• 2015-04-09
• |  Belgrade

Second Plenary Session of the National Convention on EU

National Convention on EU marked its first anniversary with new members at the Second Plenary Session in National Assembly of Republic of Serbia.

National Convention on EU marked its first anniversary with new members at the Second Plenary Session in National Assembly of Republic of Serbia.

Coordinator of Working Groups presented the results from the past year and announced new activities and plans.

Publishing of the Book of Recommendations by National Convention on EU, assembling all the inputs that Working Groups have forwarded to respective ministries and state authorities is also announced.
 
Representative of Center for Democracy Foundation Bojana Ružić presented up-to-date results, recommendations and conclusions of the Working Group XVII and announced future activities.
 
Within the National Convention on European Union, Center for Democracy Foundation coordinates Working Group XVII for Chapters 2 and 19 – on freedom of workers’ migration, social policy and employment. 

National Convention on European Union stated that civil society organizations represent strong and expert support to the government of Serbia in its efforts to open first negotiation chapters in the coming months, and it also declared readiness to get involved in work of the future negotiation team. 

Civil society organizations gathered within the National Convention agreed that the process of European integration requires the establishment of planning system, consultations and public informing that will it best possible way utilize all the advantages ad instruments, financial and technical, by which European Union supports reforms in candidate states. 

At the same time, it is necessary that citizens of Serbia know who is negotiating on their behalf in Brussels, how the negotiation positions are being formulated and if different policies that are subject of negotiation are being coordinated in the best possible manner. 

Only an open and comprehensible process of European integration of Serbia and negotiations, secures the understanding and citizens’ support in implementing the reforms and fulfilling the obligations undertaken in negotiations with EU on their behalf.
 
If there is a genuine wish that European integration of Serbia become the concern, property and responsibility of the whole society, and secure full support and process legitimacy it is necessary to enable the involvement of the whole society, as stated by organizations gathered within Convent. 

This is exactly why the National Convention on EU has been formed, and which will in the forthcoming phase of negotiations be a constructive partner to the government and advocate for speeding up the negotiations process, thorough implementation of reforms and development of Serbia with stabile institutions and strong economy, therefore becoming the 29th member of EU. 

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National Convent ion on EU, which gathers more than 570 members in 19 working groups, monitors negotiations of Serbia and Union in all 35 negotiation chapters. 

Working Groups are consisted of eminent experts, representatives of non-governmental organizations, commerce, unions, professional associations, institutes and faculties, as well as local governments and media. 

In the first year of its work, National Convention on European Union, they produced a set of recommendations for improving the negotiation process and which were forwarded to the government of Serbia. 

In the following stage of Serbia’s integration process – negotiations by chapters, National Convention on EU will act as a part of formal procedure on assessing the suggestions on negotiation positions in the National Assembly and will continue to provide recommendations and expert opinions to government agencies and bodies involved in the negotiation process with EU. 

At the occasion of marking the first year of National Convention’s on EU work, Second Plenary Session was held. It is ascertained that cooperation of civil society and the state in negotiations may be intensified, which may entail the inclusion of National Convent in the work of future Negotiation Team. 

Center for Democracy Foundation has been implementing projects in the area of economic and social development since 2006, with special emphasis on labor rights, consequently we were appointed to coordinate Working Group XVII, which monitors the Chapters 2 – freedom of workers migration, and 19 – Social Policy and Employment. 

Sources: NKEU, FoNet, Center for Democracy Foundation

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