Serbia

Serbia is a Republic (Republika Srbija). The Parliament (National Assembly - Narodna skupština) is unicameral. The Government is led by a Prime Minister and the Head of State is the President. After the collapse of former Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro formed the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1992 to 2002. From 2003 to 2006, it was a confederation. Since 2006, Montenegro and Serbia are two independent countries. 

Serbia is a unitary State which recognises local self-government. The 2006 Constitution foresees three levels of governance: central, provincial and local. The Autonomous Provinces date back to Tito's Yugoslavia: in 1974, Vojvodina, Kosovo and Metohija were granted significant autonomy. This autonomy was ended in the 1980s and restored in 2002. On 14 December 2009, the statute of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina was adopted. The same year, the Law on establishing competencies of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina transferred competences from the State to the Province. Serbia does not formally recognise Kosovo and Metohija's independence which was proclaimed on 17 February 2008 and considers it as an Autonomous Province.

The Constitution provides that the substantial autonomy for Kosovo and Metohija shall be regulated by a special law (art. 182). Kosovo and Metohija is under the interim civilian administration and security peace[1]. However, Kosovo's independence is recognised by 109 UN member state and by the EU[2]. In 2013, the Serbian government announced it was dissolving the Serb minority assemblies it had created in northern Kosovo, in order to allow the integration of the Kosovo Serb minority into the general population of Kosovo and support the two countries in their EU ascension bids[3].

Parliamentary elections were held on 8th June 2014 in Kosovo and in Serbia on 24th April 2016 in order to provide stability for the accession to the EU bid. Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party retained the majority. A largely unchanged government was announced on 8th August 2016, and approved was by the National Assembly on 10th August 2016[4].

Serbia began the process for accession to the European Union on 1 March 2012. The implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between the EU and Kosovo came into force in April 2016. This is a ten year plan to see the application of EU standards across state departments, market integration and state reform[5].

Following the adoption of the Constitution in 2006, a set of important laws on decentralisation were passed which granted local self-government units with powers.

As of today and according to the Constitution, Serbia is composed of two Autonomous Provinces (autonomne pokrajine) (Vojvodina as well as Kosovo and Metohija,) and the local self-government units, i.e. the City of Belgrade, 23 Cities (grad) and 150 Municipalities (opstina). Municipalities are the basic local self-government units. Cities have more than 100.000 inhabitants. The City of Belgrade has a special status[6].

The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina contains 7 Districts, 6 Cities and 45 Municipalities. The rights and duties of the Province are described in the Constitution and in the Province's Statute. Kosovo-Metohija consists of 29 Municipalities and 5 districts.

In addition, Serbia has 5 Regions for statistical purposes (Belgrade Region, Vojvodina Region, Sumadija and Western Serbia Region, Eastern and Southern Serbia Region and Kosovo and Metohija Region) and 29 administrative Districts.

Local self-government and provincial autonomy are enshrined in the Constitution (Art. 12 and 176) and in the Law on Local Self-Government . Provinces and local authorities have the status of legal entities. Local self-government units are not bestowed with legislative powers; they exercise their functions by means of regulations.

Local authorities and autonomous provinces have a general competence for matters of local/provincial interest respectively, and in accordance with the subsidiarity principle (Art. 177). The Constitution sets out the competences of the Autonomous Provinces (art. 183) and of the local self-government units (art. 190). The allocated competences are shared. In addition, the central Government may delegate some competences.

Besides the Constitution, the division of powers between the different levels of governance is specified by various laws:

Autonomous Provinces have direct revenues for the exercise of their competences. In accordance with the Serbian Constitution, Vojvodina's budget shall amount to at least 7% (65.19 milijardi dinara) of Serbia's budget[7].

Local self-government units' budgets are derived from own and shared taxation, grants and fees[8]. The Republic is obliged to provide local authorities with adequate funds[9]. 

 

1.1 Central level 

State responsibilities

The Serbian Government is responsible for the development and implementation of laws and policies (aligned to the Constitution) through the following ministries and their associated departments and parliamentary groups/ committees:

 

 1.2 Regional level

Responsibilities of the Provinces

In accordance with the Constitution (Art. 183), and the Autonomous Provinces may regulate matters of provincial interest in the field of:

  • Regional development and relations with European Union and other regional bodies on projects related to infrastructure, construction, institution strengthening etc.
  • Urban planning and development;
  • Agriculture;
  • Water management;
  • Catering;
  • Forestry;
  • Hunting;
  • Fishing;
  • Tourism;
  • Hospitality industry;
  • Spas and health resorts;
  • Environmental protection;
  • Industry and craftsmanship;
  • Roads;
  • River and rail traffic, road design;
  • Events organisation;
  • Education;
  • Sport;
  • Culture;
  • Healthcare;
  • Social welfare;
  • Public information;
  • Realisation of human and minority rights;
  • Determined symbols of Autonomous Provinces and  ways of  using them;
  • Managing  the property of Autonomous Provinces;
  • Having the original income, the provision of funds to local level for performing delegated tasks, bringing the budget and final accounts.

1.3 Local level

Responsibilities of the Municipalities and Cities (Constitution, art. 190)

Local municipalities have responsibilities to create and manage institutions and organisations which relate to the following:

  • Regulation and provision of municipal services;
  • Urban planning;
  • Local roads; railways, waterways and public transport provision;
  • Education;
  • Culture;
  • Healthcare;
  • Social welfare;
  • Child and family welfare;
  • Sport;
  • Tourism;
  • Agriculture;
  • Other tasks specified by the law.

Moreover, Cities also have competence in the field of local police.


 

[1] UNSCR 1244, adopted on 10.06.1999.

[2] Given the European Union recognition of Kosovo as an independent republic, the country has its own profile, separate to that of Serbia in the DoP database.

[3] Reuters (19 April 2013) EU brokers historic Kosovo deal, doors open to Serbia accession

[4] Reuters (11 August 2016) New Serbian government gets parliament approval

[5] Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and Kosovo*, of the other part (2 October 2015)

[6] A special law defines the competences of Belgrade: Law on the Capital City, No. 129/2007.

[7] Constitutiuon, Article 184.

[8] Law on local government finance Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 62/2006.

[9] Law on local government finance, Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 62/2006. Article 3.

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