The Office of the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection participated in the roundtable on the topic of "Privacy Protection in the Digital Environment" organized by the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade on 16 and 17 March 2026 in Vrdnik. During the two-day expert dialogue on the protection of privacy in the media, representatives of the Commissioner's Office held three presentations on the topics of privacy, personal data protection, and the enforcement practice of the Commissioner.

In addition to the Commissioner's Office, the event was attended by judges of the Supreme Court, the courts of appeal in Belgrade and Kragujevac, the higher courts in Belgrade and Zrenjanin, as well as the Basic Court in Sombor, with representatives of the Judicial Academy, the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media, The Journalists' Association of Serbia, and the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia.

During the said two-day expert dialogue, the following conclusions were adopted:

1. Protection of the right to privacy in the media is a joint responsibility of regulatory, supervisory, self-regulatory bodies, and professional actors. The Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM), the Office of the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, the Press Council, the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) and the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), although they have different mandates, share a common interest and responsibility to contribute to a more consistent protection of privacy in the media space.
2. In particularly sensitive cases, it is necessary to consider the possibility of joint or coordinated preventive action through public announcements, warnings, or reminders of relevant standards. The participants assessed that, in situations where there is a high risk of privacy violation, especially in cases involving minors, victims of tragedies, or circumstances followed by intense media interest, relevant actors can jointly or coordinately indicate valid privacy protection standards. It was emphasized that such communication should have a preventive and educational character, and not a repressive purpose.
3. It is necessary to consider the establishment of a mechanism for communication between competent institutions and professional associations. The participants indicated that such a mechanism could enable timely notification of high-risk cases, exchange of basic information, and timely reminder of legal and ethical standards, without prejudicing responsibility in specific cases.
4. Consideration should be given to developing short common guidelines or protocols for dealing with cases of high privacy risk. It was recognized that there was a need to develop, through inter-institutional cooperation, a concise and practically oriented document that would contain basic issues relevant to risk assessment.
5. Special attention must be paid to protecting the privacy of minors, victims of accidents, violence, and other traumatic events, as well as other particularly sensitive persons and their family members. The participants agree that in these situations it is necessary to apply an increased degree of professional attention, responsibility, and caution, bearing in mind the possible long-term consequences for the dignity, safety, and well-being of the affected persons.