Opening the public hearing, National Assembly Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Committee on Education, Science, Technological Development and the Information Society Academician Muamer Zukorlic expressed satisfaction that the program of public hearings on this topic is being successfully implemented, mostly thanks to the work and efforts of the Subcommittee on the Information Society and Digitalisation. Zukorlic said that it is important for the MPs to get well acquainted with this topic, as well as to raise awareness, both among the decision-makers and the citizens, about the necessity of digitalisation and all the advantages it brings. The use of open data has its weaknesses and that does require due attention, the Committee Chairman pointed out, saying that technology exists because of people and technological development should be subordinated them and not endanger them in any way.

The Chairperson of the Subcommittee on the Information Society and Digitalisation Marina Ragus, at whose initiative the Committee has organised the public hearing, stressed that artificial intelligence, soon be lunched, will drastically change our society and it is important to understand what open data means and how it can be used to improve the quality of life of the citizens.

The Head of the National Assembly delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vesna Markovic stressed that the OSCE pays great attention to this topic, citing a recent conference on the role of open data in economic development, business planning and eradication of corruption. Markovic expressed confidence that this public hearing would contribute to a better understanding of the possibilities provided by the use of open data.

United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Serbia Resident Representative Francine Pickup highlighted the importance of availability of high-quality data, pointing out that open data is a necessary part of any good policy-making process.

Director of the Office for Information Technologies and eGovernment Doc. Dr Mihailo Jovanovic, Assistant Director Dragana Becic, as well as First Secretary of the UK Embassy in Serbia Chantel Care, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Serbia Richard Kohli and Standardisation and Open Data Coordinator in the Office for Information Technologies and eGovernment Andreja Gluscevic also spoke at the public hearing.

The participants were also addressed by the representative of the Office for Local and Economic development and Projects of the City of Nis Djordje Antic, representative of organisation "Safe Trails" Igor Velic and the assistant at the Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Tijana Lezaic.

As part of the public hearing, exhibition "Open Data for an Open Future" was set up in the Central Hall of the National Assembly House, which will be available to the MPs and all the visitors to the National Assembly until the end of July 2021.