Minister of Youth and Sport Vanja Udovicic provided the rationale on the Bill on Sports, saying that the Bill would improve sports in Serbia as it provides a comprehensive analysis of the entire system of sports in the country. One of the most important changes the Bill will enable is the expanding and strengthening of the sports base in local communities. Among the reasons for passing the Bill are also the improvement of healthcare for athletes, sports experts and children, prevention of negative occurrences in sports such as unacceptable behaviour by fans at sports events, encouraging sporting activities among children, young people, women, the elderly and the disabled, limiting the role of managers and the length of professional athletes’ contracts.

Having shared some quite similar opinions in the ensuing discussion, the Committee members decided to propose that the National Assembly accept the Bill on Sports in principle.

Speaking of the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Scientific Research Activities, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development Srdjan Verbic said that the new ten-year Serbian Strategy of Scientific and Technological Development, common interest research programmes and their funding require the adoption of the Bill.

The objectives the Bill would help achieve are the improvement of the quality of scientific research, application of the results of said research, better efficiency and efficacy of the commissions, bodies and other organisations within the scientific research system, better efficiency of allocation and use of scientific research and development resources, the creation and development of an innovative society based on knowledge.

Following a short discussion, the Committee members decided to propose that the National Assembly accept the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Scientific Research Activities in principle.

The first half of the sitting was chaired by Committee Chairperson Aleksandra Jerkov, and the second by Committee Deputy Chairman Prof. Dr Ljubisa Stojmirovic.