Serbian National Assembly Speaker Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic and acting head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia Thomas Moore signed a Memorandum of Understanding which would allow the electronic management of the legislative process.

Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic said that by signing the Memorandum, the Assembly has pledged to work intensely to introduce the information technology which would not only bring financial benefits and facilitate the work of the deputies, but also enable the citizens to follow the legislative process.

At the National Assembly House, the Speaker said that the deputies would feel the first effects of the new system in March next year, as the project needs to be taken one step at a time, stressing that its would improve the legislative activity. She reminded that printing documents for a single parliament sitting costs 15,000 EUR, and thanked the OSCE Mission and the Swedish government which would secure the funds for the implementation of the new programme.

Moore said that the OSCE Mission has taken on the task of providing the Serbian Assembly with the information technology which would make the deputies’ work more efficient and facilitate communication with the ministers and the public, adding that he hoped every deputy would have access to the network system within one year.

Moore stressed that the new technology will allow the deputies to see in one place how far along a bill has come, and how many amendments have been submitted and passed.

“The introduction of the technology which will make the parliament more efficient comes at the right time, because Serbia is undergoing numerous legislative changes and harmonisation with EU laws”, Moore added.

Moore stressed that the introduction of e-parliament would not mean any changes in the legislative procedure and that the whole system would be created in accordance to the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.

Swedish Ambassador Christer Asp said that the financing of the e-parliament project is proof of the Swedish government’s support of Serbia’s EU accession. Asp stressed that the introduction of e-parliament is an important step in the democratisation process, expressing his belief that it would increase the efficiency and transparency of the Assembly’s work.

E-parliament will cover the organisation and technical aspects necessary for the efficient use of the information and communication technologies aimed at automating bill management and increasing public participation, NARS efficiency and monitoring role in the complex parliamentary work.