Press Releases - Archive

The Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection distributed to higher education institutions in the Republic of Serbia his publications: Protection of Whistleblowers (2013), Manual on Freedom of Information– Commissioner's Positions and Opinions (2013), Manual on Data Protection – Manual for Data Controllers (2012), Handbook on Freedom of Information– Examples from theCommissioner's Practice (2012) and Manual on Implementation of the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance (2010). The publications were distributed with the aim to improve knowledge in the fields of freedom of information and the right to personal data protection.

The publications were distributed to all higher education institutions (220) in Serbia and are also available in electronic form at the Commissioner's official website at www.poverenik.rs.

 The Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection submitted to the National Assembly the Report on Implementation of the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance and the Law on Personal Data Protection in 2013. The Report was also submitted to the Serbian President, the Ombudsman and the Serbian Government and posted on the Commissioner's official website at http://www.poverenik.rs/en/o-nama/annual-reports/1772-izvestaj-poverenika-za-2013-godinu.html 

In that regard, Commissioner Rodoljub Sabic said the following:

Radoljub Sabic, Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection and Prof Dr Milan Martic, dean of the Faculty of Organizational Sciences in Belgrade signed today the Long-term Cooperation Agreementbetween these two institutions.

Cooperation will be particularly dedicated to the development and improvement of transparency of the public authorities, implementation and use of information and communications technologies in their work, development and application of standards, as well as development and improvement of personal data protection processed by public authorities and other persons.

The Faculty will, in realizing these goals, prepare and conduct special training programs (seminars, training, etc.), in cooperation with the Commissioner's representatives.In order to improve knowledge and competencies of the Faculty students, cooperation will be achieved through lectures ofthe Commissioner's and his associates, students' internships and practical training at the Commissioner's Office, realizing the research for final, master, specialist academic and PhD thesis.

The Commissioner and FOS have been cooperating for several years, and today signed agreement confirms this cooperation and raises it to a higher level.

The Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection has completed the first phase in writing of the inspection procedure over the implementation and enforcement of the Law on Personal Data Protection of operators providing services of "broadband access", i.e. Internet access to natural persons.

The inspection was carried out by delivering a standard questionnaire to operatorsthat they were obliged toanswer it and enclose supporting documents, as evidence of stated answers.

Out of 184 operators inspected, 162 operators answered the questionnaire and provided requested supporting documents. Requests for initiating offence proceedings will be filed against 22 operators that failed to answer the questionnaire, and against those operators who only answered it pro forma, and actually obstructed the inspection procedure.

Due to the fact that answers given by a large number of operators can be reasonably questioned in terms of genuineness and accuracy, and many other reasons, the Commissioner estimates that direct inspection on site must be carried out, i.e. at headquarters of a number of operators. Such procedure will be conducted, regardless of available, modest, inadequate staff.

In this context, Rodoljub Saric said the following: