The Federal National Council approves 15 draft laws during the first ordinary session of the 17th legislative term
The sectors of health, food, the environment and the economy had the largest share of the issues of the draft laws, which were discussed and approved by the Federal National Council during the first ordinary session of the seventeenth legislative term that began on November 14, 2019, during "13" sessions during which "15" draft laws were approved This is a translation of the parliamentary strategy that aims to keep pace with the state’s vision in various circumstances, its strategies, and its anticipation for the future, which includes scheduling sessions in cooperation with the government to discuss the largest number of draft laws, during the year 2020, "the year of preparation for the fifty", thus contributing to the launch of the largest work strategy Watania to prepare for a pioneering developmental journey for the next fifty years.
As part of the Council’s keenness to exercise its constitutional prerogatives and to continue its national role, it held seven sessions "remotely", in light of the current circumstances and precautionary measures, in order to contribute to the development of legislation that has a direct impact on protecting the UAE society and preserving its health and safety of food and medicine. 9 "Bills, including four, dealt with the health sector, as well as the importance of these vital sectors in promoting the comprehensive and balanced development process."
The first round witnessed the recording of three parliamentary precedents that embodied the parliament’s keenness to develop parliamentary practice in a way that enables it to exercise its constitutional prerogatives, by holding seven sessions "remotely", to be considered the first in which the parliament holds its sessions in a place other than the place designated for it in the "Zayed Hall", and discussing a draft law Approval of it within four days, which is a bill guaranteeing rights in movable funds, is considered the shortest period of time that the council and committees take to discuss and approve a draft law, in the ninth session held by the Council on Thursday, 5/21/2020, and a session was held on days other than those specified in The internal regulations of the Council, which are "Tuesday and Wednesday," which is the ninth session of the first round.
The amendments and the new articles added by the council to the articles of the draft laws amounting to 366 articles were approved by the ministers and representatives of the government who emphasized the importance of the role of the council and its committees in developing legislation, in a way that embodies the complementarity of the roles entrusted to the council and the government to form the main basis for the council to fulfill its national responsibilities, which is strengthened by communication Cooperation and partnership.
According to the report of the General Secretariat, which monitors the legislative performance of the Council during the first ordinary session, which concluded its work on June 30, 2020, the total time taken to discuss draft laws amounted to "22" hours, 42 percent of the total session time of "51" hours, So that the Council has completed 80 percent of the draft laws listed on the agendas of the committees. Nine draft laws remain, of which two are ready for presentation to the Council.
A draft federal law on public health is the longest in discussion, as the time for discussion reached nearly 4 hours. A federal bill to cancel Decree-Law No. 3 of 2013 establishing and organizing the Office of the President of the State is the shortest draft of laws in discussion. With a time of "11" minutes, and the parliament still has "9" draft laws, including "2" draft laws ready to be presented to the council, and the council committees still have "7" draft laws under study.
Thus, the number of draft laws approved by the Federal National Council since holding its first session on February 12, 1972, reached 624 draft laws, which were discussed during "621" sessions, which included "52" sessions, up to the first round of the seventeenth legislative term.
And the draft laws approved by the Council during the first round of the seventeenth legislative chapter, which dealt with the sectors of health, food, medicine and the economy, namely: a draft federal law on public health, a draft federal law on the organization of strategic stocks of food commodities in the country, and a draft federal law on the bio-safety of modified organisms Genetics and their products, a draft federal law on pesticides, a draft federal law on the regulation of strategic stocks of food commodities in the country, a draft federal law amending some provisions of Federal Law No. 18 of 1981 regarding the regulation of commercial agencies, and a draft federal law on guaranteeing rights to transferred funds, And a draft federal law in the matter of consumer protection, and a draft federal law regarding the approval of the unified final account of the federation and the final accounts of independent bodies for the fiscal year ending on 3/12/2018.
The draft laws approved by the Council also dealt with the sectors of security, combating terrorism, services and politics, namely: a draft federal law establishing the International Center for Excellence in Combating Extremism and Violent Extremism, a draft federal law amending some provisions of Federal Law No. 5 of 1992 regarding the Police College, and a draft federal law regarding Witness protection, a draft federal law regarding amending some provisions of Federal Law No. 1 of 2019 regarding the system of diplomatic and consular service, and a draft federal law regarding amending some provisions of Federal Law No. 11 of 2018 in the matter of organizing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the draft Federal law abolishing the Federal Decree-Law No. 3 of 2013 establishing and organizing the Office of the President of the State's Representative.
As for the draft laws that are still before the committees, they are: a draft federal law on education, a draft federal law on cooperatives, a draft federal law on organizing and protecting industrial property rights, a draft federal law on mental health, a draft federal law on fundraising, and a draft law Federal law regarding access to genetic resources and their derivatives, fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use, a draft federal law on organizing owners ’union, and a federal bill regarding the exploitation of fictitious scientific certificates.
The amendments made by the Federal National Council affected most of the articles and clauses of a draft federal law on public health, which it discussed and approved during its eighth session of the first session of the seventeenth legislative chapter, which it held "remotely" on May 19, 2020, stressing the importance of this legislation as the first law of health. The public targets the future of the health sector and achieves a qualitative leap in line with the vision of the wise leadership and its keenness on the importance of continuous and integrated development of everything related to public health affairs in the country, as well as raising the level of community awareness of the factors and risks that affect human health and their causes, consolidating a sense of individual and collective responsibility and working to increase Educating the community about prevention methods and reducing risks affecting health.
An article was created that stipulates the existence of a system for reporting violations of any of the provisions of this law, providing health services for the disabled and other groups, and indicating the importance of cooperation and coordination in the field of resettlement in the health sector and medical staff, pharmaceutical products and medical means, and mechanisms that ensure continued coordination and cooperation between the Ministry And the authorities concerned with health affairs at the federal and local levels, and the introduction of amendments to penalties to achieve proportionality between violations and penalties.
The Council created a clause in the article related to public health personnel that stipulated the following: The Ministry of Health and Community Protection shall coordinate and provide support to the authorities concerned with Emiratisation in the country to enable the achievement of an escalating increase in the rates of Emiratisation in medical personnel working in the country, as the article stipulated that the Ministry In coordination with the health authorities and the concerned authorities, to set the controls that must be provided for the appointment, training, licensing and classification of the cadres necessary to work in the field of public health.
During the discussion of the draft law on the biosafety of genetically modified organisms and their products, which it approved in its fourth session of the first session of the seventeenth legislative chapter, which was held on February 11, 2020, the Council stressed the importance of this law in preserving human health, local genetic resources and biological diversity and ensuring control Reducing, eliminating or remedying damages that occur or are likely to occur, and ensuring the protection of the environment in the field of development, manufacture, production, transfer or circulation of genetically modified organisms or their products arising from modern biotechnology.
The provisions of this law shall apply to the import, export, re-export, transit, circulation, development, manufacture, production, and transportation of genetically modified organisms or their products, and other products containing or compounding them, with a percentage equal to or more than 0.9% of the genetically modified component, and the Council of Ministers may issue a decision to amend this percentage.
The council created an article in the draft law that stresses the importance of establishing a registry with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment to register facilities and genetically modified organisms and their products that are produced, manufactured, developed, traded, exported, imported, transit or transported, and the executive regulations of this law specify the controls for implementing this article.
The Council also created, during the discussion of a draft federal law regarding the organization of strategic stocks of food commodities in the country, during its fifth session of its first ordinary session of the seventeenth legislative chapter, which it held on February 18, 2020, an article stipulating that the Ministry of Economy, after coordination with the competent authorities, establish A register for the registration and classification of suppliers and merchants, which shall be determined by a decision of the Minister the conditions and procedures for registration, and the provisions of this legislation shall apply to the supplier and the registered merchant.
According to the draft law, the supplier and registered merchant is obligated to do the following: Maintain safety stocks in accordance with the provisions of this law, supply strategic stocks for food commodities upon request, and electronic linkage with the competent authority and the authority to ensure continued follow-up of quantities, items and status of strategic stocks, implement decisions issued by the competent authorities, and distribute The strategic commodity stockpile in the event of emergencies, crises, or disasters, according to the distribution plans prepared by the authority in coordination with the competent authority.