Donors’ Conference for 2008 international assistance, 14 September 2007

The National strategy for EU accession has the goal of the country becoming EU member. The Agricultural strategy, at its level aims at moving the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). 
Basic directions to be pursued by The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water management towards this goal are:
•	Restructuring (of producer, ownership and institutions) – involves: land reform, institutions in agriculture, privatisation in agriculture and management of forests and water resources,
•	Development of market and  market mechanisms
•	Rural development and environmental protection

And the key strategic goals are:
•	To build  a sustainable and efficient agricultural sector that can compete on the world market
•	Provide food that meets consumers’ needs in terms of quality and safety
•	Secure support to the living standards of people depending on agriculture as major source of income, but are not able to keep up with economic reforms
•	To provide support to the sustainable rural growth
•	To prepare Serbian agriculture for the integration in the EU
•	To prepare agriculture domestic support and trade policy for the WTO rules.

Areas of urgent attention in the process have been identified as:

•	The EU harmonization requirements, Serbia, if she intends to a member of the EU, she needs to adopt a set of rules, regulations and procedures under which the EU functions, and now is the time to work towards harmonization with the acquis.
•	Legal standards, such as regarding animal health, plant health and food safety, to product labeling and consumer protection.
•	Veterinary and phyto-sanitary control and food control, this is about measures that influence a wide spectrum of activities in the area of growing, production and procession of cattle, meat, meat products, fish and fish products, as well as crops.
•	Legislation in the area of agricultural market, especially in the area of conformity with various quality and packaging standards and product labeling, as well as rules on product analysis, inspection and control. Furthermore, rules on protection of the origin of goods and geographical origins too.
All activities proposed in the strategy are fully in compliance with EU standards.

Multi-annul Indicative Planning Document (MIPD) for Serbia 2007-2009
The major objective set for the agricultural sector is;
European standards and programmes to be implemented in pursuit of these objectives have been set.

Programmes to be implemented (as far as agriculture is concerned), to pursue this objective are in the fields of:
•	Support the alignment of the Serbian legislation and institutions in key SAA sectors
•	Support preparations for the establishment of agencies and institutions required for the implementation and enforcement of the SAA e.g. the Payment Agency, etc.
•	Support regulatory and institutional framework for standardising, accreditation, metrology and conformity assessment; veterinary, phytosanitary, food safety, border controls, sanitary standards, consumer protection and protection of intellectual property rights.

Rural development will require considerable investments in the future, such as improving the living and working conditions in the rural areas and promotion thereof as healthy and attractive living environments. Rural development programs will encourage production and marketing improvement, strengthening of rural infrastructure and diversification of rural economy, development and promotion of rural areas, protection of the environment and rural landscapes, and as a result contributing to the poverty reduction strategy.

The priorities in water management in the following threes years are, water supply to rural population, completion of large water supply systems, protection of waters in existing water reservoirs used for water supply, construction of waste water treatment plants by the users who discharge water into small water courses, as well as the enactment  and implementation of relevant regulations.

In accordance with the above development guidelines for the agriculture sector, mid-term priorities for the agriculture, forestry and water management are:
•	Additional strengthening of  administrative capacity for policy development and implementation; rural development policy creation and beginning of implementation,
•	Continuing strengthening of veterinary, sanitary, phytosanitary legislations and control in the area of food safety and wine inspection laboratory,
•	Improvement of waste management and pollution reduction in agriculture,
•	Strengthen the market systems for agricultural produce and foodstuffs, 
•	Reducing agricultural market disruptions caused by policy changes and reforming the Commodity Reserve Directorate,
•	Extending the identification and registration of animals to include more species,
•	Strengthening the land market operation, commencement of land reform, structuring and privatization of large farms
•	Creating conditions to meet the farmers’ needs for short-mediums- and long -term borrowing,
•	Continuing harmonization of reforms with the WTO rules and obligations to speed up the WTO accession.
•	Creation of modern and efficient institutions which develop, implement and supervise
•	Effective policies and successfully negotiate with the EU and other trade partners.
•	Establishing an authority to manage water resources which can be self-funded and which will meet user needs,
•	Modern and efficient Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management,
•	Republic Water Directorate implementing and overseeing efficient policy in the water sector and successfully negotiates with the EU,
•	Building institutions which can implement water management policy with quality and efficiency,
•	Provide the population with drinking water of controlled quality in rural and urban areas,
•	Build systems for collecting, transport and treatment of waste waters in settlements, especially in endangered zones,
•	Provide efficient flood defence through the rehabilitation of the existing and the construction of missing facilities for the protection from the harmful effects of water,
•	Creating efficient and effective institutions for the acquisition and transfer of water management knowledge,
•	Improvement of the state of resources and development of the forestry sector.

We have good bilateral cooperation with various countries. At the moment we have intensive activities with the governments of Norway, Japan, USA, etc. We are very grateful for all donor efforts to assist in the development of our agricultural sector.
We take this opportunity to encourage them to contribute more, to the positive effects already felt by their contribution.

The proposed projects are mainly directed towards realizing two priorities, a) creating modern and efficient institutional capacities for the development and implementation of adequate development policies, and b) protecting human health from diseases originating from food, animals, harmful pesticides effects, and veterinary medication and food additives.

The following projects were identified 

Reform projects:
1.	Policy management through MAFWM
2.	MAFWM capacity building for the development of trade policy for agricultural products and foodstuffs
3.	Development of EU compatible system for agricultural market and farm business information
4.	Strengthening and further development of the epidemiological supervision system and animal traceability system in the Republic of Serbia,
5.	Capacity building of MAFWM – Directorate of Forests
6.	Harmonisation of national legislation with EU acquis in the area of food of animal origin and implementation of new statutory provisions
7.	MAFWM capacity building – land management
8.	Capacity building of JVP „Srbijavode” and JVP „Vode Vojvodina” for the implementation of integrated management of water resources with the use of simulation
9.	Capacity building for the staff of MAFWM – Republic Water Directorate, for certain competences
10.	Development of the centre for integrated catchments area water management
11.	Establishment of the system of rights to grow vineyard plantations and technical assistance
12.	Zoning and strengthening of the issues of control of geographical origin of wine including technical assistance142
13.	Technical equipment of wine laboratories for the quality control of wine and control of geographical origin
14.	Technical equipment of laboratories for phytosanitary control (of seeds, planting material...)
15.	Strengthening of staff capacities in the area of production, certification and control of planting material

Investment projects:

1.	Development of the integrated National Rural Development Program (NRDP) and implementation framework at the national, regional and local level in the Republic of Serbia
2.	Water management information system
3.	Information system for Morava catchment area
4.	Mapping of blue zones, phase 1
5.	Funding of construction of water management facilities for water supply and collection, transport and treatment of waste waters
6.	Funding of construction of water management facilities for the protection from harmful effects of waters
7.	Building of the „Svračkovo” dam within RVS „Rzav”
8.	Measures of village improvement and rural development
9.	Construction of water management facilities and implementation of the water protection programs and programs for the protection from harmful effects of waters
10.	Forestation and construction of the centre for the production of planting material

In line with the above documents, the following projects have been proposed for international funding for 2008:

EU IPA
1.	Capacity building for the Land Directorate in the process of formation and implementation of agricultural land policies according to the EU acqui and establishing Agricultural Land Information System in Serbia.
2.	Harmonization of national legislation with EU legislation for placing on the market and control of Plant Protection Products (PPPs) and implementation of new legal provisions.
3.	Capacity building and technical support of establishing Viticulture zoning and designation of origin of wine.
4.	Water Investment Financing Strategy
5.	Equipment Assistance for the Republic Directorate for Water  
6.	FloodSIM Serbia  
7.	WATSIM  
8.	Technical Assistance for Development of an Water Approximation Strategy

World Bank
1.	Serbian Transitional Agriculture Reform (STAR) Project.

Norway 
1.	Agricultural household’s reconstruction and revitalization of farmers’ cooperatives, according to west European (Norwegian) model, in Republic of Serbia.
2.	National hydrological forecasting system for small and medium sized catchments in Serbia.
3.	Pig breeding the Norwegian way, phase II. 

Japan
1.	Study on the Improvement of Belgrade Sewerage system                                                                 
2.	Urgent Rehabilitation of Water Supply System
3.	Export promotion on market analysis and research for Serbian products on the Asian/Japanese market
4.	Capacity building for the Ministry of agriculture for the development of trade policy for agricultural products and foodstuffs.