Home > 6 Political parties > SERBIA - Joint Opinion on the Draft Amendments to the Law of the Financing of Political Activities
 
 
 
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Paragraph 28
 

IV. Analysys and recommendations


E. Donations and membership fees


As previously noted by the OSCE/ODIHR, the limits on private funding set by the Law appear to be too high to be effective.[1] The donation limit by a private individual in an election year is 40 average monthly salaries (approximately EUR 21,000 at a monthly salary, rate of September 2014), while for a company the donation can be up to 400 average monthly salaries in an election year (i.e. approximately EUR 210,000).[2] As noted in para 175 of the Guidelines, limitations on private contributions “have been shown to be effective in minimizing the possibility of corruption or the purchasing of political influence”.[3] It is therefore recommended to lower the limits on private funding in the Law for both private individuals and companies. Also here, the same should be applied to the funding of electoral campaigns for candidates and the funding of political activities for elected representatives (see para 21 supra).


[1] OSCE/ODIHR Final Report of the Limited Election Observation Mission to the Parliamentary and Early Presidential Elections of Serbia, 6 and 20 May 2012, p. 12.


[2] This would occur if the maximum donation amount for regular work (Article 10) and the maximum additional amount for donations to election campaigns are added together (Article 22).


[3] OSCE/ODIHR-Venice Commission Guidelines on Political Party Regulation; see also Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation 2003 (4), Article 3 a.