On May 13th, a roundtable discussion on the topic “Analysis of the Law on Lobbying and Recommendations for Improvement” was held at the “Moskva” Hotel in Belgrade. The event took place within the framework of the “Combating Economic Crime in Serbia” project, conducted by the Council of Europe with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The goal of the event was to present key findings from the analysis of the Law on Lobbying and to create a space for discussion about the necessary amendments to align with GRECO recommendations and to remove existing obstacles for the effective implementation of the law.
The event was attended by Dr. Valts Kalnins, an expert from the Council of Europe, Vladimir Vinš, Assistant Minister of Justice, Janoš Babić, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, Ana Selić, Program Manager, Prof. Marjan Tanuševski from Bitola, Macedonia, Dr. Predrag Jelenković, Director of SKC Niš, Nenad Vuković, President of the Association of Lobbyists, numerous licensed lobbyists in Serbia, Dejan Damljanović, Director of the Anti-Corruption Agency with associates, Ana Aleksić, President of the “Lobbying in the Public Interest” association, and representatives from Transparency Serbia.
The Council of Europe expert, Dr. Valts Kalnins, prepared a technical document containing 44 recommendations for improving the legal framework and practices related to lobbying. The aim of these recommendations is to assist Serbian institutions in enhancing the Law on Lobbying to align it with international standards and best practices.
At the beginning of his address, Dr. Valts Kalnins stated that lobbying is an area where legal regulations are still in the development phase in many European countries. He emphasized the importance of understanding that the existing law needs to be elaborated to address who and how influences political decisions that affect the lives of citizens, how lobbying is conducted, and based on what interests. According to the expert’s experience, many people believe that lobbying resembles corruption, which is a misconception, as lobbying is related to fundamental democratic rights, including engaging with decision-makers and directing them in a specific direction.
Professor Marjan Tanuševski from Macedonia addressed the attendees, sharing their experiences in the process of enacting and implementing the Law on Lobbying. As someone who participated in drafting the amendments to the law in 2008 and as an educator in lobbying skills, he shared insights from his practice. He emphasized that analyses of the practice showed that lobbyists and those being lobbied often did not focus on the Law on Lobbying because it was not sufficiently recognized by the public. Proper and professional lobbying means respecting the Law on Lobbying. Therefore, in the new Macedonian Law on Lobbying, which has been in force since 2022, they dedicated attention to lobbying with integrity. According to their practice, this largely depends on the individuals and institutions being lobbied.
Dejan Damjanović, Director of the Anti-Corruption Agency, expressed gratitude to the Council of Europe for their support, emphasizing that this support will enable more effective implementation of activities and contribute to the creation of a fairer society.
All participants actively contributed by presenting their suggestions based on their lobbying practices, making this event an important step towards improving the legal framework for lobbying in Serbia, as well as strengthening transparency and accountability in political processes, in line with European standards and GRECO recommendations.