New annual press ID cards were prepared for journalists accredited with the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia by the Assembly’s Information Service. The National Assembly Chairman, Predrag Markovic, took the opportunity to personally hand out the new cards, together with Support Service personnel, to journalists, and so fulfil a promise made to journalists that the press IDs would be available before the start of the first sitting of the first regular session in 2006.

As part of the National Assembly’s effort to improve working conditions for journalists covering the Assembly, but also to harmonise government practice with European Union standards and European parliamentary practice, the journalists have been issued with either permanent or temporary ID cards, showing their photographs, names, and media outlets. In addition to permanent and temporary IDs, there are also one-day cards, intended for the use of reporters occasionally covering Assembly proceedings and receiving one-day press accreditation.

Mr Markovic also presented a detailed list of expenses involved in the production of the ID cards. The National Assembly spent a total of 186,200.46 dinars, of which 80,100.00 were spent on the production of 400 permanent and temporary ID cards; 20,025.00 dinars on the production of 100 one-day ID cards; neck-straps for the IDs cost 57,672.00 dinars, while VAT amounted to 28,403.46 dinars.

Mr Markovic invited the journalists present to join him in the National Assembly ‘garden’, a designated smoking area, as the Assembly had adhered to legally prescribed deadlines and introduced a no-smoking policy in enclosed public spaces starting on 1 March 2006.