The Resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly on the institution of the Ombudsman, adopted in October 2013, reaffirmed this stand by calling on member states to “provide the institutions of the Ombudsman with sufficient financial and human resources to enable them to carry out their tasks effectively.”291 In light of the economic crisis, “the Assembly calls on member states to make maximum efforts to avoid budget cuts that would lead to the loss of independence of the Ombudsman institutions.”292 The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe also firmly insists on its opinion that financial independence of ombudsmen must be ensured by legislative texts as specifically and as completely as possible.293 Venice Commission of the Council of Europe adopted in March 2019 a set of 25 guidelines crucial for the establishment and functioning of the ombudsman institution in democratic society titled “Principles of Protection and Promotion of the Ombudsman Institution”, i.e. “Venice Principles”. The purpose of the principles is to consolidate and empower the ombudsman institutions which have a key role in strengthening of democracy, rule of law, good administration as well as protection and promotion of human and minority rights. NECESSITY FOR THE AMENDMENTS TO THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK ON THE PROTECTOR OF CITIZENS Considering the fact that the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia was passed in 2006, and that the Protector of Citizens started working one year later, after more than ten years of experience, the Protector of Citizens pointed to the need for improvement of the legal framework. The amendments to the Law on the Protector of Citizens are one of the obligations of the Republic of Serbia in the process of accession to the European Union within the Action Plan for Chapter 23 – judiciary and fundamental rights whose enforcement has been postponed since 2016. With the aim of further strengthening of independence, objectivity, fairness and impartiality of the institution operation, the Protector of Citizens executed the working version of the new law on the Protector of Citizens which respects the international principles of protection and promotion of the ombudsman institution of contained in the Venice Principles of the Council of Europe294. The working version of the new law envisages great transparency of the election of the protector of citizens by more closely regulated the procedure of the selection of the protector of citizens via public competition. Simultaneously, the working version of the new Law contains provisions which would enable a wider citizen public to exercise their rights before the Protector of Citizens as well as the provisions which would promote the efficiency of acting upon complaints. The working version of the new Law on the Protector of Citizens pays special attention to the promotion of child rights, so that the Protector of Citizens has the status of a special body for the protection and promotion of child rights, which is upgrade of the long-term successful work of this institution in this field. For the performance of the activities in the field of the improvement of child rights, there would be budget funds specially allocated within the budget of the Protector of Citizens, and the protector of citizens would have in that the Resolution in the Serbian and English language available at: http://www.zastitnik.rs/index.php/langsr/2011-12-25-10-17-15/3057-2013-10-25-10-34-49. 292 Ibid. 293 See the Compilation of documents on the institution of ombudsmen of the Venice Commission available at: http://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/CDL(2011)079-e.aspx. 294 Adopted at 118th Plenary session (Venice, 15th – 16th March, 2019). 291 - 135 -