Serbia

08.05.2006 The European Union, through the European Agency for Reconstruction, secured a new packaged of financial assistance dedicated to professional development of media in Serbia. Under the Media Fund Programme, the EU earmarked 2.8 million EUR in finances for projects that promote investigative journalism, contribute to increased quality of media contents and projects designed to improve media education.

05.05.2006 The European Movement in Serbia condemned the lack of adequate cooperation of the Government of Serbia with the International Tribunal in the Hague, which resulted in a suspension of negotiations on the Stabilization and Association Agreement and the proces of EU integration.

04.05.2006 The OSCE Mission and the UNHCR Representation to Serbia and Montenegro held the first meeting yesterday of the Interagency Working Group on Roma in Serbia.

27.04.2006 The Mission to Serbia and Montenegro of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe (CoE) Office in Belgrade express their concern about certain provisions of the recently adopted Serbian Law on Churches and Religious Communities which appear to be inconsistent with standards set by the two organizations, in particular the European Convention on Human Rights, ratified by Serbia and Montenegro in 2004.

26.04.2006 The language used by the media in Montenegro make the women invisible in public life, in violation of the media legislation, concluded the gathering in Podgorica on the implementation of “Gender Correct Language in Montenegrin Media”. The round-table discussion, intended for editors-in-chief and editorial staff in the media in Montenegro, was organized by the “Zenska Akcija” (Women Action) NGO and the Montenegro Institute for the Media.

26.04.2006 The European Movement in Serbia, in cooperation with other European Movements in the Western Balkans and the International European Movement, protested the announced rise in visa fees for the citizens of the Western Balkans, to be decided at the April 27 meeting of the European Council for Justice and Internal Affairs, in Luxemburg.

21.04.2006 The Citizens’ Pact for SEE and the EXIT Festival call for action against the rise of Schengen Visa Fees from 35 to 60 EUR. They call on all people of good will in the European Union to assist the campaign againt the announce price hike by recording the sentence “No to 60 Euro!” in their own language and send it to not60euros@citizenspact.org.yu.

20.04.2006 The Association of Students with Disabilities greeted the adoption of the Law on Prevention of Discrimination of Persons with Disabilities. Goran Pavlovic, Association’s Executive Director emphasized the importance of the fact that the Law now provides for sanctioning of discriminatory practices in the Court.

17.04.2006 The political parties in Serbia lack the democratic principles of in-the-party work, which presents risks to the process of democratization of society and the state they govern, estimate experts in the field of political sciences at the round-table discussion held at the Social Sciences Institute, in Belgrade.

13.04.2006 At the beginning of April of this year, the Labris Organization for Lesbian Human Rights opened its psychological counselling to support lesbians and women of alternative (non-heterosexual) sexual preferences.