National Assembly Speaker Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic held a press conference at the National Assembly House today to present the agenda for the National Assembly’s Seventh Extraordinary Session and First Sitting of the Second Regular Session. The media representatives present were also addressed by National Assembly Secretary General Veljko Odalovic.

The NARS Speaker stated that the agenda for the First Sitting of the Second Regular Session includes the Bill amending and modifying the Budget System Law which will strengthen fiscal responsibility and establish a Fiscal Council in Serbia tasked with independently evaluating whether the Government pursues the fiscal policy in line with regulations. The Bill on Accreditation stems from Serbia’s obligations under the ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and is in line with Serbia’s goal of becoming a member of the World Trade Organisation. Among the important laws, the NARS Speaker highlighted the Bill on Consumer Protection which creates the appropriate conditions for the full protection of consumers and their rights, and provides the institutional framework to strengthen both the governmental and non-governmental sectors’ capacities in the field of consumer protection. The Bill on Air Transportation fulfills one of the conditions for EU candidacy, and the Bill on Inland Waterway Navigation and Ports regulates the safety of navigation on the Republic of Serbia inland waterways.

Secretary General Veljko Odalovic stressed that the National Assembly strives to make its work as transparent as possible, adding that on the occasion of the International Right to Know Day the National Assembly received a recognition from the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance for its contribution to the affirmation of the right to free access to information of public importance and transparency.

Answering the journalists’ questions on the rate of adoption of European laws, the Speaker said that in the period from July 2008 to June 2010 the National Assembly adopted 134 laws, thus fulfilling 97% of its obligations. Emphasising her pleasure at the National Assembly’s legislative activity, the Speaker stated that she expects high quality debates during the regular autumn session.

She also stressed that in the past two months, even though there were no rulebook possibilities to convene an extraordinary session, the NARS deputies enjoyed very intense parliamentary and diplomatic activity. She drew attention to the Assembly’s delegations to the IPU, Council of Europe, the parliamentary assemblies of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, OSCE and similar. She also stated that Committee sittings were held, some of them outside of the NARS House, for example the Gender Equality Committee held a sitting on 20 September in Zitiste on the topic of position of women in rural areas. In addition to these activities, the deputies also met with their foreign colleagues, representatives of certain societies, and were active in the field.