The members of the delegation headed by Committee Vice-Chair Christa Klass, first met with the members of the European Integration Committee to discuss Serbia’s upcoming obligations in the EU talks. The members of the European Integration Committee informed the guests that a resolution is being prepared which would define the National Assembly’s future role in the negotiation process, and the National Assembly and the European Parliament are soon to set up a joint committee tasked with monitoring the implementation of the SAA. Reminding of the recently adopted positive Report of the European Commission on Serbia’s progress in 2012, the Committee members pointed out how important it is to conduct further reform in the fields of the judiciary, anti-corruption, health care, environmental protection and agriculture.
The members of the European Parliament delegation opined that Serbia had taken a big leap toward the European Union and offered concrete support in its accession process.

In the meeting with the members of the Environmental Protection Committee, the two delegations exchanged experiences relating to environmental protection policy with a special focus on waste and waste water management. The Chairperson of the Environmental Protection Committee, Milica Vojic Markovic emphasised the Committee’s excellent cooperation with the civil sector and implementation of measures against the biggest polluters. The members of the two delegations also discussed food safety, impact of environmental pollution on humans and the need to raise the citizens’ awareness of environmental conservation.

The Chairman of the Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Committee, Aleksandar Senic met with the delegation of the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, on the behalf of the Committee he chairs. He informed the guests about the Committee’s work stressing that it is one of the most active committees at the National Assembly as regards its oversight role of the competent Ministry’s work. He also stressed that the Committee enjoys excellent cooperation with UNDP and often organises sittings outside of the National Assembly headquarters, thus strengthening the connection between the local self-governments and the republic institutions. The meeting touched on important issues such as water quality and protection and waste water management, aflatoxins and food safety, liberalisation of cigarette import from Croatia and the position of young people in rural areas. Aleksandar Senic said that the modest agrarian budget cannot keep the youth from leaving rural areas and added that he hoped the funds Serbia is to receive in the EU accession process would improve the lives of young people and prevent their exodus from villages. The Vice-Chair of the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, Christa Klass urged for improving cooperation between Serbia and the European Union, opining that agriculture is a big export opportunity for Serbia.

In the meeting with the members of the Health and Family Committee, the representatives of the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety drew attention to the alarmingly high percentage of smokers in Serbia. They also asked about the prevention of allergies, which they mentioned as a new-age illness, proceeding to ask whether Serbia monitors the concentration of allergens in the air. The Chairman of the Health and Family Committee, Dusan Milisavljevic asked whether genetically modified food is detrimental to human health and what the European Parliament’s position on the issue is. The Vice-Chair of the European Parliament Committee Christa Klass said that this is still open to discussion and each European Union member state is free to decide how to address the issue. She stressed that the harmful effects of genetically modified food are yet to be proved and await further scientific research. The officials agreed that the level of health care organisation in Serbia is the same as the European average, and Milisavljevic stressed that it can be improved primarily by legally binding patients to respond to screening examinations.