competencies and assesses the impact of both external and internal drivers on its administrative capacity and enforcement. The analysis highlights the necessity of institution building for efficient competition policy enforcement and tracks the development and progress within the context of negotiations to join the European Union (EU), with special focus on proactive measures based on soft enforcement. The hypotheses of the paper are largely confirmed by the analyzed data, based on which further recommendations are given. Observing the gradual strengthening of institutional capacities of the Serbian competition authority, the key driver of development was the impact of guidance received in the context of EU negotiations and assistance provided through multiple capacity building projects. There is room for improvement, but the achieved progress is respectable.