34 5.2. Cooperation between the publicauthorities and the NPM in the course of the visits to the institutions In 2016, the NPM was provided an unhindered access to all institutions where persons are deprived of their liberty are placed and to employees, including the access to full documentation. In the course of NPM visits conducted to the institutions where persons deprived of their liberty are placed conducted in 2016, the competent authorities and institutions acted in line with Article 20 of the Optional Protocol. Such acting of competent authorities is the result of a continuing, several years long practice of ensuring the free performance of NPM under its mandate. 5.3. Reports on visits to institutions In 2016, NPM made 54 Reports on visits to the institutions where persons deprived of their liberty are placed. After each visit, in line with the set methodology and practice, the NPM generates reports on these visits with recommendations for the elimination of identified deficiencies, with applicable legislation and standards observed by NPM when establishing the current deficiencies regarding the operation institutions. The difference in the number of the visited institutions (92) and the generated reports (54) is due to the fact that some of the reports comprise several institutions, so as to allow a systemic understanding of a particular problem. The reports on visits and/or the identified status, have been composed by the visiting team members, specifically, the Protector of Citizens, Provincial Protector of Citizens of the AP Vojvodina and associations and the appointed experts. 5.4. Recommendations for elimination of identified deficiencies The reports on visits to the institutions where persons deprived of their liberty are placed, contain recommendations of NPM for eliminating deficiencies, addressed to competent authorities. In 2016, NPM issued 318 recommendations for the elimination of identified deficiencies.