Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia roll out new consumer credit protections

Serbian banks have implemented the loan‑relief measures introduced by the Law on Protection of Users of Financial Services. In the first quarter of 2026 they processed 2,321 credit cases, approving relief for 1,825 parts – about 79 % of requests – covering roughly 1.9 billion dinars of debt. In addition, banks voluntarily applied relief to another 913 parts, recognising early signs of repayment difficulty.

In Croatia, the Parliament passed a new Consumer Credit Act that transposes the EU CCD2 Directive. Effective 20 November 2026, the law clarifies that instalment purchases made with credit or debit cards will continue under the existing system and will not require a separate credit‑worthiness assessment for each transaction. It also introduces stricter assessment of borrowers’ ability to repay and bans the practice of tying a loan to the purchase of a specific insurance product.

In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a draft Consumer Protection Law and an Electronic Commerce Act have been submitted to parliament. The proposals would give online shoppers a 14‑day right of withdrawal without justification, strengthen repair, replacement or refund rights for faulty goods, and align the region’s consumer‑rights framework with EU directives.