Regulatory measures of cultural policy

Several laws were adopted in the cultural domain addressing the Convention. In 2009 the Law on Culture entered into force (Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, 72/2009). The law recognized cultural diversity as one of the fundamental principles of cultural development (Article 3, item 4). The law defines general interest in culture as well (Article 6), where it recognizes: creation of conditions for the stimulation of cultural and artistic creation (item 2); stimulating and supporting cultural expressions generated by the creativity of individuals, groups and associations of Serbs abroad (item 9); stimulating international cultural cooperation (item 10); extending and improving education in the field of culture (item 12); stimulating the use of new technologies in culture, in particular of information technologies and digitalization (item 13). The Convention provided a very important incentive to defining the future Strategy of Cultural Development of the Republic of Serbia (for the period of 10 years), which creation is envisaged by the Article 19 of the Law on Culture and which is in progress.

During 2011 the new Law on Libraries and the Law on Cinematography became in force. Article 2 of the Law on Libraries (Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 52/11) defines general interest in librarian field precisely by leaning to the principles of the Convention through provision of free access to information, knowledge and ideas, as well as ensuring right to realization of personal and intellectual freedom of citizens.

The Law on Cinematography (Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 99/11) states that encouraging cultural diversity presents a general interest in the area of cinematography (Article 19, item 12), and it is being continued by the realization of right to cultural specificity in the area of cinematography of national minorities’ members (item 13), improvement of cooperation and integrations of domestic cinematography into the European and global cinematography development programs (item 11). Since 2009 more delegated legislation were passed that directly or indirectly refer to the area of cultural industries, such as, for example, the Regulation of the method on record keeping of contents documents of freelance artists (Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 41/2010).

As part of regulatory measures in 2011, the Public Information Strategy in Serbia entered into force (Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 75/2011), which explicitly envisages cultural diversity as one of the criteria for decision making on co-funding projects of public interest in the media sector. The Strategy also emphasizes the development of media pluralism through the diversity of ownership, sources of information and media contents, ensuring pluralism and freedom of speech in media, which enables the implementation of the Convention through the national legislation.

Challenges identified in the implementation of this measure: Applying new legislation according to the principles of the Convention; implementation of the Public Information Strategy and its mission to properly promote media diversity in order to meet the interests and needs of citizens in accordance with the principles and freedom of expression and free flow of information, professional and ethical requirements of objectivity, truthfulness, balance and respect of human dignity.