The Serbian 2011 Law on Financing Political Activities - Legal Provisions and Recommendations for Enforcement

The purpose of this report is to give a brief analysis of the Law on Political Financing which was published in the “Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia” on 14 June 2011. In addition, comments are given regarding the enforcement of this Act, focusing on the successful implementation in relation to the elections planned for early 2012.

The analysis is based on a review of the recently passed law and on discussions with Serbian and international stakeholders during a visit on 4 – 9 July 2011. During this stay, meetings were held with the Director of the Anti-Corruption Agency and the President of the State Auditing Institution, as well as with representatives from the Fund for an Open Society, the Centre for Free Elections and Democracy, the Bureau for Social Research and Transparency International Serbia. Meetings were also held with the United States Agency for International Development, the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe and the Judicial Reform and Government Accountability project, as well as with one of the Serbian political parties.