The public hearing was opened by Srdjan Mikovic, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues, and the participants were greeted, on the behalf of the National Assembly, by Gordana Comic, Assembly Deputy Speaker. She stressed that an efficient legislative process is a pre-requisite for the adoption of good laws, highlighting the importance of procedures and rules for the improvement of the legislative process. If laws are passed without procedure and rules, the creation of a culture of the rule of law will continue to lag behind, stressed Gordana Comic, showing particular support for the part of the resolution envisaging that by-laws accompany the adoption of laws and simultaneously enter assembly procedure.

Michael Hasenau, Deputy Head of the Mission of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, said that Germany follows the reform process in Serbia with great interest and stands ready to assist. He believes that the legislative process needs to be transparent and efficient and involve, besides the Parliament, all the other stakeholders. The proposed resolution relies on the data and analysis of the legislative process from the project Supporting the Implementation of Legal Reform in Serbia, financed by the German GIZ, said Hasenau, adding that the project has been in Serbia since 2001, and has started a new, 8-year legal reform project in 2011.

The Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues, MA Vladimir Cvijan stressed that the proposed resolution has been signed by 25 Committee members and deputy members from all the political parties and expressed expectation that the document would receive unanimous support at the National Assembly. He stated that the resolution is the “crown” of the long-standing cooperation of the National Assembly and the Committee with international institutions, which also resulted in the Uniform Methodological Rules for Legislative Drafting.

In his opening address, Srdjan Mikovic pointed out that the proposed resolution is something new in Serbia’s legal system and it aims to improve the drafting, adoption and implementation of regulations. The resolution covers the problems and needs of the legislative policy and guidelines for the monitoring of the implementation of the existing laws, said Mikovic announcing that, from now on, the progress of the legislative process would be assessed every year.

The leader of the GIZ project - Legal Reform in Serbia, Dr Mike Falke, stressed that the participation of the Government, National Assembly, and public and private sector institutions is crucial for the successful implementation of the resolution. Falke fully supported the inclusion of the resolution into Serbia’s legislative system.

Prof. Dr Dobrosav Milovanovic, member of the Working Group for the drafting of the Resolution Proposal, stressed that this is a strategic document that the National Assembly should adopt, adding that the improvement of the legislative process is one of the key factors of internal reform.

In the ensuing discussion the participants were unanimous in their view that the adoption of the Resolution Proposal would be very important for the further improvement of the legislative process. They also shared expert opinions, proposals and suggestions which will be taken into consideration in the drafting of the text of the document before the Resolution Proposal is put on the National Assembly’s agenda.

The public hearing was attended by the members and deputy members of the Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues, MPs, National Assembly Deputy Secretary General, representatives of the Government and the ministries, AP Vojvodina Assembly, Republic Legislation Secretariat, Ombudsman, representatives of the European Integration Office, Office for Cooperation with Civil Society, National Bank of Serbia, independent state authorities, civil sector, international organisations involved in parliamentary programmes, Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Belgrade Faculty of Law, as well as representatives of the academic and expert public.