The secretary of the National Assembly Veljko Odalovic and representatives of the European Integration Department, talked today to the Deputy Ambassadors of European Union member countries in Belgrade about strengthening the National Assembly’s capacities and its role in Serbia’s accession to the European Union.

In his opening address, Deputy Ambassador of Sweden Bjorn Landerfalk stressed that the Embassies of Sweden and Spain, the current and future European Union Chair, have drafted a cooperation project between EU and the Serbian parliament. Elaborating the project, he stressed that successful legislative work is an important condition for gaining EU member countries’ support for Serbia’s accession to the European Union.

Secretary Veljko Odalovic informed the guests that in the previous year the National Assembly had adopted 217 laws and over 70 other regulations. Laws conditional for Serbia’s visa liberalisation and laws harmonising domestic legislation with EU legislation were prioritised. Thus the National Assembly unequivocally confirmed that Serbia favours European integration.

Odalovic said that the National Assembly Act should be adopted by the end of the year, and later, Rules of Procedure which should enable the Parliament to work more efficiently.

Head of the European Integration Department Djordana Kurir stressed that the National Programme for Integration of the Republic of Serbia into the European Union sets the short and long-term legislative priorities among which are passing laws from the sphere of environmental protection, agriculture, trade, consumer protection, protection of competition and other. She also stressed that the deputies and employees of the National Assembly have already established good cooperation with the deputies and administration of the European Parliament.

It was also proposed that one of the project topics should be relation between the legislative government and regulatory bodies. They also emphasised the need to intensify study visits and contacts between the Parliament members and Support Service employees of the National Assembly and parliamentarians of EU member countries so as to ensure the necessary exchange of experiences.