Zdravko Ponoš, president of the Serbia Center (SRCE) party, stated that the proposed law on special conditions for registering property rights is unlikely to be implemented, citing the government’s insufficient capacity.
According to Ponoš, Serbia has approximately 4.8 million illegal buildings, and the law requires a separate electronic application for each property to the Spatial Planning and Urbanism Agency within 45–60 days. He noted that the agency responsible has only 58 employees, raising doubts about the feasibility of processing all applications in a timely manner.
Ponoš also criticized the law’s upfront fee of 100 euros per application, arguing that it is unfair to charge citizens before their cases are resolved. He claimed the government’s goal is not to solve citizens’ problems, but to allow politically connected individuals to legalize properties in prime locations at low cost.
He warned that the government could misuse the data collected from citizens, potentially threatening demolition for those who resist.
The law, currently on the agenda of Serbia’s autumn parliamentary session, aims to register the majority of properties under their factual owners. The government has stated that the legislation enforces the principle of “ownership rights,” enabling citizens to freely manage their property through sale, inheritance, mortgages, and legal access to infrastructure.
