OSCE/ODIHR facilitates workshop on finalization of roadmap to reform legislative process in Serbia

The finalization of a Regulatory Reform Roadmap for the Republic of Serbia was the focus of a workshop co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues of the National Assembly of Serbia on 26-27 November 2014.

During the workshop, participants from the Serbian National Assembly, the executive branch of government, independent institutions, civil society and international organizations exchanged views on how to improve the overall process of lawmaking in Serbia. Topics discussed included the drafting, consolidating and harmonizing of legislation, effectively monitoring and evaluating the implementation of laws, and how to conduct proper and meaningful public consultations on draft legislation.

“The Regulatory Reform Roadmap will provide guidance to decision-makers in Serbia on concrete steps to ensure that policy- and law-making comply with key OSCE commitments on transparent and effective lawmaking,” said Alice Thomas, Chief of ODIHR’s Legislative Support Unit.

“We have already initiated numerous reforms to improve certain key aspects of our lawmaking system,” said Aleksandar Martinović, Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues of the National Assembly of Serbia. “This Roadmap will be very useful in assisting our efforts to increase the effectiveness, efficiency and transparency of the legislative process.”

The Regulatory Reform Roadmap is the result of an ongoing ODIHR project on improving the lawmaking process in Serbia that was initiated by a Memorandum of Understanding signed between ODIHR and the Serbian National Assembly in May 2011. It is based on ODIHR’s 2012 Assessment Report on Law Drafting and the Legislative Process in Serbia, as well as on follow-up workshops on different aspects of the law-making process that took place in 2012 and 2013.