EU accession means a busy summer for Serbia's Parliament

EU accession means a busy summer for Serbia's Parliament

Lawmakers say they are committed to meeting the EU deadlines to move the accession process along.

The Serbian parliament is undertaking a working summer, without breaks or holidays, considering new laws that are required to meet deadlines to accelerate the European integration process.

"You will eat, sleep and wash your face in this House of Parliament. The adoption of laws is the priority," Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic told MPs.

Parliament secretary general Jana Ljubicic told SETimes that the parliament is committed to keeping up with the government's pace.

"The government has told us there will be a lot of work and that we should expect numerous draft laws. We are ready for it, and we will organise our work in co-operation with the government, in order to be as efficient as possible," Ljubicic said.

MPs are considering proposed laws on national minority councils, labour, bankruptcy proceedings, privatisation and fiscal control, among other issues.

According to the chairman of the parliament's European Integration Committee, Aleksandar Senic, MPs have a lot of work to do.

"Over the next four years, according to the current EU accession dynamic, the Serbian parliament is to pass several hundred new laws, and amendments and supplements to existing laws," Senic told SETimes.

"The dynamic of adoption of laws will primarily depend on the efficiency of the government and its ministries. All MPs are in favour of Serbia's European integration, and there is no doubt that all the laws necessary for the association process will be passed," Senic said.

He also said that the work of the European Integration Committee will be very...