New model of personal data protection law "in May"

BELGRADE Rodoljub Sabic has announced that he will in May initiate the adoption of a new model of the personal data protection law. "I am certain that we will greet the new government, which we expect to get sometime in the spring, with an articulated model of a new personal data protection law," Sabic said at a conference marking January 28 - Data Protection Day. New model of personal data protection law "in May" "In May we will be in a situation where we can initiate the adoption of a text that will definitely be of much better quality and more applicable than the existing one," the commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection said. Recalling the signing of the first binding international document on personal data protection on this day in 1981 - the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data - Sabic said that Serbia is in no position to mark the day in a ceremonial manner. "This is an occasion when we should once again remind ourselves that, as a country and society, we are seriously lagging behind in terms of taking personal data and privacy protection to the level they deserve in a democratic society," Sabic said. To improve the situation, the system of standards must be enhanced, institutions strengthened and the citizens' mentality changed, Sabic said. "A law has been passed that is in line with European standards at the level of basic principles, but it has many flaws", Sabic said. He added that the starting point of the existing law is the assumption that the standards and principles it proclaims will be elaborated more specifically by separate laws. "We do not have those laws. We are constantly faced with the problem of legal voids," Sabic said. Giving an example of the situation in the area of personal data protection, Sabic said that the law currently in place contains a provision envisioning special protection of particularly sensitive data, but that the government, despite a six-month deadline five years ago, has failed to adopt a decree specifying data storage and protection measures. (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

New model of personal data protection law "in May"

"In May we will be in a situation where we can initiate the adoption of a text that will definitely be of much better quality and more applicable than the existing one," the commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection said.

Recalling the signing of the first binding international document on personal data protection on this day in 1981 - the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data - Šabić said that Serbia is in no position to mark the day in a ceremonial manner.

"This is an occasion when we should once again remind ourselves that, as a country and society, we are seriously lagging behind in terms of taking personal data and privacy protection to the level they deserve in a democratic society," Šabić said.

To improve the situation, the system of standards must be enhanced, institutions strengthened and the citizens' mentality changed, Šabić said.

"A law has been passed that is in line with European standards at the level of basic principles, but it has many flaws", Šabić said.

He added that the starting point of the existing law is the assumption that the standards and principles it proclaims will be elaborated more specifically by separate laws.

"We do not have those laws. We are constantly faced with the problem of legal voids," Šabić said.

Giving an example of the situation in the area of personal data protection, Šabić said that the law currently in place contains a provision envisioning special protection of particularly sensitive data, but that the government, despite a six-month deadline five years ago, has failed to adopt a decree specifying data storage and protection measures.