The Regional Conference on the role of parliaments in the fight against poverty and social exclusion in the context of European integration was held on 12 October at the National Assembly House.

The Conference was organised by the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in cooperation with the Regional Cooperation Council and the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

The Conference deliberated the aligning of the national legislations of Southeast European countries and Turkey to European Union legislation in the sphere of social inclusion and the fight against poverty. The participants exchanged practical experiences and discussed joint initiatives that might help speed up European integration and further regional parliamentary cooperation.

The participants also debated the fulfillment of Copenhagen and Madrid criteria dealing with the application of EU legal legacies regarding poverty reduction and social inclusion and building up the administrative capacities for the fight against poverty and social exclusion.

It was concluded that the countries in the region should harmonise their national legal system with European Union legacies, as well as develop new models of cooperation in the fight against poverty.

The global economic crisis was declared to have influenced an increase in poverty in the countries in the region.

The participants restated that 2010 was declared by the European Union the year of fight against poverty and social exclusions and that the gathering represents the regional contribution to reaching the EU’s goals in the sphere.

Opening the Conference, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic stressed that in the period from 2003 to 2008 the poverty rate had been halved, but due to the global economic crisis the number of poor was on the rise again. Serbia had defined its active participation in the European process of social inclusion in 2000 and achieved significant progress in the area in the past 10 years, said Speaker Djukic-Dejanovic reminding all present that the National Assembly has so far adopted several important laws regulating the issue of poverty.

“We will continue our legislative activities, be more efficient in monitoring the implementation of the adopted laws and focus on achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the European integration process”, stressed the National Assembly Speaker.

Regional Cooperation Council Secretary General Hido Biscevic said that the combat against poverty presents an important point for the development of regional cooperation and expressed an expectation that the countries in the region would improve their legislative capacities so as to align their legislation to the EU legal legacies. He added that there is no real economic development without inclusive social development.

Head of the European Union Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert emphasised the role of national parliaments of the Western Balkan states and Turkey in the fight against poverty, adding that they play a key role in transferring EU standards into their countries’ respective legislations and their subsequent implementation.

Degert said that about 7% of the Serbian population lives below the poverty line and that Roma, along with refugees and internally displaced persons are the most endangered. He stated that as much as 17% of the European population lives below the poverty line, among them a great number of children.

European Parliament Member Anna Ibrisagic stressed that the most endangered and vulnerable part of the population should benefit from the accession of Southeast European states to the EU. The European Parliament supports the joint combat against poverty and believes that this type of cooperation should contribute to the well-being of both individuals and the society as a whole.

The participants were also greeted by the Director of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Belgrade Michael Erke.

Snezana Stojanovic-Plavsic, Chairperson of the National Assembly Poverty Reduction Committee presented the Committee’s work and talked about the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, adopted in 2003, and the introduction of the concept of social inclusion in Serbia. The Chairperson of the Committee on Labour, Family, Social Policy and Disability of the Republic of Slovenia National Assembly, Andreja Meglic emphasised the role of the National Assembly in the reduction of social exclusion and eradication of poverty.

The participants were also addressed by the representative of the European Commission Directorate General for Enlargement Andris Kesteris and Chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s EU Committee Yasar Yakıs.

Former Vice President of the German Bundestag Petra Blaess and head of the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Cooperation in Southeast Europe Mariana Bitanova also spoke about the improvement of regional parliamentary cooperation.

Parliamentary delegations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Turkey and Albania took part in the Conference.