Serbia's new Chemicals Act: how the election affects the timeline

Serbia’s National Assembly (parliament) has been dissolved, snap parliamentary elections are set for October 25, 2026, and the government is currently running in a caretaker capacity, handling only ongoing and urgent matters.

For the new Chemicals Act, that’s not a side note — it’s a change to the timeline.

A dissolved parliament doesn’t pass laws. After the election comes the new parliament’s constitution, then the formation of a government, under a statutory deadline that, if missed, leads to another dissolution. Realistically, adoption of the new Chemicals Act could easily slip to spring 2027.

Serbia’s National Programme for the Adoption of the EU Acquis had targeted the new Chemicals Act for adoption during 2026. We covered the Ministry’s initial framework, published in May, here, and the working draft presented at a round table at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) here. But the legislative procedure — public consultation, adoption by parliament — can’t move forward while there’s no parliament to move it through.

That doesn’t mean the work has stopped. The initial framework and the working draft remain the basis to build on, and the time until the new parliament is constituted can be used to refine the text. But the realistic adoption date is shifting — not because of the content of the law, but because of constitutional mechanics that don’t care about anyone’s plans.

The region shows the other side of that same mechanic. Montenegro adopted its own new Chemicals Act in July, and it entered into force on August 11, 2026, published in the Official Gazette of Montenegro, no. 114/26. There too, time passed between adoption and entry into force, and some of the obligations have implementation deadlines running out to 2029. Even where the political will exists and the law is finished, implementation still rolls out in phases. We covered that law in more detail here.

For companies doing business in Serbia, the practical takeaway is simple. The time the election and the formation of a new government are taking away from the legislative process isn’t time to wait. It’s time to prepare — because once the law finally moves through the procedure, the implementation deadlines won’t wait for companies to catch up.

See the short overview in the file below:

Full presentation from the round table (PDF)

References:

This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific situations, consult a licensed chemical adviser or a lawyer specialising in chemical regulation.