MIT UNS responded that it has initiated proceedings against 14 local governments due to delays in announcing media competitions, but did not specify which ones.

In response to a question from the Serbian Journalists' Association (UNS) regarding which local governments are involved and when the procedures were initiated, MIT did not provide an answer, instead directing UNS to submit a request for access to information of public significance to obtain this response.

UNS received the same reply to questions posed concerning the misdemeanor procedures initiated by MIT last year.

Specifically, UNS asked MIT whether and how the misdemeanor procedures that MIT initiated in 2025 against those responsible in 12 local governments that failed to announce competitions within the legal timeframe were concluded.

Additionally, UNS inquired whether and what the Provincial Secretariat for Culture, Public Information, and Relations with Religious Communities had done regarding the letter MIT sent them that year, proposing to initiate misdemeanor procedures against those responsible in local governments in the AP Vojvodina area that did not announce competitions within the deadline.

UNS also asked how these procedures were concluded, if initiated by the Provincial Secretariat.

According to data held by the Serbian Journalists' Association, 19 local governments announced competitions this year after the legally prescribed deadline.

Two local governments – Vrbas and Gadžin Han have yet to do so.

The deadline for announcing competitions, according to the Law on Public Information and Media, is March 1 of the current year.

It should be noted that in the event of non-compliance with the deadline, the law provides for penal provisions for the responsible person in the public authority, amounting to 50,000 to 150,000 dinars.

Announced Competitions

In 2026, according to the data from the Unified Information System (JIS), a total of 162 competitions were announced across all levels of government in Serbia, involving 144 local governments. Two municipalities - Vrbas and Gadžin Han did not announce competitions.

In addition to these 146 local governments, some urban municipalities in Belgrade and Niš also announced competitions in previous years, even though they are not obligated to do so under the Law on Public Information and Media.

Of the 17 urban municipalities in Belgrade, as well as five in Niš, none allocated funds this year for project co-financing of media.

For project co-financing of media in 2026, according to UNS data, a total of 1,933,356,000 dinars, approximately 16.5 million euros, was allocated across all levels of government.

Source: UNS