Source: "Blic"
Pursuant to the Law on Personal Data Protection, the Central Registry of Databases can be found at the official Internet presentation of the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection – www.poverenik.rs as of 15th May this year. Keeping the Registry and its operation entail a sequence of obligations for all personal databases handlers (companies, entrepreneurs, public authorities…) The deadline for fulfilling these obligations (a year from the day the Law came into force), sanctions for non-compliance, i.e. for exceeding timeframes are defined under the Law.
That deadline for compilation and submitting the records to the Commissioner passed back on 4th November 2009. If we consider that there are over 300, 000 subjects who are personal database handlers, the consequence could be an avalanche of infringement procedures. However in these conditions, initiation of these infringement procedures would oppose the principle of justice. Namely, under the Law, the first precondition for establishing new records was that the Government should pass a Decree which would define forms for keeping records and the manner of keeping records on personal data processing. Unfortunately, the Decree was adopted very late, on 10th July 2009. ¾ of the timeframe for the handlers was thus ‘’spent’’, and of course they were not to be blamed for this.
Therefore the Commissioner will certainly not insist in holding the handlers responsible for the infringement and he will endeavor to provide them a timeframe of one year from the day of establishing the Registry, namely until 15th May 2011. However, this will make sense only if the handlers respond appropriately – by fulfilling their obligations and making entries in the Registry. “Nice”, modern, electronic yet empty Registry is not worth much. It can neither provide better conditions for human rights protection nor a ‘’passing grade’’ from EU observers. But more responsibility and enthusiasm in fulfilling their obligations on the part of everyone, and especially public authorities, can provide both.
