Serbia to Introduce New Law on Official Statistics

The Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (RZS) has published a Draft Law on Official Statistics. A public consultation period will run from July 30 to August 19, during which stakeholders may submit comments, suggestions, and proposals on the draft provisions.

If adopted, the new law will replace the current Law on Official Statistics from 2009 upon its entry into force.

The draft, currently available for public review, consists of 78 articles. Among other matters, it regulates the organization of the official statistical system, statistical planning and programming, data collection, processing, storage, and the principle of statistical confidentiality.

- A top priority in the coming period is the full alignment of Serbia’s statistical system with the European Statistical System, in order to successfully and promptly complete the EU accession negotiation process, the explanatory memorandum states.

Confidentiality Provisions

The draft law also aims to align national legislation with the European Statistics Code of Practice, adopted on November 16, 2017.

One article introduces specific eligibility criteria for candidates seeking appointment as Director of the Statistical Office. It also recommends that the law include sanctions for violations of confidentiality provisions.

Additionally, it proposes granting official statistics producers (such as RZS and the National Bank of Serbia) the explicit right to publicly intervene in cases of data misinterpretation or misuse. The draft states that the Director of RZS, the National Bank, and other authorized statistics producers may publicly respond when official statistical results are distorted or misused.

A section of the draft also addresses the handling of statistically confidential data.

Individual data that could directly or indirectly identify physical or legal entities will be subject to statistical confidentiality. The same applies to certain aggregated data not defined by the official statistical Program and Plan.

Specifically, this includes aggregated data relating to between one and three statistical units (when those units are individuals or legal entities), if one of those units can be identified, either directly or indirectly—thereby revealing data about that unit.

Furthermore, any data classified as secret under laws governing information confidentiality will also fall under statistical confidentiality.

Participants in the public consultation may submit comments, proposals, and suggestions to the RZS via email at javna.rasprava@stat.gov.rs using a specific form available on the official RZS website.

Republički zavod za statistiku Beograd

European Union

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