THE ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACT IN SERBIAN LAW
Abstract
The paper deals with the new legal institute of administrative contract in Serbian Administrative Law. It was introduced in 2016 in the Law on General Administrative Procedure (LGAP), establishing rules on its definition, modification and termination, objection due to non-performance and subsidiary application of law on obligations. The prevailing opinions from the Serbian legal theory are shown through the analysis of the relevant articles of the LGAP with regard to the administrative contract – its definition, modification and termination of administrative. It is to be underlined that the problematic issues concern the differing legal positions of the public body and the private entity as contracting parties, as well as the consequence of this – a disputed legal nature of the administrative contract. It is concluded that the administrative contract in Serbian Law has a particular legal regulation; that it cannot be equated to a pure administrative act, nor a civil contract. Its normative regime is characterized by an ambivalent legal nature, where two legally unequal wills come to an agreement on the establishment of a mutual commitment (obligation), but with effects for the public as well. Here, the public side of the contract has a stronger standing and can to a greater extent influence the content of the contract. Baring in mind the positive (flexibility, efficiency, direct fulfillment of contractual aims with less governmental compulsion) and the negative effects (possible corruption, “selling out” of sovereign rights, endangerment of the uniformity of the legal system) of this instrument, it can be anticipated that the fragmented character of the regulations of the LGAP on the administrative contract will induce judicial practice and legal theory to give answers that the legislator omitted to provide.
References
2. Dimitrijević, P. (1993). Izvršenje upravnih ugovora, Pravni život, 11-12(93), 2237– 252 [in Serbian].
3. Friauf, K. H. (1963). Zur Problematik des verfassungsrechtlichen Vertrages. Archiv des öffentlichen Rechts, 88(3), 257–313 [in German].
4. Gurlit, E. (2000). Verwaltungsvertrag und Gesetz: eine vergleichende Untersuchung zum Verhältnis von vertraglicher Bindung und staatlicher Normsetzungsautorität (Vol. 63). Mohr Siebeck [in German].
5. Karanikić Mirić, M. (2017). Restriktivnost zakonskog određenja pojma upravnog ugovora u srpskom pravu (Restrictive Statutory Conception of Administrative Contracts in Serbian Law). Stevan Lilić (ur.), Perspektive implementacije evropskih standarda u pravni sistem Srbije, Knjiga, 7 [in Serbian].
6. Karanikić Mirić, M., & Jevremović Petrović, T. (2020). Administrative contracts in Serbian law–Specificities of the new statutory regime. review of central and east european law, 45(1), 1–35 [in English].
7. Kavran, D. (1993). Upravni ugovori, obeležja, vrste i razvoj, Pravni život, 11-12(93), 2103–2112 [in Serbian].
8. Lilić, S. (1993). Administrativni ugovor i javne službe, Pravni život, 11-12(93), 2141–2152 [in Serbian].
9. Mayer, O. (1888). Zur Lehre vom öffentlichrechtlichen Vertrage. Archiv des öffentlichen Rechts, 3(1), 3–86 [in German].
10. Obrazloženje ZOUP (2016) [Begründung des Allgemeinen Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetzes, Explanatory Memorandum of the Law on General Administrative Procedure].
11. Popović, S. (1996) O potrebi uvođenja instituta upravnih ugovora u naše pravo, Arhiv za pravne i društvene nauke, 1-3(96), 525–537 [in Serbian].
12. Pudelka, J. (2017). Offentlich-rechtliche vertrage als grundlage der entstehung, anderung und beendigung von rechtsverhaltnissen unter berucksichtigung des steuerrechts. Проблеми законності, (139), 211–217 [in German].
13. Püttner, G. (1982). Wider den öffentlich-rechtlichen Vertrag zwischen Staat und Bürger. Deutsches Verwaltungsblatt, 97, 122–126 [in German].
14. Reicherzer, M. (2004). Reform des öffentlich-rechtlichen Vertrags. Zeitschrift für Rechtspolitik, 112–115 [in German].
15. Tomić, Z. (2017). Upravni ugovori, elementi pravnog režima u Srbiji. Pravni život, 10(17), 249–265 [in Serbian].
16. Tomić, Z. (2019). Komentar Zakona o opštem upravnom postupku, Službeni glasnik Beograd [in Serbian].
17. Tomić, Z. (2019). Opšte upravno pravo 12. izdanje, Službeni glasnik, Beograd [in Serbian].
18. Vodinelić, V. (1993). Upravni ugovor između prihvatanja i odbijanja, Pravni život, 11–12(93), 2113–2128 [in Serbian].
19. Gesetz über schuldrechtliche Verhältnisse, Law of Obligations, Sl. list SFRJ, br. 29/78, 39/85, 45/89 – odluka USJ i 57/89, Sl. list SRJ, br. 31/93, Sl. list SCG, br. 1/2003 – Ustavna povelja i Sl. glasnik RS, br. 18/2020.
20. Allgemeines Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz, Law on General Administrative Procedure, Nr. 18/2016; 95/2018.
