REPUBLIC OF SERBIA PROTECTOR OF CITIZENS 22 - 3 / 15 B e l g r a d e Ref. No. 7919 Date: 14 March 2015 REGULAR ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PROTECTOR OF CITIZENS FOR 2014 Belgrade, 14 March 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS: REGULAR ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PROTECTOR OF CITIZENS FOR 2014 ............................... 1 FOREWORD, OVERALL ASSESMENT OF RESPECT FORTHE RIGHTS OF CITIZENS AND KEY INFORMATION ON THE ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE PROTECTOR OF CITIZENS in 2014 ................................................................................................................................................................... 1 KEY STATISTICS ABOUT THE WORK OF THE PROTECTOR OF CITIZENS ......................... 21 PART I: LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND SCOPE OF WORK OF THE PROTECTOR OF CITIZENS .. 25 1.1. LEGAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................................ 25 1.2. COMPETENCE, SCOPE AND MANNER OF WORK ............................................................ 32 PART II: OVERVIEW BY AREAS / SECTORS ..................................................................................... 36 2.1. CHILD RIGHTS ............................................................................................................................ 36 2.2. RIGHTS OF NATIONAL MINORITIES .................................................................................... 54 2.3. GENDER EQUALITY AND RIGHTS OF LGBTI PERSONS .................................................. 70 2.4. RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES .......................................................................... 85 2.5. RIGHTS OF PERSONS DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY AND NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM ........................................................................................................................................... 96 2.6. SECTORS OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE, CULTURE AND INFORMATION AND YOUTH AND SPORTS .......................................................................................................................... 122 2.7. HEALTH SECTOR ..................................................................................................................... 137 2.8. SOCIAL SECURITY AND PENSION AND DISABILITY INSURANCE SECTOR........... 145 2.9. LABOUR SECTOR ...................................................................................................................... 153 2.10. INTERNAL AFFAIRS SECTOR ............................................................................................ 160 2.11. SECTORS OF FINANCE AND ECONOMY ....................................................................... 164 2.12. JUSTICE SECTOR ................................................................................................................... 175 2.13. DEFENCE SECTOR ................................................................................................................ 180 2.14. LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT SECTOR ............................................................................ 184 2.15. SECTORS OF URBAN PLANNING, CONSTRUCTION AND CADASTRE, NATURAL DISASTERS AND RESTITUTION ....................................................................................................... 188 2.16. SECTORS OF ENERGY AND MINING, CONSUMER PROTECTION, AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................................................... 209 2.17. SECURITY SERVICES SECTOR ........................................................................................... 221 PART III: COOPERATION BY THE PROTECTOR OF CITIZENS ............................................... 227 3.1. PROTECTOR OF CITIZENS IN THE MEDIA ........................................................................ 227 3.2. COOPERATION WITH PUBLIC AUTHORITIES EXCLUDED FROM OVERSIGHT BY THE PROTECTOR OF CITIZENS ........................................................................................................ 229 3.3. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND PROJECTS ....................................................... 231 PART IV: TOTAL NUMBER AND CLASSIFICATION OF COMPLAINTS................................ 236 4.1. CLASSIFICATION OF COMPLAINTS ACCORDING TO RIGHTS VIOLATED ............. 238 4.2. ............................................................................................................................................................. 240 4.3. CLASSIFICATION OF COMPLAINTS ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES AGAINST WHICH THEY WERE LODGED .......................................................................................................... 241 4.4. OUTCOME OF HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS .................................................................. 243 PART V: RECOMMENDATIONS, OPINIONS AND LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES OF THE PROTECTOR OF CITIZENS ..................................................................................................................... 246 5.1. RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................ 246 5.2. OPINIONS ................................................................................................................................... 249 5.3. LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES .................................................................................................... 249 ANNEX I ...................................................................................................................................................... 252 ANNEX II .................................................................................................................................................... 256 FOREWORD, OVERALL ASSESMENT OF RESPECT FOR THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENS AND KEY INFORMATION ON THE ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE PROTECTOR OF CITIZENS in 2014 The Annual Report contains general and specific assessments and information on the respect of the rights of citizens (including in particular human and minority rights), deficiencies identified in the work of public authorities, proposals for improvement of citizens’ position vis-à-vis public authorities and account of the activities carried out and the costs incurred by the Protector of Citizens. Human rights situation in Serbia in 2014 was worrying. The situation with regard to rule of law and legal certainty, respect for principles of good governance, organisation and capacities of public administration, compliance with laws and, above all, economic situation was such that it was not possible to guarantee a level of respect for citizens’ rights that would ensure a dignified life for everyone. Improvements on certain issues in fields such as health care, while not sufficient to change the overall evaluation, were nevertheless praiseworthy. The disastrous floods in May claimed the lives of more than 50 citizens and rescuers. We would like to take this opportunity to once again offer our sincerest condolences to their families. Still thousands of others have suffered immensurable financial damage. It was only thanks to the solidarity of citizens, the swift response by public authorities, in particular the transparent activities of the Government’s Office for Flood-affected Areas Assistance and Recovery, and international aid that the consequences have been somewhat alleviated. Similarly as in previous years, organisational weaknesses in the operations of public administration have prevented citizens from exercising their rights enshrined in the country’s legal system to the full extent and within a reasonable time. Most of the complaints lodged by citizens (44% of the total number received) cite belated responses by public administration, negligence, blatant misconstruction of legislative provisions and other omissions falling under good governance. And yet, some of the rights enjoyed by citizens are not only curtailed in practice, but also subject to further regulatory restrictions, in cases where applicable legislation has been amended to narrow the scope for the exercise of those rights, which more often than not tends to disproportionately affect the most vulnerable citizens in ways that are often contentious in terms of formal law. This was in no small part due to the fact that the National Assembly passed nearly all laws adopted during the reporting period in an expedited procedure – a worrying trend to which this authority has drawn attention on a number of occasions. With regard to the Law on Temporary Regulation of Pension Payment1, the “temporary regulation” of pension payments apparently means that “present and existing beneficiaries” will receive lower pensions than before! The title given to this legislation and the wording of its provisions are a thinly veiled attempt to obfuscate its legal and actual purpose, namely to reduce the amounts of pensions already earned and set pursuant to valid and enforceable 1 Official Gazette of RS, No. 116/14. 1 administrative instruments. The new Law, which is less advantageous to the affected citizens, does not provide for a mechanism that would apply to individual cases through equivalent new administrative instruments which would set out the new amounts of pensions; instead, old-age pensioners are left with a thinner cheque without any underlying legal instrument that would demonstrate the soundness and lawfulness of this course of action taken by the public administration, which makes this practice all the more difficult to challenge and disprove on points of law and procedure. Thus,