LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURE

The Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia is a representative body of the citizens and the legislative power of the Republic is vested in it. The Assembly adopts the laws on sessions, and the majority necessary for the adoption is stipulated with the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia.

The right to propose adoption of a law is given to every Representative of the Assembly, to the Government of the Republic and to a group of at least 10,000 voters (authorised instances).

The initiative for adopting a law may be given to the authorised instances by any citizen, group of citizens, institutions or associations.

The procedure for the adoption of laws is stipulated with the Rules of Procedures of the Assembly. According to the Rules of Procedure, the authorised instances submit the law proposal to the President of the Assembly. The President of the Assembly immediately and no later than three (3) working days from the day of the submission, distributes it among the Members of parliament, in writing or in electronic format, and by that the legislative procedure begins.

According to the Rules of Procedure, the legislative procedure is executed in three readings.

The first reading shall start with a review of the Draft - law by the working bodies, during which, the Competent Working Body and the Legislative Committee shall hold a general debate on the Draft – law. Prior the discussion on the Draft – law at the Plenary Session, the Competent Working Body and the Legislative Committee shall review the Law. The Committees shall evaluate whether the Draft –law is acceptable and should be proceeded in further reading. During the first reading and following the general debate, the Assembly shall decide if the Draft –law is acceptable and can be proceeded to further reading.

If the Assembly decides that the Law is acceptable and should be proceeded to further reading the legislative procedure shall continue in second reading.

The second reading begins in the relevant working body and in the Legislative Committee within seven (7) working days after the session of the Assembly, or after the expiration of the period for submission a request for a general debate. During this reading amendments are submitted. Every Member of Parliament, parliamentary group and working body can submit an amendment. The amendments are submitted to the President of the Assembly at least two (2) workdays prior to the day scheduled for the session of the relevant working body or of the Legislative Committee. The amendments are reviewed and voted separately. The relevant working body and the Legislative Committee, after the end of the debate, and within five (5) days at the latest, prepare THE text of the law proposal in which they will insert the adopted amendments (amended proposal) and submit it to the President of the Assembly.

At the second reading at a session of the Assembly, debate is held only to those articles of a law proposal that have been altered with amendments. An amendment can be proposed by a parliamentary group, every Member of Parliament and the initiator of the law proposal.  If during the second reading at the session the Assembly adopts amendments of less than one third of the articles, the Assembly may decide to hold a third reading on the same session. If the Assembly during the second reading does not adopt any amendments to the amended law proposal, the vote on the law proposal takes place at the same session. If the Assembly adopts more than one third of the articles to the amended law proposal, after the termination of the second reading the text is revised and legally and technically prepared for third reading. 

The third reading of the law proposal, as a rule, is held on the first session after the session of the Assembly for the second reading. Amendments can be submitted only to the articles to which amendments have been adopted during the second reading, and the amendment can be submitted by the initiator and the MPs within 2 working days before the day determined for the session. During this reading the working bodies do not hold a debate. The Assembly debates and decides only on the articles for which of the amended law proposal to which amendments have been submitted for the third reading, and decides on the proposal as a whole.

Exceptionally, a law can be adopted with an emergency procedure.

A law can be adopted with an emergency procedure when this is necessary in order to prevent and avoid major disturbances in the economy or when this is in the interest of the security and defense of the Republic, or in cases of greater natural disasters, epidemics or other extraordinary and urgent needs.

If the Assembly decides to debate on the proposal for a law should to be adopted reducing the timeframes, it appoints the relevant working body and the Legislative to debate on the proposal. When the law proposal is reviewed with emergency procedure, there is no general debate on it. The second and the third reading are held at the same session. In that case, the second reading starts with review of the law proposal in accordance with the provisions of these Rules of Procedure for second reading.

The Law can be adopted by reducing the timeframe (with shortened procedure)

 The initiator of a law proposal can suggest to the Assembly to review the law proposal reducing the timeframe when: it is not the case of complex and extensive law; the law or some provisions of a law cease, or when it is not the case of complex and extensive harmonization of the law with the legislation of the European Union.

The Assembly decides whether the law proposal is to be adopted by reducing the timeframes.  When the law proposal is reviewed with reduced timeframes, general debate is not held, the procedure stipulated for second reading starts immediately and amendments may be submitted at the session, until the beginning of the second reading on the law proposal.

The laws are proclaimed by promulgation, signed by the President of the Republic and by the President of the Assembly. The President of the Assembly, immediately after the adoption of the law, submits the law to the President of the Republic for signing the decree for promulgation of the Law. 

The President of the Republic may decide not to sign the promulgation. In such cases the Assembly again reviews the law on third reading, within 30 days from the day of adoption, and if the law is adopted by a majority of votes the President is obliged to sign the promulgation. The President is obliged to sign the laws adopted by two-third majority of votes.

Before they enter into force, the laws, the other regulations and general acts are published in the “Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia”, seven days from their adoption at the latest.