Assistant Minister Milan Popovic briefed the Committee on the activities concerning veteran and disability protection, reminding that a Draft Law on the rights of veterans, disabled veterans, war-disabled civilians and their families is being prepared. A Memorandum of Cooperation had been signed with 32 university-level institution and 192 disabled veterans were sent to spa medical treatments, which cost about 6,600,000 RSD in total. All programmes relating to the commemoration of liberation wars, 53 in total, were realised, costing about 24,296,000 RSD, and 25 million RSD were secured for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of memorials in the country, added Popovic. He reminded that the Ministry is also in charge of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of memorials abroad, and works were planned for three memorials in Romania, three in Tunisia and one in Macedonia. The Ministry will also be working on the reconstruction of memorials in Greece using leftover funds from the previous period. He expects that the Law on Memorials will be passed this year, which is in Assembly procedure.

In the discussion on the Information, the Committee members commended the work of the sector for social and family protection, the inspections and closure of illegal retirement homes. They also had questions about the work of the social welfare centres regarding the protection of unaccompanied child migrants, the recognition of war military service years andresolution of instances of abuse, as well as the abolition of compensation for the families of soldiers fallen in the line of duty.

The Committee members then proceeded to deliberate on the Committee on Labour, Social Issues, Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction 2015 Activity Report, presented by Committee Chairperson Dr Vesna Rakonjac.

She said that the Committee held 40 sittings, deliberated on 31 bills and 320 amendments, as well as 143 civic petitions. It had set up a Working Group for the Political Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, held three public hearings and six sittings dedicated to the current situation regarding asylum-seekers/migrants’ welfare.

At the end of the sitting the Committee members discussed the civic petitions and proposals the Committee had received in the previous period and unanimously accepted the competent Working Group’s proposal on how to process them.

The sitting was attended by Committee members and deputy members Milena Corilic, Miodrag Linta, Mirjana Dragas, Milanka Jevtovic Vukojicic, Aleksandra Maletic, Ljiljana Beronja, Blagoje Bradic, Aleksandar Peranovic and Bratimir Vasiljevic, and chaired by Committee Chairperson Dr Vesna Rakonjac.