Presentation of the country's main government and sports institutions

• Ministry of Sport
• Ministry of Internal Affairs
• Ministry of Justice
• National committee on sport safety and security

Independent sports safety bodies

Law on Sports, Art. 149

Main sports in the country :

• Football
• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Handball

National Olympic Committee:

• Olympic Committee of Serbia
• Paralympic Committee of Serbia

Main sports federations and leagues:

• Football Association of Serbia
• Basketball Association of Serbia
• Volleyball Association of Serbia
• Handball Association of Serbia
• Water Polo Association of Serbia

National football authorities:

• Football Association of Serbia

Last major sports events organised since 2000 and key elements of their legacy:

Republic of Serbia and its capital Belgrade have been hosts many times and have successfully organised major competitions in various sports:

• European Aquatics Championship 2024
• World Athletics Indoor Championships 2022
• World Wrestling Championships 2022
• World Boxing Championships 2021
• European Women Basketball Championship 2019

Future major sports events organised and/or co-organised within the next 5 years:

• Men's European Water Polo Championship 2026
• European Judo Championships Mixed Team 2026
• UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2027, Republic of Serbia and Republic of Albania
• European Running Championships 2027

The country's main sports competitions:

• Football - Serbian Super League and the First League of Serbia
• Basketball – First and Second League
• Volleyball – Super League and the First League
• Handball – Super League and the First League
• Water polo – Super League and the First League

National supporter organisations or National team supporter organisations:

Representatives of supporters participate in the bodies of sports organisations

National legal framework on sports safety and security, including specific legal provisions on: 

List of main laws and regulations

• Law on Sports ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia", No. 10/16)
• Law on the Prevention of Violence and Misconduct at Sports Events ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia", No. 67/03, 101/05, 90/07, 72/09, 111/09, 104/13 and 87/18)
• Criminal Code of the Republic of Serbia ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia", No. 85/2005-30, 88/2005-51, 107/2005-171, 72/2009-53, 111/2009-36, 121/2012-3, 104/2013-3, 108/2014-3, 94/2016-7, 35/2019-3, 94/2024-390)
• Law on Misdemeanors ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia", No. 65/13, 13/16, 98/16 - RS, 91/19, 91/19 - other law, 112/22)
• Instructions on a uniform method of keeping records of persons and events related to sports events, adopted on 02.09.2021

National / local coordination bodies

• On August 25, 2017, the Government of the Republic of Serbia established the National Council for the Prevention of Negative Phenomena in Sports.

In the Ministry of Internal Affairs, within the Police Administration at the headquarters of the Police Directorate, the Department for Public Order and Security of Sports Events has been systematised, in which the National Football Information Center (NFIC) operates.

Share of safety and security responsibilities (inside/outside of sports venues)

• Regional police departments of the Ministry of the Interior cooperate with local governments, branch sports federations in the territory they cover, as well as with clubs of all levels of competition, primarily the highest, in order to adequately organise sporting events, especially those of a larger scale, with an expected larger number of fans.

Stewarding/ private security

• Law on Private Security ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia", No. 104/13, 42/15, 87/18), Article 43: “The stewards who perform duties during the holding of sports events shall act in accordance with this law and the regulations governing the prevention of violence at sports events”.

Sports venues safety regulations, licensing, certification and inspection

• According to article 157 of the Law on sports, the organiser of a sports event must: 1) Ensure the undisturbed and safe holding of a sports event; 2) Undertake the measures that ensure prevention of the risks of occurrence of the damage to athletes, spectators and other participants in a sports event and third parties (warnings, placing prohibitions, giving information and instructions and similar), as well as the measures influencing the increased risks (safety of the sports facility, correctness and adequacy of the installed and other equipment, ensuring urgent medical assistance, holding of the event in accordance with the rules and other); 3) Undertake the necessary safety measures for the prevention of violence and misbehaviour at sports events and measures for the prevention of other negative phenomena in sports, in accordance with the law and the sports rules; 4) Undertake the necessary measures for prevention the of doping at the sports event, in accordance with the law and the sports rules; 5) Undertake the necessary measures of protection of nature and environment, or measures which prevent, reduce and eliminate possible unfavourable influences on natural treasures and environment; 6) Report the holding of a sports event in accordance with the regulations governing public gathering of citizens.

Sport-related hate speech, racism and other types of discrimination

• Law on Sports, Article 4: “All types of direct or indirect discrimination, including hate speech, on any grounds, of athletes, sports professionals, sports organisations, and other persons participating in the sports system, in an open or hidden manner, based on some actual or supposed personal attribute, are prohibited”. The sports organisation or another legal person shall be punished for the offence by the fine amounting from RSD 500.000 to RSD 2.000.000, if it: 1) Violates the prohibition of discrimination of athletes, sports professionals, sports organisations and other persons participating in the sports system (Article 4(3)); 2) Violates the prohibition of misuse, abuse, discrimination and violence against children (Article 4(6))”.

Pyrotechnics and other forbidden items

• Law on the Prevention of Violence and Misconduct at Sports Events, Article 8a: “When performing physical security duties and maintaining order at a sports event, the security service is obliged to prohibit the bringing into the sports facility of objects that can be used in violent acts (pyrotechnics, sticks, bottles, etc.), or that can disrupt the course of the sports event (mirrors, laser pointers, high-power sound devices, banners or signs that incite racial, religious, national or other intolerance and hatred, or whose content is offensive or indecent, etc.)”.

Social-educational preventative measures / projects

• Project "Anti-racism education of new generations - BRIDGING CULTURES", jointly implemented by the Football Association of Serbia and the "Gentlemen" Fan Association.

Alcohol/drug policy

• Law on the Prevention of Violence and Misconduct at Sports Events, Article 8a: “When performing physical security duties and maintaining order at a sports event, the security service is obliged to prohibit access to the facility where the sports event is being held to persons who are under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants, or whose behavior can be inferred to be prone to violent or improper behaviour and to prohibit the entry or sale of alcoholic beverages into the sports facility”.

Specific sport-related misbehaviours typified as crimes

• Criminal Code of the Republic of Serbia, Article 344a - Violent behavior at a sporting event or public gathering.

Specific sport-related misbehaviours typified as misdemeanours

• Law on the Prevention of Violence and Misconduct at Sports Events, Article 21 (envisages fines for sports federation, sports association, sports organisation - club or other legal entity that organises a sports event) and Article 23 (envisages fines and imprisonment for a natural person)

Exclusion policy (banning orders / exit bans)

• Criminal Code of the Republic of Serbia, Safety Measures, Article 79 envisages that a ban on attending certain sports events may be imposed on the offender.

Measures taken / envisaged by States to meet the objectives of the Convention

• Under development

The new Sports Strategy for the period from 2025 to 2035 and an Action Plan for its implementation are under development.

Violence related to the holding of sports events generally does not take place at the sports facility itself, but rather manifests itself through conflicts between members of fan groups, on the way to the sports facility, or as individual events in parts of cities where members of one of the groups live or their presence can be expected.

In the past 10 years, the security situation at sporting events has improved significantly, especially when it comes to sporting events of the highest level of competition in the most popular and most visited sports. During this period, the number of crimes has consistently decreased, with the exception of one year, when there was an increase. When it comes to misdemeanours in the field of violence at sporting events, their number cannot be a realistic indicator of the state of security, because in 2018, legal amendments increased the number of punishable acts, which inevitably resulted in an increase in misdemeanours.

Criminal offenses under Article 344a of the Criminal Code for the period 2014-2024

Misdemeanors of a natural person in the field of violence at sporting events for the period 2014-2024

*2020 year: Covid-19 pandemic