At the sitting held on 1 April, the Poverty Reduction Committee considered the Bill on Employment and Unemployment Insurance included into the agenda for the National Assembly sitting. The sitting was chaired by Snezana Stojanovic-Plavsic, Committee Chairperson.

The Bill was elaborated by Assistant Minister of Economy and Regional Development Ljiljana Dzuver. She stressed that the new law is harmonised with the principles of European Union employment policy, as well as the standards stemming from current conventions of the International Labour Organisation. The new law introduces a National Employment Action Plan as the main instrument of planning an active employment policy which will form the basis for budgetary planning in the field.

One of the innovations is the introduction of a Performance Results Act by which the Minister in charge of employment sets up the performance of the National Employment Service in the realisation of the Action Plan. Another innovation is the introduction of an individual employment plan which an unemployed person must receive within 90 from the day he/she registers with the National Employment Service.

The Ministry representative also stressed that certain types of compensation and the duration of the right to compensation for certain categories of unemployment persons have been reduced.

The Committee members accepted the Bill on Employment and Unemployment Insurance, with several suggestions.