Our Scholars 2023 – Đorđe Bjelica

Your current occupation and country of work?
Currently, I work as a qualified attorney at law in private practice as a member of Bjelica law office in Serbia. Our office has extensive practice, mostly in civil and commercial litigation, company law and corporate liability. Additionally, my professional competencies consist of legal writing, legal research and providing legal advice as well as representation before judicial and administrative bodies. I am passionate about climate change legislation, human rights and Environmental law, litigation and corporate liability. Therefore, my interests are mixed between private and public law and their mutual relationships.

How you use European law in your work?
Coming from an EU candidate country, I often refer to European legislation covering, for example, consumer rights protection or civil liability in cases when Serbian legislation has certain gaps, especially having in mind the idea of harmonizing the legislation. Additionally, I dealt with EU law in cases regarding companies that exported goods to the EU that needed thorough analysis of specific EU Directives and Regulations. Also, I advised companies on the collection and storage of personal data concerning data protection in the EU. Academically, my area of research is related to civil liability and corporate accountability for human rights abuses, environmental damage and harm and climate change impacts, with a specific focus on climate change litigation before judicial and quasi-judicial bodies.

How you benefitted from the scholarship and the gained knowledge?
Participation in the ERA Summer Course on Civil Litigation in the EU equipped me with valuable insights into EU legislation and ways to litigate and use civil claims to secure both the private and public interest. Therefore, the summer course in civil litigation offered me valuable procedural expertise that would greatly benefit my private practice in EU law. Equally, this course was crucial for my professional and academic endeavors because it equipped me with extensive knowledge on how to better understand and address climate change impacts through civil litigation and liability for climate change impacts and human rights abuse. Lastly, the summer course offered me a broadened perspective on collective action as the perfect tool in civil litigation as the main driver of change in both the EU legislation and climate change litigation.