Adequacy of Normative-Legal Framework for Engaging the Military Forces of the Republic of Serbia in Emergency Situations

Abstract

Engagement of military forces of the Republic of Serbia is determined by the national legislation. The operationalisation of engagement of military forces of the Republic of Serbia is regulated in more detail by strategic-doctrinal documents of the National Security system and rules of use of the Serbian Armed Forces. However, engagement of military forces in peacetime (emergency situations) is specific, from the point of view of ambient conditions for use, i.e. dimensions of the operational environment in which military forces are used. Consequently, clearly defined procedures and methodologies for use of military forces are necessary, which nominally requires precise normative-legal determinants. The existence of adequate normative-legal determinants of engagement of military forces in emergency situations is a problem that is being researched in the paper. The solution to the problem, that is, the goal of the work, is achieved by applying the basic method used in the research is the method of content analysis. A special instrument-sheet for content analysis was constructed for its application. A total of 66 normative-legal documents were examined, which can be divided into four groups: laws; regulations; decrees and decisions; and assessments and instructions. The research, at the level of scientific description, led to the following results: the normative-legal framework of the Republic of Serbia enables the use of military forces in emergency situations; the existing legislation is not adequately regulated, so it is necessary to regulate the use of military forces more closely, with a focus on regulating connections and relations at different levels of coordination of entities and forces of disaster risk reduction and emergency management systems.