National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia / Activities / Activity details
Tuesday, 19 May 2015
30th Sitting of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality
At the sitting held on 19 May, the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality considered the Report on the implementation of the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance and the Law on Personal Data Protection in 2014, submitted by the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection.
Rodoljub Sabic said that everybody responsible for the implementation of the Law should direct their efforts toward affirming the modern understanding of the right to free access to information. This right, viewed from the standpoint of governmental authorities, besides a passive, must also have an active component.
He pointed out that the mechanisms set up to make sure a lawbreaker assumes responsibility, do not function, which is evidenced in the fact that there are many complaints submitted to the relevant authorities, which then do not act on them and have not filed a single misdemeanour charge against the offender.
Therefore, he suggested that the Law should be amended to follow the changes that have in the meantime happened in other areas of the legal system and in real life, which requires the Law to include certain subjects which were not covered before but have serious public authority, such as, for example, notaries public and executors.
The point of the necessary amendments to the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance is to boost the transparency of the institutions i.e. protect the right to access to information in real life by expanding the Commissioner’s authority, increase the penalties and responsibility for the implementation of the Law, regulate the execution of conclusions on fines and raise the level of pro-active publication of information.
Committee Chairman Meho Omerovic commended the Commissioner’s comprehensive and detailed annual report, agreeing that the institutions should act in accordance with the Law. Omerovic said that the Committee would use its control role to make sure the provisions of the Law are consistently implemented.
The Committee members will discuss the Commissioner’s recommendations and formulate conclusions to send to the National Assembly for consideration, at one of the upcoming sittings.
The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Meho Omerovic.
Committees related to this activity
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11.00 - sitting of the Defence and Internal Affairs Committee (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 2)
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11.00 - sitting of the of the Committee on Education, Science, Technological Development and the Information Society (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 4)
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11.00 - judges elected to judicial office for the first time take the oath of office before the National Assembly Speaker (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Small Hall)
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11.30 - the National Assembly Speaker meets with the Ukrainian Ambassador (National Assembly Building, 14 Kralja Milana Street)
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12.00 - opening of the exhibition marking 150 years since the birth of Mileva Maric Einstein (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Central Hall)
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12.00 - sitting of the Committee on the Judiciary, Public Administration and Local Self-Government (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 3)
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13.00 - sitting of the Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Committee (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 3)
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17.00 - sitting of the Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 4)
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17.05 - National Assembly Deputy Speaker at the AEPA Association if Lawyers Conference: NO MORE SILENCE – ME AGAIN (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Small Hall)