Aleksandar Vulin’s party has proposed a draft law in Serbia to create a registry for “agents of foreign influence”, targeting NGOs and organizations receiving over half of their funding from foreign entities within a year. The proposal identifies these “agents” as groups engaged in political activities perceived to threaten democracy, Serbia’s integrity, or incite hate. Organizations must register with the Ministry of Justice, and the materials they produce must be labeled accordingly. Non-compliance could lead to fines ranging from 100,000 to 2,000,000 dinars for organizations and 5,000 to 200,000 dinars for individuals, with potential operational bans for serious violations. A party MP argued the law aims to enhance transparency, comparing it to the U.S. FARA act, and claims many foreign-funded NGOs undermine national interests. As per the party, this legislation aims to tighten financial controls and ensure citizens know which foreign governments or organizations fund these entities and influence their agendas. As a regional network promoting a more enabling environment for civil society, BCSDN remains dedicated to monitoring the situation and responding as necessary as it continues to develop. Read more here.
Source: Danas.rs