The workshop was opened by Deputy Secretary General Srdjan Smiljanic who stressed that the fact that the MPs need the help of the support service in their day-to-day work makes it imperative to continuously strengthen its capacities. Smiljanic presented the key duties and activities of the Support Service, adding that its staff closely cooperates with international and civil society organisations.

In the introductory part of the workshop the participants were addressed by the Head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation “Rule of Law” Regional Programme Thorsten Geissler and the Head of the German Bundestag’s Parliamentary Law Department Thomas Hadamek. They informed the participants of the workshop on the Bundestag’s activities and the role the German Parliament’s Support Service plays in the legislative process, with Geissler stressing that the parliamentary support services need to remain politically neutral in order to perform their tasks with the utmost professionalism.

Assistant Secretary General and Legislative Sector Chief Mirjana Radakovic spoke of the categories of legal documents passed by the National Assembly, legal drafting of bills and other general documents and amendments as the mechanism used to improve bills and laws.

At the workshop, the participants discussed the structure of laws and amendments, the process of harmonisation of the domestic legislation with the EU acquis, accompanied by best practice examples bad examples in the drafting of amendments.

The participants were also addressed by Doc. Dr Uros Cemalovic, professor of EU law.

The workshop included the staff employed in the departments for the affairs of parliamentary groups, for the preparation and processing of National Assembly sessions, the constitutional law system and organisation of power, European integration, foreign affairs, as well as the staff of the National Assembly’s library.