No. 07-00-115/2015-02 date: 19 July 2015

OPINION

The opinion was issued in the procedure following a complaint filed by V. R. from К against А. B. а. d. N, Branch Office in K. In the complaint was stated that, at the end of 2014, V. R. applied for funds provided to agricultural holdings through interest-free loans issued by А. B, Branch Office in K, on the basis of a tender that the City Administration of the city of K. announced, and that a loan was approved to him in the amount of EUR 3,100 in dinar counter value. He was referred to А. B. to sign a contract where he was informed that persons over the age of 70 could not obtain a loan. А. B. а. d. N. stated in a declaration that V. R. did not meet the conditions prescribed by the provisions of item 2 of the Methodology for crediting farmers, which was the reason why he was not granted the loan. In the course of the procedure was determined that the provisions of item 2 of the Methodology for crediting farmers of А. B. а.d. N. prescribe that a beneficiary of an agricultural loan and other products intended for farmers may be a holding owner who, at the moment of submission of an application, is not more than 65 years old, or more than 70 at the moment of the repayment of the last loan instalment, and if the client is more than 65 years old, they must provide a guarantee of a family member who is the successor of the holding. The Commissioner for the Protection of Equality issued an opinion that А. B. а.d. N committed an act of discrimination on the grounds of age by prescribing conditions that the beneficiaries of agricultural loans and other products intended for farmers may be exclusively owners of registered agricultural holdings who, inter alia, are not more than 65 years old at the moment of the submission of an application, or more than 70 at the moment of the repayment of the last loan instalment. For this reason, a recommendation was issued to А. B. а.d. N. to send a written apology to V. R. due to a discriminatory action towards him, to harmonize the Methodology for crediting farmers with anti-discrimination regulations, and not to violate non-discrimination regulations in the future in the course of conducting activities within it competencies.