28. 02. 2014

DAVENPORT: LEAKING OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION CAUSE FOR CONCERN

Belgrade, 28. 02. 2014 (Tanjug) - Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport said today that the public's need to know should not be an excuse for leaks that threaten the right to personal privacy and the presumption of innocence.

"Information from police and other state institution investigations that could endanger persons and the presumption of innocence should not be leaked to the public. This is something that worries us," said Davenport, opening the ninth European political- legal forum organized by the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia and German agency GTZ.

"What is alarming is the continuous leaking of such information towards same media," said Davenport.

He said that Serbian legislation has met many EU standards in this area, but that it is necessary to work on the implementation of legislation.

Davenport warned of a common problem of the inability to access important information of public importance, which, as he warned, is an inalienable right, because media should be a "watchdog " of the public interest.

"There must be no political reservations, as corruption, organized crime and extremism have no political connotations. These problems are either dealt with or not, but there can be no selective approach to them," said Davenport.

According to him, the protection of personal data and access to information of public importance are among the fundamental principles which a democratic society is based on and the balance between these two principles is essential for the development of such a society.