© OECD

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Different Approaches to Legal Harmonisation:The ways and means to harmonise the national legal

framework with the requirements of the acquis

The case of Republic of Serbia

Vladimir Međak, Ph.D.

Serbian European Integration Office

Government of Serbia

Skopje, June 25, 2015

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Content of presentation

• Co-ordination structures for:

SAA implementation

Accession negotiations

Legislative process

• Policy co-ordination

• Legal harmonisation

Instruments for legal harmonisation

National program for the adoption of the acquis

• Administrative capacities

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Bodies for Implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement

Stabilisation and Association

Council

Co-Chair: Minister for EUI

(SEIO Secretariat )

SAA Committee

Co-chair: Director of SEIO

Members are state secretaries- heads

of Sub-Committees

SEIO secretariat of Subcommittees

1. Sub-committee Trade

Ministry of Trade and

Telecommunications

2. Sub-committee

Agriculture Ministry of

Agriculture

3. Sub-committee Internal

Market, State Secretary

Matic Ministry of Trade

and Telecommunications

4. Sub-committee

Economic and

Financial Issue

Ministry of Finance

5. Sub-committee

Transport Ministry of

Transport

7. Sub-Committee JLS -

Ministry of interior

8 Special Group for

Reform of Public

Administration – Ministry

for Public Administration

6. Sub-Committee

Social Affairs –

Ministry of labor

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Government

COORDINATION BODY

Members of the Government

COUNCIL OF THE COORDINATION BODY

NG 1 NG 2 NG 3...

Ministries and special organizations

NG 31 NG35

National Assembly

SERBIAN EUROEPEA

N INTEGRATION OFFICE -

SEIO

Core Negotiating Team - CNT

IGC state delegation

MISSION IN BRUSSELS

Co-ordination structure for the accession

process

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Policy co-ordination during accession negotiations

• Protocols during accession negotiations defined by the Government

• All communication goes through SEIO

• Screening supervised by CNT and SEIO

• Negotiation positions approved by CNT

• SEIO is secretariat of CNT

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Adoption of a proposal of an act

Secretariat general

Government

Secretariat for

Legislation

Ministry 3

Ministry 2

Ministry 1

Serbian European integration

office

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Types of acts sent to SEIO

Defined by the Rules of Procedure (RoP) of the Government (since 2010)

1. Draft laws

2. Decrees

3. Decision that are relevant for harmonisation

• Sometimes rulebooks (not an obligation under RoP)

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Instruments of harmonisation

Defined by the Rules of Procedure of the Government (since 2010)

• Statement of concordance

• Table of concordance

(obligatory material sent to Government)

Draft Laws relevant for harmonisation sent to European Commission – obligatory since December 2014

(SEIO controls whether this has been done) 8

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National program for the adoption of the Acquis - NPAA

• Serbia adopted National program for Integration 2008-2012 (1st NPAA) fulfilled by 88% (1030 out of 1172 planned acts were adopted)

• Preparation coordinated by SEIO

• NPAA 2013-2016 adopted 28.2.2013

• January 21st 2014 Serbia opened accession negotiations

• Internal readiness for membership planed for end of 2018 – deadline for alignment

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National program for the adoption of the Acquis - NPAA

• July 31st 2014 NPAA 2014-2018 adopted

• Screening process closed March 24th 2015

• 9 screening reports adopted + 6 on COELA

• All SR adopted by the end of 2015

• Revision underway (by the end of 2015)

Legal

Financial

Administrative

• NPAA as a basis for negotiation positions

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Administrative capacities

• Understaffed

• Austerity measures (Budget cuts)

• No new institutions and reorganization before hiring new employees

• GUIDE TO THE MAIN ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURES REQUIRED FOR IMPLEMENTING THE ACQUIS (updated: February 2013) useful guide

11

© OECD

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Useful links

Serbian European Integration Office:www.seio.gov.rsTranslation Evronim: http://prevodjenje.seio.gov.rs/evronim

Vladimir Međak, Ph.D.

vmedjak@seio.gov.rs

Skopje, June 25, 2015