In 2025, the Commission for Protection of Competition of the Republic of North Macedonia (the “Commission”) has considerably stepped up its enforcement efforts under antitrust rules in the country. Following several cartel investigations and misdemeanour proceedings, the Commission has now started to issue concrete sanctions against infringing undertakings.

The Macedonian Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) has recently intensified its scrutiny of anti-competitive conduct and unfair trading practices across multiple sectors, signaling a notable shift toward more assertive and proactive enforcement.

Recent amendments to the VAT Law in North Macedonia introduce significant changes to the VAT treatment of low-value consignments imported into the country. The goal of the amendments is to abolish the existing VAT exemption for low-value commercial parcels and to introduce a much narrower exemption limited to non-commercial, person-to-person shipments. The law will enter into force eight days after its publication. Key points are below.

We live in an era where sharing photographs of children on social media has become commonplace, often perceived as normal and acceptable, with little consideration of potential risks. Parents frequently give consent to third parties to capture and publish photographs of their children, which may subsequently appear on websites, social media platforms, brochures, or other media to serve the interests of those third parties. However, it is important to ask: do these posts truly carry no risk, and in such situations, whose interests should take precedence?

Karanovic & Partners, working with White & Case, has advised MidEuropa on the sale of regional dairy producer Imlek to a consortium comprising the family holding of entrepreneur and investor Andrej Jovanovic as lead investor and Imlek’s current CEO Bojan Radun. Sijercic & Partners and Ilej & Partners in cooperation with Karanovic & Partners advised MidEuropa as well. Kinstellar advised the buyers.

North Macedonia’s legal and business landscape is entering a period of renewed momentum, with several structural trends converging at once, according to DDK Managing Partner Dragan Dameski.

Law Office Lazarov and Attorney at Law Aleksandra Mitreska have announced a partnership focused on delivering specialized legal services to the mining and mineral resources sector in North Macedonia.

Each investment and innovation that contributes to reducing administrative and financial barriers in cooperation with European partners is an additional step toward European financial integration and harmonization. Despite being a European project, SEPA's primary objective is to establish a safe and open global payment system.

In July 2025, North Macedonia adopted a new Law on Electronic Communications, replacing the 2014 legislation and laying the foundation for a modern digital framework. The new law aligns the national regulatory environment with key European Union instruments, including Directive (EU) 2018/1972 establishing the European Electronic Communications Code (CELEX No. 32018L1972) and Regulation (EU) 2024/1309 on measures to reduce the cost of deploying gigabit electronic communications networks (CELEX No. 32024R1309). It introduces a series of important reforms aimed at strengthening consumer rights, fostering market competition, and facilitating the rollout of next-generation infrastructure, including 5G networks.

Lazarov has advised PHCANN International on the acquisition and development of a 2.4-megawatt photovoltaic project in North Macedonia.

The Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia has adopted a new Law on Control of Industrial Emissions (“Law”), as an important step towards harmonisation of national legislation with European Union standards in the field of environmental protection.

October is recognized globally as Domestic Violence Awareness Month—a time to acknowledge and raise awareness about the prevalence and impact of domestic violence on individuals, families, and communities. First declared in 1989 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, October is a call to speak out, take action, and reflect on both the legal commitments and the institutional responsibilities that the Republic of North Macedonia has undertaken—and, crucially, what has or has not been effectively implemented.

In North Macedonia, energy and infrastructure are dominant topics, with a new roadmap, looming deadlines, and a billion-euro project finally pushing long-stalled developments forward, according to Apostolska Aleksandrovski & Partners Partner Igor Aleksandrovski.

The Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources of North Macedonia (“Ministry”) has called for submission of initiatives to include energy projects in the 2026 Annual Plan for Construction of Energy Facilities for Production of Electric and Heat Energy and Storage of Electrical Energy (“Annual Plan”), implementing the new regulatory framework introduced by the recently enacted Energy Law.

The Macedonian government is drafting a new law to support individual investors, known as business angels, by formally defining their role and introducing tax incentives for their investments in startups. The regulation seeks to provide greater legal certainty, stimulate private investments, and encourage innovation-driven growth that would lead to new jobs and stronger competitiveness.

Affiliate marketing is a structured system, where businesses (advertisers) collaborate with individual marketers (affiliates), for the purpose of promoting goods and services. A legitimate business model that enables the affiliates, who act as a middleman, to earn commission by generating sales, leads or traffic for the advertisers.

In The Debrief, our Practice Leaders across CEE share updates on recent and upcoming legislation, consider the impact of recent court decisions, showcase landmark projects, and keep our readers apprised of the latest developments impacting their respective practice areas.

As of January 1, 2024, foreign companies without a physical presence in North Macedonia must appoint a tax representative when performing taxable transactions with local non-taxpayers. This requirement, established under the Law on Value Added Tax of North Macedonia (VAT Law), stands regardless of whether the general VAT registration threshold of MKD 2 million is achieved.