National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia / Activities / Activity details
Monday, 2 June 2014
Second Sitting of the Culture and Information Committee
At the sitting held on 2 June, the Culture and Information Committee discussed the European Union and Serbia’s endangered heritage. Minister of Culture and the Media Ivan Tasovac informed the Committee about the activities and preliminary estimates of heritage endangered by the recent floods in the Republic of Serbia. Minister Tasovac said that the damage to heritage sites is currently being assessed, the report on which would be published once all the teams in the field had completed their work.
The Committee sitting was attended by Sneska Kvadlig Mihailovic, Europa Nostra Secretary General, who presented the work of the Hague-based NGO with a 50-year history. She said that, every year, a list of seven most endangered heritage sites in Europe is published which includes, among other things, the archaeological site of Vinca and the Synagogue in Subotica. Sneska Kvadlig Mihailovic asked the Committee members and attending representatives of the Ministry of Culture and the Media to help raise awareness, in cooperation with Europa Nostra, on the degree of endangerment of heritage in Serbia due to the catastrophic floods. The Committee members were also shown a short film by Europa Nostra titled “The Seven Most Endangered”.
The Committee then proceeded to discuss and adopt the Ministry of Culture and the Media Activity Information for the period January – March 2014. The Committee members discussed the status of media freedom in Serbia, influence of social networks on the creation of public opinion, censorship on the Internet, role of conventional media and the need to protect fundamental human rights, the right to information among them.
Speaking of the set of media laws, Minister Ivan Tasovac said he expected the bills to enter assembly procedure by the end of June.
Committee Chairperson Vesna Marjanovic informed the Committee members on the vacant posts at the Serbian Broadcasting Agency’s Programme Board due to the termination of the term of office of the MPs nominated by the National Assembly. She said that nominations for new members would be known after consultations with the parliamentary groups at the National Assembly Collegium.
Committee member Vladimir Djukanovic suggested holding an exhibition at the National Assembly House, in cooperation with the Archives of Serbia and the Ministry of Culture and the Media, of the shorthand notes of the National Assembly sessions held during World War One.
Committee deputy member Aida Corovic spoke of the need to protect heritage sites at the local level and raise awareness of its importance.
The sitting was chaired by Vesna Marjanovic, Committee Chairperson.