News

Organized by the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection and the OSCE Mission to Serbia, the conference “Access to Environmental Information: Improving the Implementation of the Legal Framework in the Republic of Serbia” was held on May 11, 2026, at the Hotel “Moskva” in Belgrade.

The gathering brought together high-ranking representatives of relevant national and local government bodies responsible for environmental protection, public health, natural resources, infrastructure, and the economy, representatives of independent institutions, as well as media and civil society representatives.

In the introductory part of the conference, the attendees were addressed by Ambassador Jan Braathu, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, and Milan Marinović, Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection.

During the working sessions, presentations were given by Slavoljupka Pavlović, Acting Assistant Secretary-General in the Sector for Appeals and Enforcement in the Field of Access to Information; Dina Đorđević, journalist and Editor-in-Chief of the Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia (CINS); and Prof. Dr. Mirjana Drenovak Ivanović from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law.

The conference discussed the importance of environmental information, its role in environmental preservation, and its connection to the protection and endangerment of public health. Discussions covered the most common mistakes made by public authorities when processing requests for access to environmental information and how to rectify them, as well as how to deal with the challenges they face in their work. Furthermore, the relationship between journalists and public authorities during the process of exercising the right to access this information, and ways to improve it. Special emphasis was placed on the fact that the scope of access to environmental information is broader than the general access to information of public importance. Alternative ways to access environmental information were highlighted, using mechanisms prescribed by the Law on Consumer Protection, the Law on General Administrative Procedure, and others, while pointing to the practice of the European Court of Human Rights.

This conference is the first of three planned events this year within a project supported by the OSCE Mission to Serbia. The goal of these gatherings is to improve access to environmental information and provide support for the consistent fulfillment of legal obligations by public authorities. Future discussions will focus on specific steps to strengthen institutional accountability, reduce environmental risks, and improve cooperation between public authorities and the interested public, namely the civil sector and the media.

On May 5, 2026, an interactive training on the implementation of the Law on Personal Data Protection (LPDP) was held for members of the Serbian Association of Employers. The lecturers from the Commissioner's Office were Nemanja Damjanović and Marin Cetinić from the Sector for Education and Certification, and 50 people attended the training. The focus of the training was on the practical obligations that employers have in their daily work, from collecting data from employees, clients, and business partners to their further secure processing.

Although the training was delivered via webinar, the virtual format did not impede the exceptional dynamics and interactivity among all participants. From the beginning, the training was followed by a large number of specific questions sharing practical experiences, thereby confirming the importance of this topic for domestic employers. The training covered the most important areas related to the lawful personal data processing, the Data Subject rights, the obligations of Data Controllers and Processors, and the practical challenges faced by employers.

This is the seventh training in a row held in cooperation with the Serbian Association of Employers, and the Sector for Education and Certification of the Commissioner's Office will continue to hold training sessions in the upcoming period, aiming to raise awareness in this area among domestic businesspeople.

Commissioner Milan Marinović and Deputy Commissioner Sanja Unković participated in the traditional international conference called "Spring Conference", which brings together representatives of personal data protection authorities from all over Europe. This year, the Personal Data Protection Authority of the Republic of Turkey hosted the conference held in Antalya from 4 to 8 May 2026.

The main topics of this year's conference were: "Privacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Challenges and Opportunities", "Protection of Children's Personal Data", "Police Directive in Practice", "Cross-border Transfer of Personal Data", "The Future of Personal Data Protection Authorities".

The Sector for Education and Certification is intensively continuing the implementation of the education program tailored for Data Protection Officers in primary schools throughout the Republic of Serbia.

This activity, started in January 2026, is continuously implemented online every Friday.

The online format has provided a high degree of accessibility, and seven training sessions have been successfully implemented so far, for more than 120 employees in primary schools in the positions of designated Data Protection Officers.

The focus of the training is on raising awareness of the importance of personal data protection, the lawfulness and security of processing, and adequate actions to prevent incidents and privacy breach situations.

The great need for professional development in this area is confirmed by the constant signing up of education employees.

"The results so far and the number of participants show that there is a high level of awareness of the importance of data protection in schools. Our goal is to cover all primary schools in Serbia with online training, providing them with stable support regardless of their geographical location," the Sector states.

CALL FOR REGISTRATION:

The Sector for Education and Certification invites all primary schools and their designated DPOs who have not yet undergone training to apply for the next term.

You can send your application by email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By providing professional knowledge for school employees, we are jointly building a safer digital and working environment for our children.