Serbia is moving toward an important stage within the process of European integration with its Parliament facing a difficult task of aligning legislation with EU regulations, a heavy burden for the National Assembly of Serbia, which makes the strengthening of its capacities very important, said Oskar Benedikt Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia at the closing conference of Twinning Project “Strengthening capacities of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in the EU integration process”, that he described as “very successful.”
“Not only did Serbian and Greek parliaments cooperate a great deal over the course of this project, but project also engaged many Twinning institutions from England, Germany, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Hungary… which is a large number of countries that have responded,” Benedikt said.
Experts from 10 countries participated in the 22-month project that was implemented by Greek Parliament and financed by the EU with EUR1,5 million.
Project results come in the form of recommendations for the Parliament regarding infrastructure, parliament’s capacity, parliamentary control, higher number of public hearings and limiting urgent procedures, Benedikt added.
According to him, following period will be challenging for the Parliament and its further strengthening will be crucial, which is why the EU stand ready to continue supporting projects related to strengthening the role of National Assembly in the accession process.
Speaker of the Greek Parliament Evangelos Meimarakis said that during the project, 100 experts hailing from various EU countries had visited Belgrade, whereas the Parliament of his country “directed some of its best staff experienced in parliamentary practice.”
Experience gained through this project is mutually beneficial, “strong ties have been established between people from the two parliaments,” said Meimarakis and added that assistance provided by Greek parliamentarians to their Serbian colleagues would not end with the project, but continue in the future.
He particularly stressed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy which was highly important at this stage of the accession talks.
“I do not underrate the role of ministers and ambassadors, but we, parliamentarians, can discuss things far more relaxed and exert pressure on our governments to move in the direction that we consider to be right,” even when it comes to progress of the country in the integration process, Meimarakis said.
You can watch the closing conference here
