Dialogue on new law impossible amid ongoing police violations

NCEU Chapter 24 Working Group Response to Renewed MoI Invitation on Draft Law on Internal Affairs

On 20 August the Ministry of Internal Affairs has renewed its invitation to the National Convention on the European Union to consultations on the new version of the Draft Law on Internal Affairs. Hereby, we inform you about our response dated 29 August 2025:

Dear Sir/Madam,

We appreciate the renewed invitation to resume consultations on the Draft Law on Internal Affairs, and your willingness to accommodate our request to reschedule the dates. Yet we must underline that our participation was conditional upon the Ministry of Internal Affairs demonstrating genuine commitment to raising standards and practices in relation to the prohibition of torture, accountability, and police independence. It is with regret that we must observe that this condition has not been met in the meantime.

In recent weeks, we have witnessed selective police conduct towards participants of different public gatherings and the disproportionate and unjustified use of force against assembled citizens. These incidents have been recorded in dozens of publicly available videos. To date, we have no information that police officers who visibly violated provisions of Articles 32–33, 67–68, 105–107 and 113 (non-exhaustive list) of the current Law on Police have been processed and sanctioned, while MoI representatives publicly deny any unlawful conduct by police officers. Such developments cast doubt on the very objectives of adopting the new law, as outlined in the Reform Agenda of the Republic of Serbia, and contribute to a further decline in citizens’ trust in the police.

In view of the fact that any dialogue on a new law would be futile until these practices are rectified and the consistent application of existing legislation is guaranteed, we are left with no option but to decline your invitation.

Should the Ministry of Internal Affairs proceed to finalise the drafting process while disregarding the prevailing concerning practices, the members of the NCEU Working Group for Chapter 24 will present their expert observations on the Draft Law on Internal Affairs, together with their critique of such practices, on an equal footing with other stakeholders during the public consultation. Given the significance and complexity of this legislation, it is imperative that adequate time be provided to ensure the meaningful participation of all interested parties in the formal process.

Best regards,

Working Group for Chapter 24 of the National Convention on the European Union

Belgrade, 29 August 2025