OSCE contributes to strengthening lawmaking process in Serbia

A roadmap for streamlining and improving the lawmaking process in Serbia was the focus of discussions in Belgrade on 27 and 28 November 2013, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Serbian National Assembly and the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

During the workshop, representatives from the National Assembly, government, civil society and international organizations discussed how to implement recommendations from OSCE/ODIHR’s 2012 assessment report and four follow-up workshops.

The recommendations focus on improving the quality of legislation, better regulating the lawmaking process by the parliament, increasing transparency and public participation in drafting procedures, and ensuring that consolidated legal texts are made available to the public.

 “The roadmap, to be officially launched in 2014, will provide concrete and practical guidance to decision-makers,” said Alice Thomas, Chief of ODIHR’s Legislative Support Unit. “We hope this will lead to more systematic conduct of public consultations and greater public awareness of the final, consolidated versions of Serbian laws.” 

Vladimir Cvijan, Chairperson of the Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues of the National Assembly, said: “Throughout the past two years, we have co-operated closely with the OSCE to identify areas for reform in our lawmaking process, and this legislative roadmap will conclude the process and mark a new period of reform.”

The roadmap was developed following an official request by the National Assembly on the basis of an agreement between the Assembly and ODIHR signed in 2011.