At the sitting held on 18 March, the European Integrations Committee once more discussed the Anti-Discrimination Bill included into the agenda of the National Assembly sitting under urgent procedure.

Representatives of the Ministries of Labour and Social Policy and Human and Minority Rights stated that the Government withdrew the Bill from Assembly procedure in order to consider the objections of the religious communities regarding the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion and sexual orientation. The Government amended three articles of the Bill but did not in the process significantly deviate from the previously proposed regulations.

The representatives of the submitters stressed that the adoption of this Bill is vital for the liberalisation of the visa regime and Serbia’s placement onto the Schengen white list, as well as harmonisation of domestic legislation with that of the European Union.

Certain Committee members from the opposition pointed out that the Bill does not conform to the Serbian legal system and that the subjects of said protection have been introduced arbitrarily, and the Committee members from the Serbian Radical Party reserved their opinion.

The Committee accepted the Anti-Discrimination Bill by a majority of votes.

The sitting was chaired by Laslo Varga, Committee Chairman.