Within the framework of the project on Countering Economic Crime in Serbia, a two-day workshop on the development of Agency for Prevention of Corruption (APC) procedures for acting on citizens’ complaints and a round table on the legal framework for processing and sanctioning violations of anti-corruption laws took place in Vrdnik.

The workshop brought together the APC representatives to discuss ways to enhance the effectiveness, consistency and transparency of procedures related to complaints’ handling and enforcement of anti-corruption legislation. Particular attention was given to improving the processing of citizens’ complaints, including standardisation of submission formats, strengthening preliminary screening mechanisms, and ensuring efficient case management through clear deadlines and prioritisation criteria.

Over the course of the first day, participants worked in groups to develop practical procedures for handling complaints, including channels for submission, internal processing workflows, data collection and record-keeping, and mechanisms for inter-institutional referrals.

The second day focused on the legal framework governing the processing and sanctioning of violations of anti-corruption laws. Participants discussed the consistency, proportionality, and dissuasiveness of sanctions, as well as the mandate and powers of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption under the Law on Prevention of Corruption and the Law on Financing of Political Activities to obtain relevant information and conduct administrative investigation. Comparative international practices were presented to support the identification of areas for further improvement.

The workshop contributed to strengthening the institutional capacity of Serbian authorities to process citizens’ complaints more effectively and to enforce anti-corruption legislation in line with international standards.

The activity took place within the project “Countering Economic Crime in Serbia”, funded by Sweden, represented by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and implemented by the Council of Europe.