Obavezno osiguranje vlasnika motornih vozila od odgovornosti između slobode ugovaranja i prinudne kartelizacije

The European Union enacted directives on motor vehicle liability insurance to accomplish the goals of free movement of persons and equal protection of third parties against damages caused by using motor vehicles. Serbia has been harmonising its legislation with the EU insurance acquis for several decades. Regarding motor vehicle liability insurance, market liberalisation has been prevented by the Law on Compulsory Insurance in Transport – LCIT 2009. LCIT authorised the Association of Insurers of Serbia to determine minimal premium prices with the consent of the National Bank of Serbia – NBS and stipulated mandatory Bonus-Malus System – BMS. Effectively, the NBS laid down minimal premium prices applicable within the BMS grades and conditions for the application of bonuses and maluses. The author analyses EU legislation and the case law of the Court of Justice related to fixing insurance premiums, mandatory BMS and competition law issues in the motor vehicle liability insurance market. The BMS in several EU member states has been compared with the BMS in Serbia. Competition in the motor vehicle liability insurance market in Serbia has been prevented as a consequence of the fixed premium prices and mandatory BMS. The author has also analysed the negative effects of the current legal framework on the motor vehicle liability insurance market structure, pointing out the static market concentration level and the substantial share of motor vehicle liability insurance premiums in the total insurers’ income. It is essential to amend LCIT without delay to liberalise the Serbian motor vehicle liability insurance market.