Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection Rodoljub Sabic has, based on information that the Ministry for State Administration and Local Self Government has initiated a larger number of infringement procedures against persons responsible for infringing the Law on Free Access to Information, evaluated that it is one long expected, useful and logical action which shall contribute to better implementation of the Law.
In relation to that the Commissioner, Rodoljub Sabic has also stated the following:
„Successful transition, establishing regulated and responsible state and government requires from the people who have been elected and paid for performing public functions to lead with positive example, especially when it comes to execution of legal obligations. If they fail to do so, but act in an opposed way, and even fail to perform the elementary obligations set by the law, then it is not only logical but also necessary for them to face adequate consequences.
The fact is when we speak about the Law on Free Access to Information, that this situation didn’t occur for many years, and therefore a very small number of law perpetrators have been processed, the number of whom is just symbolic in relation to the overall number of perpetrators. I have pointed out also, several times, to the fact that such a relationship in which the responsibility is not a rule but a rare exception, represents an invitation to break the law.
By the end of March at the meeting with Prime Minister Cvetkovic we have agreed that it is necessary for the Government to undertake more energetically than so far, measures in its competencem, relevant for more qualitative law implementation. This action of the Ministry for State Administration and Local Self Government is a confirmation of that agreement.
The Minister for State Administration has told me, after handing over the authority for surveillance, that is, for initiating infringement procedures to that Ministry, his readiness to insist, as much as possible within the limits of available resources, on responsibility for infringing the law. This activity of the Ministry confirms that. The number of initiated infringement procedures is, of course, still significantly smaller than a number of perpetrated infringements, but we should look at this specific activity of the Ministry as the first in the series, and it should be especially regarded in the light of fact that the number of procedures initiated in this case almost equals the total number of procedures initiated during the previous five years.“
