ODIHR, OSCE Mission to Serbia support implementation of Serbian law on lobbying

Lobbying against corruption was the topic of a training event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Mission to Serbia from 16 to 18 April in Belgrade. The event gathered 52 participants (36 women and 16 men) from the Serbian Anti-Corruption Agency, the Embassy of the United States and civil society organizations.

ODIHR and the OSCE Mission to Serbia have been providing assistance to the Anti-Corruption Agency as authorities in Serbia prepare to implement the law on lobbying, due to enter into force in August 2019. The course was tailored to Serbia’s legal and institutional framework and covered international standards on lobbying and specific lobbying practices, as well as activities related to the drafting of the code of conduct for lobbying participants in Serbia. The lobbyist registration process and the development of a register of lobbyists were also discussed.

“The approval of the law on lobbying is an important step towards enhancing public integrity in Serbia,” said Jacopo Leone, Associate Democratic Governance Officer at ODIHR. “Together with the OSCE Mission to Serbia, ODIHR stands ready to support the Anti-Corruption Agency in implementing the law, so as to achieve higher standards of pluralism, transparency and inclusion in decision-making in Serbia.” 

Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Ambassador Andrea Orizio, said: “This inception training course is just the beginning of a series of support activities by the OSCE Mission to Serbia in the area of lobbying as a corruption prevention measure. By initiating the adoption of the law on lobbying, Serbia has yet again shown its willingness to assume increased ownership of the reform process.”

Verka Atanaskovic, Assistant Director at the Department on Conflict of Interest and Lobbying Issues of the Serbian Anti-Corruption Agency, added: “We are fully committed to the effective implementation of the newly adopted law on lobbying, and value the support and expertise provided by the OSCE during this induction training.”