Providing support to users of the CEOP system for issuing e-permits

Donor: EU PRO
Implementation period: September 2016. - March 2017.

The system for issuing electronic construction permits has been implemented since January 1, 2016 and has visibly accelerated and improved the way permits are issued in the Republic of Serbia. However, in order for the system to continue to develop, it is necessary to support end users, both request processors within local governments and public companies, as well as request submitters. The overall goal of this project is to contribute to the greater competitiveness of Southeastern and Southwestern Serbia and to the country's efforts to improve the business environment.

The key activities that are planned by this project and that will enable the achievement of the stated goal are the following:

1. Analysis and proposal to improve the internal organization of employees in local self-governments so that the Department of Urbanism within the local self-government can process submitted requests efficiently and within the given deadlines;

2. Organization of training for system users from:

• Competent bodies of 34 local governments participating in the European PROGRES program.  
• Public companies that act in the system both as processors and as applicants;
• Private companies that act as applicants in the system - investors, designers, architects.

3. Analysis and recommendations for improving the electronic system, as well as the laws and bylaws governing this area, will be provided. NALED will continue to monitor the development of electronic permit systems in municipalities covered by the European PROGRESS project. Upon completion of the project, NALED will provide an analysis of improvements in the speed and number of permits issued in the mentioned municipalities as the ultimate result of the successfully completed project.

4. The foundation for digitizing other public services and procedures (such as approval and issuance of building permits, infrastructure tenders, construction projects, investment proposal assessment, monitoring of effects, monitoring the implementation of territorial development goals, etc.) will be established.

   Existing problems in Serbia regarding access to spatial data and their use include:

   • Poor data accessibility, insufficient use of data standards and formats, duplication of costs and efforts, unclear intellectual property rights, and lack of coordination among responsible institutions.
   • Absence of data digitization, delays in the preparation and delivery of documents, which are of poor quality.
   • The process of zoning regulations is lengthy and complicated, there is no access to relevant data or speed in resolving cases, and there is a lack of application of procedures ex officio for obtaining documents.
   • There are no unified application models at the national and local levels.

Objective, and Project Goals

In terms of content, the e-Space project would encompass solutions for the digitalization of all spatial and urban planning documents and related procedures prescribed by the Law on Planning and Construction, i.e., it would encompass the development of the concept of information systems for national and local planning. From a functional perspective, in order for this e-planning platform to be achieved as a new public service of the e-Government of Serbia by integrating various registries and databases, project solutions would include establishing links between spatial and urban planning databases and other relevant geological data sets and services as well. This primarily means smooth integration and interoperability of the e-Space and its elements and modules with the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) of Serbia and its components, as stipulated by the Law on Planning and Construction, but also a solution for e-Space as a platform for e-planning integration with other sectoral information systems and databases (such as the e-permit registry, Roads of Serbia database, protected natural areas databases, statistical databases, etc.).

The goal of the project is to establish an e-Space that would provide a standardized, reliable, and open platform for G2G, G2C, and G2B e-planning for decision-making on spatial and urban planning and territorial development and its monitoring of implementation, based on relevant international and national data management standards and sustainable development initiatives (INSPIRE, SDGs, UN/EU Urban Agenda, ESPON, etc.).

Expected results of the project 

In general, the results of the Project should include improved accessibility and increased quality of spatial and urban plans, more participatory and inclusive processes of regional urban development and, additionally, an incentive for development processes and economic activities.  

In particular, the expected results of the Project should contain several elemnts and moduls that are needed to support the achievement of the established goals and objectives of e-space.