NEWS

• April 26, 2024
  
  ZPIZ - Notification on adjustment of pensions and annual allowance to pension beneficiaries from the Republic of Slovenia
  
  The Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance of Slovenia has submitted a notification regarding the adjustment of pensions, according to which, starting from January 1, 2024, pensions in the Republic of Slovenia are regularly adjusted in the amount of 8,8%.
  
  According to the notification, in November and December 2023, Slovenian pension beneficiaries were paid a special allowance in the amount of 1.8% of the pension, and in December 2023, a winter allowance, which amounted to 40% of the paid annual allowance. Persons, who were recognized with the right to a pension with retroactive effect, but the pension payment did not start until December 2023, will receive the winter allowance in April 2024.
  
  In 2024, Slovenian competent institution will again pay an annual allowance to pension beneficiaries residing in the Republic of Serbia (and other countries). For this purpose, Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance of the Republic of Slovenia will send a form to the beneficiaries who had a residence in the Republic of Serbia on January 1, 2024, with instructions how to fill out and return the form to the Slovenian competent institution. Information on the amount of foreign pension, the beneficiaries can submit online, to a specific web address or by using a special code that will be sent to him in the notification together with instructions and security PIN code.
  
  More detailed information on the annual allowance can be found on Slovenian competent institution website: https://www.zpiz.si/cms/content2019/letni-dodatek
  
• April 24, 2024
  
  MEETING BETWEEN LIAISON BODIES AND COMPETENT INSTITUTIONS FOR HEALTH INSURANCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
  
  On April 22 and 23, 2024, in Belgrade, a meeting between the liaison bodies and competent institutions for health insurance of the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro was held regarding the implementation of the Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Montenegro on Social Insurance, in the field of health insurance. At the same time, an agreement was reached regarding the method of settlement of health care costs for benefits in kind in the previous period. The two sides also discussed the issue of the exchange cost claim documents in electronic format. Contact persons were appointed on both sides who will propose further activities for the establishment of electronic exchange.
  
  Direct contact was established between the health insurance funds and it is agreed that cooperation started to exchange information regarding the innovations in the information system and regarding the way of contracting health care under national legislation, as well as regarding the way of financing health institutions. It was agreed that further cooperation on the topics discussed at the meeting, which are not related to the implementation of the International Agreement on Social Insurance, will continue through direct contact between the mandatory health insurance institutions.
  
• April 22, 2024
  
  REGIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY FORUM FOR EUROPE
  
  In Porto (Portugal), in the period from April 16 to 18, 2024, the Regional Social Security Forum for Europe was held, organized by the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and with the support of the General Directorate for Social Security, the Social Security Institute and the Informatics Institute of Portugal. The forum was attended by representatives of international organizations (ILO - International Labor Organization, EC - European Commission), as well as 480 representatives of social security institutions from 46 member countries of the association.
  
  During three days, 10 plenary sessions and 12 parallel lecture-sessions were held at the forum, in which 106 lecturers, panelists and moderators participated. A wide range of topics from the field of social security were discussed, the most significant of which are innovations and changes in systems, digitization and artificial intelligence, safe and healthy working environment, workforce mobility, support for family and children, gender equality, sustainable financing of the social security system and projections of the future development, as well as numerous other topics. Representatives of the Institute for Social Insurance also attended the forum and took an active part.
  
  As part of a special part of the forum, the ISSA Good Practice Award ceremony for 2024 was held on the first day. Out of 119 social security organizations and institutions from Europe that applied for the award, ISSA awarded 48 awards for various achievements and improvements of national social security systems. The Institute for Social Insurance was awarded the Certificate of Merit for transparency in the application of international agreements on social insurance. The award was presented by the President of ISSA, Dr. Mohammed Azman, and on behalf of the Institute, the award was received by Acting Director Zoran Panović.
  
  On the second day of the forum, as part of parallel lectures, Aleksandra Hranjec, assistant director of the Institute, gave a presentation within the panel "Improving coverage and compliance for the international mobile population".
  
  The forum provided a unique platform for members to discuss key social security challenges, innovative solutions and define a strategy for shaping the future of social security in Europe.
  
• April 15, 2024
  
  NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE CONCLUSION OF AN AGREEMENT ON SOCIAL SECURITY WITH PORTUGAL
  
  In Lisbon, in the period from April 9th to 11th, 2024, negotiations between the competent ministries, liaison bodies and insurance institutions of the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Portugal for the conclusion of the Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Portugal on social security were held. The delegation of the Republic of Serbia was led by Zoran Milošević, Acting Assistant Minister for Labor, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs, and the delegation of the Republic of Portugal was led by Antonio Santos Luiz, Director of the General directorate for social security. It was the third meeting of the two delegations where the text of the Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Portugal on social security was fully agreed upon. Two delegations initialed the text of the Agreement which contains provisions on pension and disability insurance, health insurance and health care, provisions on insurance on insurance for occupational injuries and occupational diseases, provisions on insurance for unemployment, as well as provisions on exercising rights in the field of family benefits (the right to child allowance).
  
  It was agreed that another round of negotiations will be held in the first half of 2025, where the provisions of the Administrative Arrangement for the implementation of the Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Portugal on social security will be reviewed and harmonized.
  
• April 12, 2024
  
  INTERNATIONAL CONSULTING DAYS, SERBIA-AUSTRIA
  
  International consulting days between Republic Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance and Institute for Pension Insurance of the Republic of Austria will be held on April 23, 2024, in Požarevac and on April 24, 2024, in Belgrade. On that occasion, the experts of the pension insurance institutions of both countries, in direct contact and discussion, will provide appropriate expert assistance and advice to interested persons regarding the exercise of rights from pension and disability insurance, based on the work and periods of insurance completed in the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Austria.
  
  Professional assistance is free and it is a common practice to organize it every year in Serbia in April and Austria in October in different cities with aim to inform interested persons about the conditions for exercising the rights from pension insurance, about the amount and payment of benefits, about the completed periods of insurance, about the status of the claims they submitted, as well as about other issues in this area.
  
  Persons interested in coming to the consulting days in Požarevac and Belgrade should register their arrival following the instructions given in the poster attached.
  
  Poster, Belgrade
  Poster, Požarevac
  
• March 19, 2024
  
  NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE CONCLUSION OF AN AGREEMENT ON SOCIAL SECURITY WITH ALBANIA
  
  In Tirana, in the period from March 12th to 14th, 2024, negotiations between the competent ministries, liaison bodies and insurance institutions of the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Albania for the conclusion of the Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Albania on social security were held. The delegation of the Republic of Serbia was led by Zoran Milošević, Acting Assistant Minister for Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs, and the delegation of the Republic of Albania was led by Olta Manjani, Deputy Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation. It was the second meeting of the two delegations where the text of the Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Albania on social security was fully agreed upon. Two delegations initialed the text of the Agreement which contains provisions on pension and disability insurance, health insurance and health care, as well as provisions on insurance for occupational injuries and occupational diseases.
  
  It was agreed that another round of negotiations will be held in the second half of 2024, where the provisions of the Administrative Agreement for the implementation of the Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Albania on social security will be reviewed and harmonized.
  
• February 26, 2024
  
  ENTRY INTO FORCE OF PART OF THE LAW ON AMENDMENTS AND ADDITIONS OF THE COMPULSORY HEALTH INSURANCE ACT IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
  
  On January 1, 2024, a part of the Law on amendments and additions of the Compulsory Health Insurance Act of the Republic of Croatia ("Official Gazette" No. 33/23) entered into force, which introduces significant changes for persons that exercise the right to health care on the territory of the Republic of Croatia.
  
  Amendments and additions of the Compulsory Health Insurance Act of the Republic of Croatia, foresee an increase of the minimum and maximum amount of participation in health care costs for certain health services, which are borne by the insured persons (unless they belong to the category of insured persons that have additional health insurance).
  
  For all further information about the new method of calculation of the amount of participation in health care costs, as well as which health services it applies to, please visit the News section on the website of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (Please note that the news to which the link refers does not have an English version):
  
  https://hzzo.hr/novosti/dzo/novi-iznosi-sudjelovanja-u-troskovima-zdravstvene-zastite
• February 23, 2024
  
  FUND FOR PENSION AND DISABILITY INSURANCE OF THE REPUBLIKA SRPSKA - PENSIONS ADJUSTMENT
  
  The Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance of the Republikа Srpskа submitted a notification regarding the pensions adjustment, according to which, based on the Decision on determining the percentage for of pensions adjustment, starting from January 1, 2024, the pensions have been adjusted in the amount of 9.2 %.
  
• January 26, 2024
  
  ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA AND AUSTRALIA ON SOCIAL SECURITY
  
  On February 1, 2024, the Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and Australia on Social Security shall enter into force. The Agreement was signed in Belgrade, on January 20, 2023, and published in the “Official Gazette of Republic of Serbia - International Agreements”, No. 3/23.
  
  The Agreement covers the area of pension and disability insurance and it enables persons who worked in the Republic of Serbia and Australia to exercise their right to a pension by accumulating a period of insurance completed in both countries. The Agreement guarantees the payment of benefits to the beneficiaries in the territory of the contracting party where they live.
  
  At the same time, the Administrative Arrangement for the Implementation of the Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and Australia on Social Security shall enter into force.