Commissioner Submitted Annual Report for 2023 to National Assembly
The Report was also submitted to the Government of the Republic of Serbia and published on the Commissioner's website.
The Report was also submitted to the Government of the Republic of Serbia and published on the Commissioner's website.
Regarding the information published in the media that the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, in inspection supervision carried out at the Ministry of Interior (MUP) regarding the list of potential victims made by the perpetrator of the brutal murders in the "Vladislav Ribnikar" Elementary School, determined that the Head of the City Administration in MUP did not violate the Constitution and the Law, but that certain media did, and now for accurately and completely informing the public regarding the specific case, the Commissioner issues the following statement:
The inspection in this particular case is still ongoing and has not been completed. The conducted Field Report of the inspection supervision carried out in the MUP in June 2023, stated only what for the time being was determined by this supervision, but in the interim and during the inspection, the authorized Commissioner's Inspection Supervision Officers found out that the Internal Control proceeding of the Ministry of Interior had been initiated regarding the aforementioned event, so it was decided to proceed with this inspection supervision until the results of that control were obtained. After the aforementioned field inspection supervision, the Commissioner addressed in writing the Ministry of Interior on several occasions requesting from Ministry to inform him whether the internal control procedure has been completed and, if so, that the Report on that procedure is to be submitted to the Commissioner, but to the date of publishing this announcement it has not been done.
The above means that the media have disseminated information from the still ongoing inspection supervision and the Field Report of the supervision which is not in its final form, meaning that the Commissioner still does not have the established facts from the Internal Control Proceedings of the MUP at his disposal at the moment, and he, hereby, appeals to all, and especially representatives of the media, not to publish data from the Report whose final version the Commissioner has not yet prepared and also for which reason he has not published it. Publishing just parts of the unfinished Report of the still ongoing Inspection Supervision can only lead to misapprehension and mislead the public. When the supervision proceedings are completed and the final text of the Report is made, the Commissioner will inform the public about everything without delay.
On this occasion, the Commissioner reminds the interested public of his appeal addressed to the media and competent authorities in May 2023 to respect the right to privacy and the right to personal data protection of all persons affected by the tragic event at the "Vladislav Ribnikar" Elementary School, and to take all available measures so that such tragedies never happen again.
„Various bodies and organizations from all over the world engaged in personal data protection must unite to set firm boundaries, not to hinder technological development, but to reduce abuse and risks to a minimum, i.e. to be under strict control and respect of human rights and in particular the right to privacy and the right to personal data protection. The key question in the time of the development of modern technologies is not how to control artificial intelligence, but how to control the person who controls artificial intelligence," said Commissioner Milan Marinović in his introductory speech during the celebration of Data Protection Day, which took place today at the Serbian Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
Representatives of foreign delegations in Serbia Mrs. Plamena Halačeva, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Mrs. Carolina Hidea, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Mr. Tod Andrews, Interim Director of the USAID Mission to Serbia, pointed out that to minimize the risks posed by digitization and the use of artificial intelligence, it is crucial that, in addition to the adopted Strategy on Personal Data Protection, all other regulations should be harmonized with the Law on Personal Data Protection. The Director of the Agency for Personal Data Protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Dragoljub Reljić, as an example of regional cooperation, pointed out that in the drafting of the new legal solution, they modeled themselves on the experience of Serbia and our Law on Personal Data Protection.
For the first time, awards were conferred for special contributions to Personal Data Protection in the Republic of Serbia. There are many reasons why these institutions are this year's award winners, and we will mention only a few.
To the OSCE Mission to Serbia, with whose help we did the first media campaign, educational videos, public opinion poll in this area, and the preparation of the Analysis for the Compliance of Regulations with Personal Data Protection. To the American Agency for International Development (USAID) for long-term cooperation, organizing online training sessions, creating the Commissioner's logo, and creating promotional films and tutorials. To the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) for the organization of roundtables and training sessions for members of local self-government, international conferences, and a publication dedicated to personal data protection in employment relations. To the Faculty of Security Studies of the University of Belgrade, which trailblazed a short study program into the education system of Serbia, now already for the fourth generation of students. To the Propulsion Fund Foundation, who helped us reach the youngest population - children, with whose help we created the promotional brochure "Personal data is our treasure, how can we protect it?". Commissioner Milan Marinović presented a Certificate of Appreciation to the Serbian Chamber of Industry and Commerce for long-term cooperation.
Deputy Commissioner Sanja Unković highlighted that this is the fifteenth anniversary of the establishment of the body for personal data protection in the Republic of Serbia. She emphasized the importance of exchanging experiences with other bodies through the organization of international conferences, study trips, and participation in the work of international bodies. During the presentation of the latest publication number IX, she underlined that this publication also contains, for the first time, the practice of the Sector for Processing Misdemeanors, with initiated requests for misdemeanor proceedings and issued misdemeanor orders.
In the end, she emphasized that by adopting in 2023 the Strategy for Personal Data Protection for the period 2023-2030 we expect that the Action Plan is soon to be adopted, which will enable the said Strategy to come to life and deliver the expected results.
You can download the publication in PDF version here (in Serbian language only).
You can also see the gallery of photos from the event here.
You can watch the recording of the event (in Serbian language only) on the Commissioner's YouTube channel:
To fully, accurately, and truthfully inform the public, regarding the text published in the daily newspaper "Danas" on December 27, 2023, under the title "Answer About Vučić's Letter Stuck in PIO", the Commissioner issues the following statement:
On December 26, 2023, around noon, the Commissioner was called by Danilo Savović, a journalist from the daily newspaper "Danas" and asked if he had taken any action regarding "Vučić's letter to pensioners". The Commissioner informed the journalist that an inquiry letter was sent to the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund of the Republic of Serbia with questions regarding the possible unauthorized personal data processing related to the "letters" sent by Aleksandar Vučić to pensioners and that the further action of the Commissioner will depend on the established facts. On that occasion, the Commissioner did not state, as stated in the title of the published text, that "The answer to Vučić's letter is stuck in PIO", nor did he mention "Presidency" in any context.
On this occasion, the Commissioner once again appeals to all representatives of the media not to publish his statements as they were not given, because this leads or may lead to incorrect and incomplete information to the public, which is not in the interest of citizens.
Kraljevo, December 15, 2023
A panel discussion was held in the Kraljevo City Administration Hall, on Friday, December 15, 2023, starting at 10:30, on the topic of monitoring the implementation of the new Law on Personal Data Protection, attended by Data Controllers and all interested representatives of Civil Society Organizations and the media.
Commissioner Milan Marinović, Deputy Commissioner Sanja Unković, and representatives of the Commissioner's Office participated in today's panel discussion.
The panel discussion goal was to consider the new Law on Personal Data Protection and explore the possibilities for its better application.
During the panel discussion, the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, Milan Marinović presented the current state in the field of personal data protection in the Republic of Serbia.
Deputy Commissioner Sanja Unković presented the current position of the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, the competence of the Commissioner with particular emphasis on personal data protection. Representatives of the Commissioner's Office from the Sector for Supervision of Personal Data Protection and the Sector for Harmonization of Regulations and Normative Affairs also participated in the panel discussion.
In the upcoming period, panel discussions, which will be implemented in 15 selected Local Self-Government Units within the scope of project support, are of utmost importance for raising the general public's awareness and informing citizens.
The organization of the panel discussion is supported by the project "Support for Strengthening Rule of Law in the Republic of Serbia"(EU for the Fight Against Corruption and for Fundamental Rights) financed by the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), whereas the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) is in charge for its implementation.