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19 February 2026 The participants of the public hearing on the Bill on the Establishment and Functioning of the Cohesion Policy Management System

19 February 2026 The participants of the public hearing on the Bill on the Establishment and Functioning of the Cohesion Policy Management System

Thursday, 19 February 2026

Presentation of the Bill on the Establishment and Functioning of the Cohesion Policy Management System

The European Integration Committee held a Public Hearing on the topic: Presentation of the Bill on the Establishment and Functioning of the Cohesion Policy Management System.

European Integration Committee Chairperson and Assembly Deputy Speaker Elvira Kovacs opened the Public Hearing by emphasising the importance of implementing the EU cohesion policy in our country, aimed at strengthening economic and social cohesion, as well as establish balanced regional and sustainable development.

The participants of the public hearing, members of the European Integration Committee, other MPs, representatives of the diplomatic corps in Serbia, representatives of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, regional development agencies, the National Convention on the EU, and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities were addressed by the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, who spoke about the importance of adopting the Bill on the Establishment and Functioning of the Cohesion Policy Management System. He recalled that the Bill is the result of the work of the Ministry for European Integration and the Ministry of Finance, based on comprehensive consultations with relevant stakeholders and with the technical support of the EU, in particular the Directorate for Enlargement. He emphasised that this Bill aims to prepare Serbia for the full implementation of the cohesion policy after its accession to full EU membership. He added that this Bill is important for two reasons, firstly, the fact that it represents the legal basis and institutional framework for managing cohesion funds so that Serbia, immediately upon accession to the EU, can use the funds that contribute to reducing disparities between regions, while on the other hand, its adoption contributes to the accession negotiations themselves, i.e., the closing of Chapter 22. Beckerath stated that the Bill also represents a benchmark for the implementation of cohesion policies, which, along with respecting the rule of law, autonomy of the judiciary, as well as dialogue between all stakeholders, will be an important step forward in the process of Serbia's accession to the EU.

Mira Radenovic Bojic, State Secretary at the Ministry of European Integration, presented the Bill in more detail to the participants of the public hearing, emphasising that this is a systemic law, important for Serbia's progress in Chapter 22. This Bill aims to create a cohesion policy management system so that Serbia is ready to use the cohesion funds immediately after accession to the EU. This is a complex process, and the EU cohesion policy is one of the most important EU policies, said Radenovic Bojic, adding that the Bill does not represent a technical regulation, but rather a set of preconditions, a regulation that allows us to prepare everything for the future use of the cohesion funds during the pre-accession period. She stressed that all relevant institutions dealing with Chapter 22 participated in the drafting of the Bill.

After the opening remarks, the participants of the public hearing discussed the solutions contained in the Bill on the Establishment and Functioning of the Cohesion Policy Management System and exchanged opinions on the current situation in the country, progress of the European integration process, the recently adopted set of judicial laws, the results of the reform agenda, the need for balanced regional development, the benefits of EU membership for the citizens, the control of European projects, the importance of strengthening the budgets of local self-government units so that they are ready to withdraw money from the cohesion funds, state investments in various regions in Serbia, inter-municipal cooperation, cohesion policy as a new quality of local development, the importance of investing in capacities, and more.

After the discussion, Committee Chairperson Elvira Kovacs thanked everyone who participated in the public hearing, announcing that the European Integration Committee would consider the Bill on the Establishment and Functioning of the Cohesion Policy Management System at its next session, confident that this type of work in the National Assembly would continue and be strengthened in the future.

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Wednesday, 15 April 2026

European Integration Committee Delegation at EP Constitutional Affairs Committee’s Interparliamentary Meeting on Institutional Aspects of Artificial Intelligence in Context of European Integration

Wednesday, 15 April 2026

National Assembly Speaker Convenes the Second Sitting of the First Regular Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2026

Wednesday, 15 April 2026

First Sitting of the First Regular Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2026

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thursday, 16 april

  • 8.30 - sitting of the Committee on the Judiciary, Public Administration and Local Self-Government (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 3)

  • 9.00 - sitting of the Committee on Spatial Planning, Transport, Infrastructure and Telecommunications (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 2)

  • 9.00 - sitting of the Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 4)

  • 10.00 - sitting of the European Integration Committee (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 4)

  • 10.00 - First Sitting of the First Regular Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2026 (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square)

  • 10.00 - sitting of the Defence and Internal Affairs Committee (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Small Hall)

  • 10.00 - sitting of the of the Committee on Finance, State Budget and Control of Public Spending (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 3)

  • 10.00 - sitting of the Culture and Information Committee (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 2)

  • 10.00 - the National Assembly Speaker meets with the UN Serbia Resident Coordinator (National Assembly Building, 14 Kralja Milana Street)

  • 11.00 - sitting of the Health and Family Committee (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 3)

  • 12.00 - Second Sitting of the First Regular Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2026 (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square)

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