26/10/2017
The twinning project has ended in a more efficient, effective justice administration for the country
The General State Prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, signs a cooperation protocol with the Serbian Prosecutorial Council
The European Union twinning Project “Strengthening the overall capacities of the High Judicial Council and State Prosecutorial Council” has ended after 26 months of work. It has succeeded in strengthening the capacities of the High Judicial Council and the Prosecutorial Council of Serbia by improving their professionalism, management skills and technical abilities so as to administer justice more efficiently and effectively.
As stated in the closing speech, independence and an improvement in the capacity of both the Serbian High Judicial Council and Prosecutorial Council are the cornerstone of an efficient judicial system. The public´s trust is based on impartial, professional and responsible judges.
The project, with a budget of €2 million, has therefore contributed not only to ensuring the independence of public prosecutors, but also to helping Serbia to make progress on chapter 23 in the conversations on membership of the EU.
The aim of the project, in which experts from the Spanish Public Prosecution Service and the General Council of the Judiciary and from the Greek Ministry of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights took part, was the transfer of good practices, experience and knowledge between the judicial authorities of the three countries in order to bring Serbian legislation into line with the EU acquis.
With the 3 mandatory results of the project, the capacity of these authorities has been strengthened in terms of the selection and promotion of judges and public prosecutors, strengthening the disciplinary responsibility of judges and legal ethics, and relationships with other public bodies, the media and civil society.
As an important milestone in the project and something that will make it sustainable, a Cooperation Protocol was signed by the Prosecutorial Council of the Republic of Serbia and the General Public Prosecution Service of Spain, represented by the General State Prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza.
The Protocol provides for cooperation between the prosecution services in the two countries on transnational and organised crime, terrorism, corruption, people, drugs and arms trafficking, and money laundering.
