The 2017 Report on the public prosecutor’s offices’ activity on the suppression of criminality and protection of constitutionality was presented by Deputy Republic Public Prosecutor Branko Stamenkovic who said that last year the public prosecution’s efforts chiefly focused on suppressing organized crime and corruption which contributes to Serbia’s European integration process. He also said that the prosecution would continue to act according to the action plans, with a special focus on chapters concerning EU accession, and actively participate in the work of sub-committees and working groups. Stamenkovic said that in the reporting year the public prosecution had received 5.44% fewer cases than in the previous, however financial crime has been on the rise. The Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence was accompanied by a general instruction with the aim to achieve legality, efficiency and uniformity in all the public prosecutor’s offices, and the establishment of cooperation and coordination groups which meet once a fortnight, as well as sub-groups following the territorial principle. Stamenkovic also said that the Criminal Code and the Law on Criminal Procedure need to be amended in order to respond to the modern challenges of fighting crime.
Following a debate the Committee members accepted the 2017 Report on the public prosecutor’s offices’ activity on the suppression of criminality and protection of constitutionality by majority vote and forwarded it to the National Assembly for consideration and ruling.

The State Prosecutorial Council 2017 Activity Report was presented by Tatjana Lagumdzija, elective member of the State Prosecutorial Council. In 2017 the State Prosecutorial Council focused on electing deputy public prosecutors and establishing the new institution of Commissioner for Independence which contributes to the independence, professional and institutional integrity of public prosecutors, for the purpose of conducting the activities delineated in the action plan for Chapter 23. She added that the State Prosecutorial Council is also working on boosting its human, material and organizational resources.

The Committee members accepted the State Prosecutorial Council 2017 Activity Report by majority vote and forwarded it to the National Assembly for consideration and ruling.

The High Judicial Council 2017 Activity Report was presented by Ivan Jovicic, Deputy Chairman of the High Judicial Council, who said that the number of judges elected in 2017 was half that of previous years, and that a competition for the election of 307 judges of the High Judicial Council is currently underway.

The Committee members accepted the High Judicial Council 2017 Activity Report by majority vote and forwarded it to the National Assembly for consideration and ruling.

The Anti-Corruption Agency 2017 Activity Report accompanied by the Report on the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy of the Republic of Serbia for the period 2013-2018 and the Action Plan for its implementation was presented by Verka Atanaskovic, assistant director of the Sector in charge of conflicts of interest, who said that out of the planned 305 officials scheduled to be checked according to the 2017 annual plan of investigation into assets and income, 164 were reviewed who had been under revision in 2016 and 2017. Atanaskovic added that 85 charges had been filed at the national and 219 at the local level. She said that the Agency had also drafted a Model Local Anti-Corruption Plan for local self-government units, as well as a Model Provincial Anti-Corruption Plan, in line with the obligations stemming from action plan for Chapter 23, which have been so far adopted by 41 local self-government units.

The Committee members will vote on the Conclusion Proposal at one of the coming sittings.

The Ombudsman’s 2017 Regular Annual Report was presented by Ombudsman Zoran Pasalic, focusing on the Ombudsman’s activities and flaws perceived in the operation of governance bodies, as well as proposals how to improve the citizens’ standing before the governance bodies vis-à-vis their respecting the applicants’ human and minority rights. Pasalic said that during the year the institution was addressed by more than 12,000 citizens and had received over 4,000 complaints.

The Committee members will vote on the Conclusion Proposal at one of the coming sittings.

The Report on the implementation of the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance and the Law on Personal Data Protection in 2017 was presented by Rodoljub Sabic, Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, who said that as regards free access to information of public importance the Commissioner had successfully intervened in 93% of the cases, and in 4,607 cases relating to personal data protection. Sabic also said that as regards personal data protection Serbia is at the very beginning of the process of implementation of European standards.

The Committee members will vote on the Conclusion Proposal at one of the coming sittings.

Milorad Mijatovic then briefed the Committee members on the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, containing 17 goals and 169 targets, stressing that the implementation has yielded some results so far and that the goals need to be harmonized with the opening of the EU negotiation chapters. He said that the MPs should learn more about the sustainable development goals for the good of the lives and future of the Serbian citizens.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Petar Petrovic and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Jovan Palalic, Doc. Dr Mihailo Jokic, Nedjo Jovanovic, Slavisa Bulatovic, Sreto Peric, Aleksandra Majkic, Miletic Mihajlovic, Zoran Despotovic, Zoltan Pek, Djordje Komlenski, Dr Aleksandar Martinovic and Natasa Vuckovic.