Today at the National Assembly House, Chairman of the Justice and Administration Committee Bosko Ristic, Minister of Justice Snezana Malovic, President of the State Prosecutors Council Zagorka Dolovac and Vice-President of the Supreme Court of Cassation Snezana Zivkovic received a delegation of the German Bundestag’s Committee on the Affairs of the European Union, in visit to Serbia under the leadership of Michael Stubgen.

The meeting focused on Serbia’s further activities on the approach to the European Union, particularly the judicial reform.

Michael Stubgen, who deals with EU enlargement issues at the Bundestag, expects the Bundestag to ratify the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the EU and Serbia sometime next week. The German parliamentarians were interested in the continuation of judiciary reform and how the flaws identified by the European Commission in its last report would be rectified. Stubgen repeated that an efficient functioning of the legal state and adoption of EU legal legacies in the sphere are a pre-condition for European Union accession,

Justice and Administration Committee Chairman Bosko Ristic stressed that Serbia is clearly committed and has the political will to soon become a member of the European family of states. He also added that Serbia’s activities send the message that it wants to be a factor of peace, stability and security in the region and Europe.

Ristic highlighted that judiciary reform is the most complicated part of the overall reform of Serbian society and stems from the need to provide the citizens with credible institutions that can function efficiently. In addition, an efficient judiciary is the condition for establishing the trust of foreign investors into Serbia.

The National Assembly will continue to construct the legal framework for the harmonisation of the national and European Union legislation and the necessary judicial reform and introduction of EU standards in the sphere, said the Justice and Administration Committee Chairman.

Minister of Justice Snezana Malovic briefed the guests on the implementation of the judicial reform in the last two and a half years and the results achieved in the fight against organised crime and corruption, as well as regional cooperation in the sphere. She said that the general election of judges is currently under revision as suggested by the EC and Venetian Commission, and that according to plan it should be completed by the end of September this year. She stressed that the Ministry of Justice would cooperate with European Commission experts in this effort.

President of the State Prosecutors Council Zagorka Dolovac spoke of the Prosecutors Offices’ increased efficiency in the fight against crime, drug smugglers and in the search for war criminals.

Vice-President of the Supreme Court of Cassation Snezana Zivkovic stated that the implementation of the goals of the National Judicial Reform Strategy, the will regain the people’s trust in the judiciary.