eKapija | New Government of Serbia to have 18 ministries

(Photo: bibiphoto/shutterstock.com)

On Monday night, June 26, 2017, the National Assembly of Serbia adopted the amendments to the Law on Ministries, which envisage the establishment of two new ministries: environmental protection and European integration.

The foundation of the Ministry of Environmental Protection was proposed with the importance the environment and its protection have on the quality of life and health in mind. Another reason for the establishment are considerable, complex obligations Serbia needs to fulfill in this field in the process of accession to the European Union, says the explanation.

Activities related to environmental protection have so far been in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, and the ministry's scope of competence is also to change, whereas the ministry is to be renamed as the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management.

The explanation says that the establishment of the Ministry of European Integration was proposed due to a considerable increase in obligations and the amount of work in the process of accession to the EU. The adoption of these amendments means that the European Integration Office is to be closed, as its duties are to be taken over by the newly formed ministry.

It was also proposed for the scope of competence of the Ministry of Economy to change, whereby the Ministry of Mining and Energy would take over the activities pertaining to the preparation of acts on appointment and discharge of governing bodies, as well as other acts pertaining to the operations of public enterprises and companies producing and supplying electrical energy and natural gas.

Another proposal is for the Ministry of Economy to take over the activities pertaining to regulations in the field of concessions and public-private partnerships from the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications.

The amendments to the Law on Ministries say that, on the date of their coming into effect, the eGovernment Directorate is to cease its operations. However, they envisage for the Directorate to no longer be a part of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and to be turned into the Government of Serbia's office.

The Law is to come into effect on the date of the publication in the Official Gazette.

A total of 157 voted for the law to be adopted, 11 voted against, whereas two MPs didn't vote.

The adoption of the law is the first step in the process of the formation of the new government headed by former Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Ana Brnabic.

The proposal of the composition of the new government by Ana Brnabic should be submitted to the National Assembly, and certain media allege that the discussion and the submission of the expose will take place on Wednesday, June 28.

The deadline for the formation of the government is June 30, at midnight.

A total of 126 of the 250 MPs of the National Assembly of Serbia need to vote in favor of the composition of the new government.

Vulin new minister of defense

The domain of defense in Ana Brnabic's future government should be in charge of the former Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Policy, Aleksandar Vulin, reports seebiz.eu.

The information has been formally confirmed by the former Minister of Defense, Zoran Djordjevic, who has stated that Brnabic has put him in charge of Vulin's former domain – labor and social policy.

– It's a great honor for me to be invited by the future Prime Minister, Ana Brnabic, to be a part of her team. Within the new government, I have been put in charge of the domain of labor, employment, veteran and social policy – Djordjevic said.

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