The First Regular Session was opened to the sounds of the national anthem of the Republic of Serbia, “God of Justice”, performed by ethno ensemble “Lazarice” from Krusevac.

Before moving onto the agenda, the heads i.e. authorised representatives of the parliamentary groups, MPs Aleksandar Jugovic, Dragan Jovanovic, MA Aleksandra Jerkov, Nevena Stojanovic, Prof. Dr Vesna Besarovic, Nedjo Jovanovic, Marko Djurisic and Veroljub Arsic, requested information and explanations in line with article 287 of the National Assembly Rules of Procedure.

The National Assembly set the following agenda:

1. Bill amending and modifying the Law on Chemicals, submitted by the Government;
2. Bill amending and modifying the Law on Biocidal Products, submitted by the Government;
3. Bill amending and modifying the Law on Integrated Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control, submitted by the Government;
4. Bill on the Confirmation of the Protocol on Sustainable Tourism to the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians, submitted by the Government;
5. Bill on the Confirmation of the Protocol on Sustainable Forest Management to the Framework Convention on Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians, submitted by the Government;
6. Bill on the Confirmation of the Veterinary Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, submitted by the Government;
7. Bill on the Confirmation of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria on Cooperation in Field of Animal Health, submitted by the Government;
8. Bill on the Confirmation of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Cooperation in the Field of Plant Quarantine and Plant Protection, submitted by the Government;
9. Collective Candidate List for the Election of Members of the National Council for Higher Education, submitted by the Committee on Education, Science, Technological Development and the Information Society;
10. Proposal of the Decision on the election of judges to judicial office for the first time, submitted by the High Judicial Council;
11. Proposal of the Decision on the election of judges to judicial office for the first time, submitted by the High Judicial Council;
12. Proposal of the Decision on the election of judges to judicial office for the first time, submitted by the High Judicial Council;
13. Proposal of the Decision amending and modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the Serbian Progressive Party Parliamentary Group;
14. Proposal of the Decision amending and modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the United Serbia Parliamentary Group;
15. Proposal of the Decision modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the Democratic Party Parliamentary Group;
16. Proposal of the Decision modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the New Serbia Parliamentary Group;
17. Proposal of the Decision modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the Boris Tadic – Social Democratic Party, Together for Serbia, Greens of Serbia Parliamentary Group;
18. Proposal of the Decision amending and modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the Serbian Progressive Party Parliamentary Group.

The National Assembly accepted the proposal of Member of Parliament Dr Branislav Blazic to complete a joint debate in principle on items 1, 2 and 3 on the agenda, joint single debate on items 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 on the agenda, joint single debate on items 9, 13, 14, 15 and 16 on the agenda and joint single debate on items 10, 11 and 12 on the agenda for the sitting.

In the morning part of the proceedings, the National Assembly commenced the joint debate in principle on the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Chemicals, the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Biocidal Products, and the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Integrated Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control.

On the behalf of the submitter, Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Prof. Dr Snezana Bogosavljevic Boskovic provided the rationale for the bills.

On the behalf of the MPs and herself, the Chair, National Assembly Speaker Maja Gojkovic, greeted the women parliamentarians of South-East Europe, participants of the Women Parliamentary Network regional conference “Equal and Empowered - Stronger Together”, who followed part of the sitting from the gallery of the Grand Hall.

The National Assembly conducted the joint debate in principle on items 1, 2 and 3 on the agenda for the remainder of the day.

On the second day of the proceedings, 4 March, the National Assembly concluded the joint debate in principle on items 1, 2 and 3 on the agenda for the sitting.

The National Assembly then commenced a joint single debate on items 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 on the agenda, with Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Prof. Dr Snezana Bogosavljevic Boskovic providing the rationale for the bills.

The National Assembly conducted the joint single debate on items 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 on the agenda for the remainder of the day.

On the third day of the proceedings, 5 March, before moving onto the agenda, the heads i.e. authorised representatives of the parliamentary groups, MPs Aleksandar Cotric, Dr Blagoje Bradic, Dejan Nikolic, Aleksandar Markovic and Dubravka Filipovski, requested information and explanations in line with article 287 of the National Assembly Rules of Procedure.

The National Assembly then continued and concluded the joint single debate on items 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 on the agenda for the sitting.

On the behalf of the MPs and himself, the Chair, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Veroljub Arsic, greeted the students of the First Belgrade Grammar School who followed part of the sitting from the gallery of the National Assembly House Grand Hall.

The National Assembly commenced and, by the end of the day’s proceedings, concluded a joint single debate on items 9, 13, 14, 15 and 16 on the agenda for the sitting.

On the fourth day of the proceedings, 6 March, the National Assembly completed a joint single debate on items 10, 11 and 12 on the agenda for the sitting.

The sitting was attended by the President of the Commission of the High Judicial Council Mirjana Ivic who provided the rationale for the decision proposals.

The National Assembly also completed a single debate on the Proposal of the Decision modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the Boris Tadic – Social Democratic Party, Together for Serbia, Greens of Serbia Parliamentary Group and on the Proposal of the Decision amending and modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the Serbian Progressive Party Parliamentary Group.

On the fifth day of the proceedings, 10 March, before moving onto the agenda, the heads i.e. authorised representatives of the parliamentary groups, MPs Mirko Cikiriz, Olena Papuga, Dragan Jovanovic, Riza Halimi, Gordana Comic, Janko Veselinovic and Dragan Sormaz requested information and explanations in line with article 287 of the National Assembly Rules of Procedure.

The National Assembly then proceeded to discuss, in detail, the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Chemicals and the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Biocidal Products.

On the behalf of the MPs and herself, the National Assembly Speaker greeted the group of young people of the municipality of Savski Venac, attendees of the seminar “Raising the political capacities of the youth of Savski Venac municipality”, who watched part of the sitting from the gallery of the Grand Hall.

In the course of the sitting, the National Assembly completed the debate in detail on items 1 and 2 on the agenda, as well as on the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Integrated Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control.

As the National Assembly had completed the debate in principle and in detail on all the items on the agenda, the Chair, National Assembly Speaker Maja Gojkovic set Tuesday, 10 March 2015, as Voting Day on all the items on the agenda for the First Sitting of the First Regular Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2015, starting at 5.15 pm.

Voting Day

On Voting Day, 10 March, by majority vote, the National Assembly passed the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Chemicals, Bill amending and modifying the Law on Biocidal Products and the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Integrated Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control.

The MPs also adopted the Bill on the Confirmation of the Protocol on Sustainable Tourism to the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians, Bill on the Confirmation of the Protocol on Sustainable Forest Management to the Framework Convention on Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians, Bill on the Confirmation of the Veterinary Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, Bill on the Confirmation of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria on Cooperation in Field of Animal Health, as well as the Bill on the Confirmation of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Cooperation in the Field of Plant Quarantine and Plant Protection, all submitted by the Government.

By majority vote, the National Assembly also adopted the Collective Candidate List for the Election of Members of the National Council for Higher Education, submitted by the Committee on Education, Science, Technological Development and the Information Society. The national Assembly Speaker congratulated the newly-elected members of the National Council for Higher Education and wished them success, on the behalf of the MPs and herself.

By majority vote, the MPs then adopted the three decision proposals on the election of judges to judicial office for the first time, submitted by the High Judicial Council.

On Voting day, the MPs also adopted the Proposal of the Decision amending and modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the Serbian Progressive Party Parliamentary Group, Proposal of the Decision amending and modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the United Serbia Parliamentary Group, Proposal of the Decision modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the Democratic Party Parliamentary Group, Proposal of the Decision modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the New Serbia Parliamentary Group, Proposal of the Decision modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the Boris Tadic – Social Democratic Party, Together for Serbia, Greens of Serbia Parliamentary Group, as well as the Proposal of the Decision amending and modifying the Decision on the Election of Members and Deputy Members of the Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the Serbian Progressive Party Parliamentary Group.

On Voting Day, the National Assembly also ruled on the violations of the Rules of Procedure the MPs complained of in the course of the session and decided that none of the provisions of the Rules of Procedure had been violated.

As the National Assembly had completed the debate on all the items on the agenda and ruled on them, the Chair, National Assembly Speaker Maja Gojkovic concluded the First Regular Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2015.