The Republic of Serbia Ministry of Justice and the European Union launched an eighteen-month Twinning project, which is being implemented in partnership with Germany and Austria. The project, which is worth 1 million EUR, has the objective to improve the prison system of the Republic of Serbia through a transfer of experiences, expertise and good practices developed in EU member countries.

The opening ceremony marking the start of the project was held today at 11.00h at the Palace of Serbia and audiences were addressed by H.Е. Mr. Sem Fabrizi, Ambassador, Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia, H.Е. Dr Wolfgang Brandstetter, Vice-Chancellor of Austria, Ms. Nela Kuburović, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Serbia, , Mr. Dušan Čarkić, Assistant Minister of Finance Contracts and Financing of EU Funded Projects (CFCU) and Ms. Katharina Tegeder, Coordinator for EU-projects, German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ).

The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia continues to undertake activities with the aim to create a strategic framework for further reform of the judicial system, in line with EU standards. Accordingly, in 2013 a National Judicial Reform Strategy and the Penal Sanctions Enforcement System Development Strategy was adopted and to be implemented by 2020. The Strategies are in line with the Action Plan for Negotiating Chapter 23 on Justice and Fundamental Rights.

In accordance with the real need to continue to strengthen the capacities of the prison system in the Republic of Serbia, the Twinning Project is funded by the EU and designed to contribute to the professional development of prison staff through improving the quality of their education and training in order to strengthen the overall capacities of the Administration for Enforcement of Penal Sanctions.

Over the next 18 months, experts from the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation in partnership with the Agency for Economic Cooperation and Development from Austria will work closely with colleagues from the Administration for Enforcement of Penal Sanctions. A series of analysis, training seminars, workshops, study visits and meetings will be organised in order to improve the employability of convicted persons while also improving the living and working conditions within the prison system in Serbia.

More specifically, project experts will work on the improvement of organisational and technical capacities of the Centre for Training and Vocational Education of the Administration for Enforcement of Penal Sanctions in Niš which will help to prepare and deliver training programmes for the staff employed within the system of enforcement of criminal sanctions. A number of training sessions will be organised for the staff of the security service, treatment service and health service in the institutes for enforcement of criminal sanctions as well as vocational education of female inmates in the Penal Correctional Institute in Pozarevac.

The project is principally funded by the EU and co-funded by the Republic of Serbia. The beneficiary of this project is the Administration for Enforcement of Penal Sanctions of the Ministry of Justice the while the contracting authority on behalf of Serbia is the Department for Contracting and Financing of EU Funded Programmes.
This project is part of a larger EU support programme for penal reform in Serbia which totals €7 million over the coming 3 years and includes support to the national authorities to improve prison standards, health care in prisons and post release care, improved training for prison staff, as well as the procurement of vehicles for probation offices and tractors for prisons, amongst other support. The European Union is the largest donor to the Republic of Serbia, having provided over €3 billion in grant financing since 2000. The European Union is the largest donor to the Republic of Serbia, having provided over €3 billion in grant financing since 2000.

More about the Administration for Enforcement of Penal Sanctions

The Administration for Enforcement of Penal Sanctions is an institution under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia tasked to organise, conduct and supervise enforcement of sentences of imprisonment, juvenile imprisonment, safety measures of mandatory psychiatric treatment and confinement in a medical institution and compulsory treatment of alcoholics and drug addicts, as well as enforcement of correctional measures of referral to an educational-correctional facility and non-institutional sanctions and measures. The Administration enforces the measure of detention and other measures to ensure the presence of a defendant in criminal proceedings. Also, the Administration monitors the status and application of regulations in the field of enforcement of penal sanctions and accordingly points to the need and directions for development of legal regulations.

More about the Department for Contracting and Financing of EU Funded Programmes

The Department for Contracting and Financing of EU Funded Programmes (CFCU, Ministry of Finance) is responsible for areas of payments, accounting, monitoring and reporting on implementation of projects funded by EU IPA pre-accession funds.