Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms of the 25th Convocation of the Parliament of Montenegro held its first meeting today. At the beginning of the meeting, the Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Halil Duković, acquainted briefly the members of the Committee with activities of this working body in the previous Convocation of the Parliament, emphasizing that it was one of the most active bodies of the Parliament, recognized in the European Commission Progress Reports on Montenegro. He reminded that the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms, in terms of commitments regarding legislative and oversight role of the Parliament of Montenegro, which are the part of the path towards European and Euro Atlantic integration, adopted the 2011 Plan of Activities and 2012 Plan of Activities. Almost 90 % of the commitments defined by the 2011 Plan of Activities were realized, and a number of activities defined by the 2012 Plan of Activities have not been realized for the objective reasons, due to shortening of the term of office of the Parliament and election activities. Therefore, in accordance with the good practice, and based on the following: 2013 Plan of Activities of the Parliament of Montenegro, 2013 Program of the Government, 2012 Montenegro Progress Report, as well as  non-implemented activities from the 2012 Plan of Activities, the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms will establish the Proposal for the 2013 Work Plan of the Committee, which will be considered in the second half of January 2013, in order to immediately begin realization of numerous activities, since numerous materials have been delivered to this body.

The Chairman of the Committee emphasized that the special value of this Committee was the fact that members of the Committee reached the majority of Decisions on acts, which were under consideration, by consensus, because they subjected their political interests to the importance of reached decisions of general interest. He expressed his expectations that the Committee would continue in the same way, and that in the future period the key decisions regarding exercising of human rights and freedoms would be reached by consensus.

Chairman of the Committee asked the members of the Committee from among the opposition to make an agreement on the Proposal for election of Deputy Chairman from among opposition and submit it until next meeting in order to be elected then.

Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms considered the Proposal for the Law on Budget of Montenegro for 2013, in the part relating to consumer units: Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro; Ministry for Human and Minority Rights of Montenegro within the Programs: Administration, Exercising Human Rights, Improvement of the Position of RAE Population, National Councils, European integration and exercising of minority rights; Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare within the programs: Transfers for social protection, Rights from the area of social protection, Support of residents of the Nursing Homes, in accordance with the conclusion of the Parliament of Montenegro (“Official Gazette MNE”, no. 36/11); Agency for protection of personal data and free access to information, Fund for Protection and Realization of Minority Rights of Montenegro; Centre for development and preservation of minority culture.

The Meeting of the Committee was attended by: authorized representative of the proponent of the Proposal for the Law on Budget of Montenegro for 2013, Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Nemanja Pavličić, and representatives of the consumer budget units: Mr. Šućko Baković, Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro, Ms. Zdenka Perović, Secretary in the Office of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro, Mr. Sabahudin Delić, Deputy Minister of Human Rights and Freedoms, Mr. Dragan Đukanović, Adviser at the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and Mr. Nikola Dedeić, Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Mr. Šefko Crnovršanin, representative of the Council of Agency for protection of personal data and free access to information, Mr. Aleksa Ivanović and Radenko Lacmanović, members of the Council of Agency for protection of personal data and free access to information, Mr. Safet Kurtagić, Director of the Fund for Protection and Realization of Minority Rights of Montenegro and Mr. Derviš Selhanović, Director of the Centre for development and preservation of minority culture.

The Meeting was also attended by the representatives of non-government organizations, that the Committee has continuous cooperation with: Mr. Milisav Korać from the Union of Associations of Parents of Children and Young with Disabilities “Naša inicijativa” and Mr. Milan Radović from NGO “Građanska alijansa”.

Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Nemanja Pavličić, made introductory remarks on the Proposal for the Law on Budget of Montenegro for 2013, with special reference to projection of the funds for consumers units that were under consideration at the meeting. He emphasized that the Proposal for the Law on Budget of Montenegro for 2013 was grounded on consolidation of the public finances, as basic principle of fiscal policy for the following year that implies reduction of government and public spending and increase of tax revenues. With the Proposal for the Law on Budget of Montenegro for 2013, funds are reduced by 4.5 % compared to 2012, and the capital budget remained at almost the same level as the 2012.

Representatives of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare and Ministry of Human and Minority Rights were the only ones among the present, who showed understanding, and respecting reality and current economic crises that conditioned the amount of proposed budgetary means, expressed hope and expectation that with the proposed budgetary funds they would be able to realize projected activities in the year to come.

Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro stated that he would strive to realize his activities envisaged by the Law, with funds envisaged by the Proposal for the Law on Budget of Montenegro for 2013, and in case of financial problems or in case of lacking the funds to perform the tasks within his competences, he would address the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms, which is, according to the Law on the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro, competent for establishing requests for the allocation of budgetary fund to the Institution of the Ombudsman. Directors of the Fund for Protection and Realization of Minority Rights of Montenegro and Centre for development and preservation of minority culture expressed dissatisfaction over the proposed budgetary funds, stating them to be insufficient for performing their basic functions, and, in that way, it cannot be contributed to affirmation, promotion and protection of rights of minorities.

Representatives of the Agency for protection of personal data and free access to information pointed out that, as second instance organ, they got new competence regarding acting on requests for free access to information, what significantly extended their scope of work, thus they would not be able to cope with new commitments, unless new workers had been employed, for what they needed additional funds. Representative of NGO “Naša Inicijativa” asked to be considered, in accordance with budgetary possibility, option of increasing funds for transfers to institution, individuals, non-government and public sector, within the Program - The distribution of the part of revenue from games of chance to fund plans and programs of the individual fields, as well as increased funding for social protection, primarily increase of the child allowance, reimbursement of care and assistance for another person and personal disability.

Members of the Committee from among the position stated that economic crises in Montenegro should be taken into account as well as that proposed budgetary funds were real in the current situation; they also considered that consumer units that were under consideration today, may accomplish their legal commitments and realize activities with these funds. Representatives of the opposition expresses satisfaction over the proposed budget, and consider that it cannon enable regular functioning of the institutions.

After long and meaningful discussion, the Committee:

 -supported, by majority of votes, the Proposal for the Law on Budget of Montenegro for 2013 for consumer unit Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro;

- supported, by majority of votes, the Proposal for the Law on Budget of Montenegro for 2013 for consumer unit of the Ministry for Human and Minority rights;

- supported, by majority of votes, the Proposal for the Law on Budget of Montenegro for 2013 for consumer unit of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare;

- supported, by majority of votes, the Proposal for the Law on Budget of Montenegro for 2013 for consumer unit of the Agency for protection of personal data and free access to information;

- did not support, by majority of votes, the Proposal for the Law on Budget of Montenegro for 2013 for consumer unit of the Fund for Protection and Realization of Minority Rights of Montenegro and

- did not support, by majority of votes, the Proposal for the Law on Budget of Montenegro for 2013 for consumer unit of the Centre for development and preservation of minority culture.

The proposal of MP Snežana Jonica, that the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms, by its Conclusions should demand funds for the Protector of Human Rights and Liberties of Montenegro in the amount of 625,486.72 euros – the same amount that Ombudsman asked in his request to Ministry of Finance and in Proposal to the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms, was not supported by the majority of votes.

Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms, as the Committee interested, in accordance with Article 137, paragraph 4 of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Montenegro, will submit Opinion on the Proposal for the Law on Budget of Montenegro for 2013 to the line committee – Committee on Economy, Finance and Budget.