The Committee on Culture and Information of the National Assembly of Serbia reviewed and unanimously endorsed the Report on Implementation of the Law on Free Access to Information, submitted by the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance.   

In connection with this event, Commissioner Rodoljub Šabić said:

“I am highly pleased that the line Committee of the National Assembly fully supported the Report on Implementation of the Law and the recommendations I set out concerning improvements in the field of free access to information.

Among these recommendations, I think you will find that three are particularly relevant.

Firstly, the recommendation to enact as soon as possible a number of laws complementary to the Law on Free Access to Information. A (Confidential) Data Classification Law and a Personal Data Protection Law, compliant with European standards, would give invaluable contributions regarding the quality aspect of freedom to access information. Apart from these two Laws, which have been identified as priorities, a Law on Handling Secret Service Files would also be important, not least because of the practical implications, but first and foremost as a matter of principle.

Secondly, the recommendation for the Government of Serbia and its line Ministries to activate as soon as possible a mechanism ensuring the accountability of offenders and a mechanism for enforcing the decisions of the Commissioner for Information.

Thirdly, the recommendation to design, organize and implement on the overall national level an adequate training program for responsible public officials, so as to enable them to interpret and apply the Law on Free Access to Information in line with affirmed democratic standards.

I hope full support from the Committee on Culture and Information will this time result in an adequate response from the competent authorities, primarily from the executive level. I would like to believe we will not witness the last year's situation again, when the Committee also unanimously endorsed the Commissioner's Report, but the authorities failed to respond. It is my firm belief that the implementation of the above recommendations would result in better enforcement of the Law and thus contribute substantially to an enhanced relationship between the authorities and the public, one based on democratic standards, with similar benefits in the field of combating fraud and corruption.”