BASIC INFORMATION AND REFERENCES

Yugoslav Survey is a public publishing institution founded by the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

The latest founding deed of this institution (The Yugoslav Survey Federal Public Institution Decree) was enacted by the Federal Government on 18 January 2002 (published in the FRY Official Gazette no. 3/2002) and in June 2006, the founding rights were taken over by the Government of the Republic of Serbia (Decision of 8 June 2006, published in the RS Official Gazette No. 49/2006), with reference to the Republic of Serbia Public Services Law.

The following three activities of public concern are referred to in Article 3 of the Yugoslav Survey Public Institution Decree:

- Making ready and publishing a magazine in Serbian (PREGLED-RS) and English (SURVEY-RS)
- Translating laws into English
- Preparing and translating technical texts about the Republic of Serbia for foreign publications and magazines

The first and so far the basic edition of the Yugoslav Survey is the (Yugoslav) Survey, or the Pregled - Republika Srbija now, a quarterly in Serbian which has been published also in English (Survey-RS) from 1960 onwards. In addition to the Survey-RS, the Yugoslav Survey has published in English a large number of titles in various fields, including the specialised publications containing the updated Serbian laws in English. Because of the diversified topics covered by it, factographic and documentary character of the texts and standards applied in their preparation and presentation, this magazine is also regarded as the country's current encyclopaedia and a reliable and often quoted source of data about it. 

   1. Translations

As of the early 1980s, the Survey has also been translating national laws and regulations into English, as well as the European directives and other regulations into Serbian. Because of its profile and contents boasting the broadest possible spectrum of topics, it has been gathering for decades now a wide variety of specialists from all key areas of social life, including also the translators specialising in such areas.

More than 40,000 pages of translations into and from the English language in the 2001-2012 period, of which about 40% relate to laws and regulations.

Because of the scores of years of its experience in translation and publication of laws and regulations for the needs of government agencies, Yugoslav Survey has been engaged in the translation of national bills into English and pieces of the EU legislation into Serbian in the procedure for harmonisation of national legislation with the EU acquis communitaire.

For instance, in 2008 and 2009, Survey has translated for the needs of the Republic of Serbia Government ministries (justice, finance, culture, telecommunications...) alone more than 2,000 pages, of which almost 1,000 are to do with directives, regulations and other EU documents. A set of media directives was translated for the Ministry of Culture, a whole set of Serbian judiciary and anti-corruption bills was translated for the Ministry of Justice, totalling about 500 pages, a set of bills the adoption of which is required according to the Roadmap on visa liberalisation with EU was translated for the Ministry of Interior Affairs, etc.

Under the annual contracts with five ministries (of justice, finance, culture, telecommunications and mining & energy) alone, PI Yugoslav Survey has been translating up to several hundred pages per week.   

   2. Legal editing of Serbian and English translations

Yugoslav Survey PI has at its disposal a permanent team of external associates who are highly experienced in the preparation and harmonisation of the pieces of legislation which have been translated into or from Serbian and English.

In the legal editing procedure, the translated laws and regulations of the Republic of Serbia, as well as the translated directives and other regulations making up a part of the EU acquis communitaire, are adjusted to the style, form and traditions of the source law, whereby they are made fit for official use. The team of legal experts acting in the capacity of permanent Yugoslav Survey external associates has edited so far a set of judiciary laws, as well as a set of the EU directives dealing with the provision of Internet services.

   3. Language editing of Serbian and English translations

The language editing is an additional service provided particularly in the case of translated official documents, after legal editing and for which we also have a team of linguistic experts.

   4. Standardisation and formatting of the existing legal and other texts

The formatting, paging and graphic processing of translated and other texts in accordance with the EU standards or customer special requirements entail high quality and precision. Yugoslav Survey has scores of years of experience in graphic preparation and processing of texts for its own editions or for the needs of government agencies and other customers.

   5. Design, makeready and printing of translated texts

The design, makeready and printing have been this institution's routine activities ever since its establishment. These services of ours have also been used by government agencies and organisations in the meanwhile.

   6. Electronic databases in Serbian and English

In keeping abreast with technological trends and clients' needs, Survey has also developed several online databases, which in terms of contents, conception and technology represent a unique base summarising the national legislation in English. It was one of the first organisations in Serbia to develop the following on-line databases using its own resources and knowledge:

• Survey-Republic of Serbia magazine in English (about 10,000 pages)
• Updated selected Serbian laws in English (about 7,000 pages)
• Summaries of all new Serbian laws in English, 2001-2009 (about 750 pages)

   7. List of users

Among others, we have been rendering services to do with translation and legal/language editing of laws and other documents, as well as with systematisation and drafting of the national legislation presentations in Serbian and English, also to the following clients:

A special group of users of the services provided by Yugoslav Survey is made up of foreign embassies and their economic and commercial departments in particular, as well as a growing number of domestic and foreign law firms and offices.

The high standards requested by the above listed clients, as well as the broad thematic coverage, urged us to establish permanent cooperation with a network of reliable associates and translators who are at our disposal.