Opening the session, the Chair, deputy Ivan Jovanovic, greeted the participants stressing that this was Serbia’s first time to chair the CEI. He emphasised the importance of adopting laws from the sphere of environmental protection for the road to Europe and reminded that Serbia has made considerable progress in the area by adopting a package of laws and ratifying certain agreements. Jovanovic said that the National Assembly boasts an informal “green” group which is a good way to include the deputies into activities promoting “green” legislation and follow the implementation of laws.
National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gordana Comic welcomed the participants on the behalf of the National Assembly Speaker and herself, stating that the parliament is the right place where the countries in the region can come to a common agreement on significant issues such as environmental protection. She believes that CEI is proof that the member states of organisation, regardless of their numerous differences, can find a common interest and agree on important issues to everyone’s benefit.
The participants were also addressed by Minister of Environment, Mining and Spatial Planning Oliver Dulic who said that in 2009 Serbia adopted 16 laws defining all areas important for environmental protection, as well as more than 300 by-laws.

The agenda contained two topics: “Sustainable development and environmental protection – role of the Parliament” and “CEI Development Perspectives”. At the session, it was announced that the initiative to found a South-East Europe Parliamentary Assembly would also be discussed.

At the end of the sitting, the Parliamentary Committee of the Central European Initiative (CEI) Parliamentary Dimension adopted a Declaration (DOC, 2,1MB).