At the request of 99 deputies, the Chairman of the National Assembly, Predrag Markovic, convened the Third Extraordinary Sitting of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2006 for 12 p.m. on Monday 5 June.

The request for holding the sitting specifies the following agenda:

1. Bill Amending and Modifying the Personal Income Tax Act, proposed by the Government;

2. Bill Amending and Modifying the Act on Contributions for Compulsory Social Insurance, proposed by the Government;

3. Bill Amending and Modifying the Act on Textbooks and Other Teaching Aids, proposed by the Government;

4. Bill Amending the Broadcasting Act, proposed by deputies Milos Aligrudic, Tomislav Nikolic, Miloljub Albijanic, Miroslav Markicevic and Ivica Dacic;

5. Civil Servants’ Salaries Bill, proposed by the Government;

6. Identity Card Bill, proposed by the Government;

7. Agricultural Land Bill, proposed by the Government;

8. Organic Products and Production Bill, proposed by the Government;

9. Local Authorities Funding Bill, proposed by the Government;

10. Free Trade Zones Bill, proposed by the Government;

11. Foreign Currency Transactions Bill, proposed by the Government;

12. Bill Amending the Payment Operations Act, proposed by the Government;

13. Bill Amending the Road Transport Act, proposed by the Government;

14. Bill Ratifying the Treaty Establishing the Energy Community between the European Union and Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and the United Nations Interim Mission in Kosovo as Kosovo representative under UN Security resolution 1244, proposed by the Government;

15. Bill on Providing Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to German Financial Organisation KfW for a Loan Granted to the Serbian National Power Generation Company for Rehabilitation of the Bajina Basta Hydroelectric Power Plant, proposed by the Government;

16. Gender Equality Bill, proposed by a group of 15 deputies;

17. Bill Repealing the Act Establishing the Bratstvo Publishing House, proposed by the Government;

18. Report on Activities of the Board of Inquiry Charged with Ascertaining the Truth about New-born Babies Abducted from Maternity Wards in Several Serbian Cities, submitted by the Board of Inquiry, submitted by the Board of Inquiry;

19. Election of several judicial officials.

At the start of joint discussion in principle on the Bill Amending and Modifying the Personal Income Tax Act and the Bill Amending and Modifying the Act on Contributions for Compulsory Social Insurance, the deputies were addressed by the representative of the submitter – the Minister of Finance, Mladjan Dinkic. He emphasised the importance of the proposed legislative solutions in completing fiscal reforms in areas regulated by the bills, and explained specific proposals for amendments and modifications.

By the end of the working day the deputies had finished discussing the bills in principle.

On the second day of the sitting (6 June) the National Assembly completed joint discussion in principle on the Bill Amending and Modifying the Act on Textbooks and Other Teaching Aids, the Bill Amending the Broadcasting Act, and the Civil Servants’ Salaries Bill.

On the third day of the sitting (8 June), the National Assembly completed discussion in principle on the Personal Identity Card Bill; the Minister of the Interior, Dragan Jocic, took part in the debate.

On the fourth day of the sitting (12 June), the National Assembly completed joint discussion in principle on the Agricultural Land Bill and the Organic Products and Production Bill.

According to the representative of the submitter, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Dr Ivana Dulic-Markovic, the proposed legislation will ensure the protection and organisation of agricultural land, and improve the use of this resource. In addition, the adoption of the Organic Products and Production Bill would provide a legal framework for organic production, while Serbia has a relative advantage in this field of growing international interest.

At the proposal of the Administrative Committee, the National Assembly noted that the offices of deputies to the Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro, justices of the Court of Serbia and Montenegro, and all other officials appointed by the Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro delegated from the Republic of Serbia had terminated on 3 June.

On the fifth day of the sitting (13 June), after an opening address of the Minister of Finance, Mladjan Dinkic, the National Assembly discussed the Local Authorities Funding Bill and the Free Trade Zones Bill in principle.

On the sixth day of the sitting (14 June), the National Assembly finished discussing the Foreign Currency Transactions Bill and the Bill Amending and Modifying the Payment Operations Act in principle before the midday recess.

After the deputies were addressed by the representative of the submitter – the Minister of Capital Investment, Velimir Ilic - the Assembly went on to discuss the Bill Amending the Road Transport Act.

The Assembly also held joint discussion in principle on the Bill Ratifying the Treaty Establishing the Energy Community between the European Union and Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and the United Nations Interim Mission in Kosovo as Kosovo representative under UN Security resolution 1244, and the Bill on Providing Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to German Financial Organisation KfW for a Loan Granted to the Serbian National Power Generation Company for Rehabilitation of the Bajina Basta Hydroelectric Power Plant. The Minister of Mining and Energy, Radomir Naumov, spoke about the importance of passing these bills.

A group of 15 deputies, who had proposed the Gender Equality Bill, withdrew their proposal from Assembly procedure.

On the seventh day of the sitting (15 June), the National Assembly discussed the Bill Repealing the Act Establishing the Bratstvo Publishing House in principle.

The Assembly went on to discuss the Report on Activities of the Board of Inquiry Charged with Ascertaining the Truth about New-born Babies Abducted from Maternity Wards in Several Serbian Cities in principle. The representative of the Board of Inquiry, Zivodarka Dacin, told the deputies about the Board’s findings and presented its proposed conclusions.

At the start of the eighth day of the sitting (19 June), the National Assembly noted that the minister’s mandate of Ivana Dulic-Markovic had terminated after she resigned from the post of Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management.

The National Assembly held a joint discussion on proposals of decisions on the election of judicial officials.

On the ninth day of the sitting (20 June), the National Assembly included the proposal of the election of Government members, proposed by the Prime Minister, Vojislav Kostunica, in the agenda under urgent procedure.

The proposal entailed electing Ivana Dulic-Markovic, the outgoing Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, to the post of Deputy Prime Minister, while Goran Zivkov, the outgoing Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, was to be elected Minister. Presenting the proposal, Mr Kostunica told the Assembly that the candidates were already on the Government’s team, meaning that Government policy would not change, while work efficiency would improve.

Continuing his address, Mr Kostunica spoke of the Government’s current priorities. In his words, the most important issue was adopting a new constitution for Serbia, which would be followed by both parliamentary and presidential elections.

The Prime Minister paid special attention to presenting the Government’s policy of continuing European integrations and furthering Serbia’s partnership with Europe, adding that it was necessary to fulfil obligations undertaken towards the Hague Tribunal.

Finally, according to Mr Kostunica, the Government will continue to devote most of its attention to negotiations on the future status of Kosovo and Metohia; the ultimate authority in this will, as has been the case so far, rest with the National Assembly.

The National Assembly went on to discuss the proposal and elect Ivana Dulic-Markovic to the position of Deputy Prime Minister, and Goran Zivkov to the post of Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, after which the newly elected ministers took the oath of office.

On the tenth day of the sitting (21 June), the National Assembly discussed the Bill Amending and Modifying the Personal Income Tax Act and the Bill Amending and Modifying the Act on Contributions for Compulsory Social Insurance in principle.

The sitting’s chair, and National Assembly vice-chairperson Vojislav Mihailovic informed the deputies that deputy Slobodan Zivkucin had notified the National Assembly in writing of the fact that he had left the For a European Serbia Deputies’ Group, and that he would thereafter be acting as an independent deputy.

On the eleventh day of the sitting (22 June), the National Assembly discussed the Bill Amending and Modifying the Textbooks and Other Teaching Aids and the Bill Amending the Broadcasting Act.

The National Assembly commenced discussing amendments submitted to the Civil Servants’ Salaries Bill.

Having extended its working hours into the late afternoon on the twelfth day of the sitting (27 June), the National Assembly discussed the particulars of the Civil Servants’ Salaries Bill, the Identity Card Bill, and the Agricultural Land Bill.

On the thirteenth day of the sitting (29 June), the National Assembly discussed the particulars of the Organic Products and Production Bill and the Local Authorities Funding Bill.

On the fourteenth day of the sitting (4 July), the National Assembly discussed particulars of the Free Trade Zones Bill.

On the fifteenth day of the sitting (5 July), the National Assembly discussed particulars of the Foreign Currency Transactions Bill and the Bill Amending the Payment Operations Act.

On the sixteenth day of the sitting (6 July), the National Assembly concluded discussing particulars of the Bill Amending the Road Transport Act, the Bill Ratifying the Treaty Establishing the Energy Community between the European Union and Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and the United Nations Interim Mission in Kosovo as Kosovo representative under UN Security resolution 1244, the Bill on Providing Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to German Financial Organisation KfW for a Loan Granted to the Serbian National Power Generation Company for Rehabilitation of the Bajina Basta Hydroelectric Power Plant, and the Bill Repealing the Act Establishing the Bratstvo Publishing House.

As the National Assembly had completed discussing all items from the agenda, Mr Markovic called a Voting Day sitting for 10 a.m. on Friday 14 July.

At the start of the seventeenth day of the sitting (14 July), the Voting Day as designated by Assembly Chairman, Predrag Markovic, the National Assembly included the Proposal of the Decision Authorising the Remand in Custody of Marina Jovanovic-Bajovic, judge of the Smederevska Palanka Municipal Court under urgent procedure, at the proposal of the Administrative Committee.

Immediately after completing joint discussion, the Assembly adopted the Proposal of the Decision Authorising the Remand in Custody of Marina Jovanovic-Bajovic, judge of the Smederevska Palanka Municipal Court.

The National Assembly went on to adopt, in their entirety, the Bill Amending and Modifying the Personal Income Tax Act, the Bill Amending and Modifying the Act on Contributions for Compulsory Social Insurance, the Bill Amending and Modifying the Act on Textbooks and Other Teaching Aid, and the Bill Amending the Broadcasting Act.

Having adopted the Local Authorities Funding Bill, in its entirety, the National Assembly went on to adopt, in their entirety, the Free Trade Zones Bill, the Foreign Currency Transactions Bill, the Bill Amending the Payment Operations Act, and the Bill Amending the Road Transport Act.

The Assembly also adopted, in their entirety, the Bill Ratifying the Treaty Establishing the Energy Community between the European Union and Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and the United Nations Interim Mission in Kosovo as Kosovo representative under UN Security resolution 1244, the Bill on Providing Guarantees of the Republic of Serbia to German Financial Organisation KfW for a Loan Granted to the Serbian National Power Generation Company for Rehabilitation of the Bajina Basta Hydroelectric Power Plant, and the Bill Repealing the Act Establishing the Bratstvo Publishing House.

Finally, the National Assembly adopted the Report on the Activities of the Board of Inquiry Charged with Ascertaining the Truth about New-born Babies Abducted from Maternity Wards in Several Serbian Cities, with an associated proposal of measures to be taken, and elected several judicial officials.

As the National Assembly had finished discussing and voting on all items from the sitting’s agenda, the Chairman, Predrag Markovic, concluded the Third Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2006.