At the sitting held on 30 April, the Finance Committee discussed the Report on the Control of Political Parties’ Financial Statements for regular operations in 2007.

The Report was presented to the Committee members by the representatives of the Working Group formed by the Finance Committee’s Decision of 5 March of this year. It was stressed that, by the end of 2007, Serbia had 510 registered political parties and that the control covered the statements of all the political parties which had submitted reports by 29 April 2009. It was emphasised that four major parties had submitted all the documentation, while 8 parties, 6 of which were parliamentary parties during the examined period, had not submitted an auditor’s report. Only 5 parties had published their financial statements in the Official Gazette, and out of 22 parliamentary parties, 17 had submitted a report to the Finance Committee.

After a short discussion the Committee members adopted the following conclusions by a majority of votes:

1. The Working Group’s Report on the Control of Political Parties’ 2007 Financial Statements was adopted;

2. A National Assembly electronic database of newly formed parties in 2007 is to be constructed and updated;

3. The Finance Committee obligates the National Assembly Secretary to publish the Report and supplements at the website of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia;

4. The competent state authority in charge of registration of political parties shall be informed which parties had and which had not submitted their 2007 statements.

The Committee members agreed that forms 4 and 5 be made available to the public and all interested persons at the Finance Committee’s offices.