Opening the sitting, Committee Chairperson Milica Vojic Markovic said that 23 March is an important date when each and every one of us should join the global action and help reduce the negative impact of climatic change on our planet. Between 8.30 and 9.30 tonight, the National Assembly will be turning off the lights in the building, including the outside decorative lighting, in support of Earth Hour, which is supposed to remind people of the harms of overuse of electrical power and its negative impact on the climate, while the Committee, by holding the sitting today, joins the campaign High Time (5 to 12), added the Committee Chairperson.
The Committee members were also addressed by representatives of non-governmental organisations – the Environmental Improvement Centre, Centre of Modern Skills and the Belgrade Fund for Excellence, who spoke of the work of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, the biggest environmental protection organisation, boasting about five million supporters in more than 100 countries of the world. This year’s Earth Hour will be the seventh observed by the world, and fifth by Serbia, with additional 58 Serbian towns and numerous institutions and organisations joining the action. In the discussion, it was pointed out that Serbia lacks the adequate legal framework for environmental protection and that the non-governmental sector should be included in the decision-making process and drafting of strategic documents so that the amendments to the legislation in the sphere could come up with adequate measures for the reduction of the negative impact of climatic change on the environment.
The sitting was held without a decision-making quorum, in line with article 72, paragraph 5, of the National Assembly Rules of Procedure.

The sitting was chaired by Milica Vojic Markovic, Committee Chairperson.