The Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Recognition of Agricultural Plant Varieties and the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Reproductive Material of Forest Trees. This development represents an important step towards harmonizing domestic legislation with European standards. The mentioned changes are part of a wider plan of reforms and preparations for Serbia’s accession to the European Union. This is especially the case in the field of agriculture and food safety.
Amendments to the Law on Recognition of Agricultural Plant Varieties bring harmonization with EU Council Directives 2002/53/EC and 2002/55/EC, which refer to catalogs of varieties of plant species and the placement of vegetable seeds on the market. One of the key changes is the introduction of reciprocity between varieties of plant species recognized in the European Union and those in the Republic of Serbia. This means that varieties of agricultural plants that are already recognized in the EU will automatically be recognized in Serbia and vice versa. Of course, this also facilitates the placement of varieties on the market. Also, legal and natural persons residing in the EU will be able to submit requests for recognition of varieties in Serbia, and the status of maintainer of the variety will be recognized for persons registered in the EU. These changes include the obligation to inform the competent EU authorities and the EU Commission about changes in the Serbian Register of Agricultural Plant Varieties.
Specifications of the law
The Law on Recognition of Agricultural Plant Varieties is part of Criterion 1 for the opening of negotiations in Chapter 12 – Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Policy. This law is a key part of the Reform Agenda of the Republic of Serbia for the period 2024-2027. The reform agenda in question was adopted as part of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. By adopting this law, Serbia is getting closer to meeting the conditions for opening negotiations on membership in the European Union, which includes reforms in the field of agriculture.
Amendments to the Law on reproductive material of forest trees are harmonized with EU Council Directive 1999/105/EC. This directive regulates the marketing of forest reproductive material. The changes in question enable the import of selected reproductive material from regions with similar ecological characteristics as the region where the material will be sown or planted. Also, the changes make it possible for all graduated forestry engineers to perform professional management tasks in the production of forest reproductive material. This cancels the obligation to take a professional exam. This enables more flexible employment of professional staff outside of employment, which contributes to more efficient functioning of the forestry sector.
Like the Law on Recognition of Varieties of Agricultural Plants, the Law on Reproductive Material of Forest Trees is part of Criterion 1 for the opening of negotiations in Chapter 12. These changes are part of the Reform Agenda of the Republic of Serbia and the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. With these changes, Serbia improves the legislative framework in this area. Subsequently, Serbia meets the criteria for further negotiations with the European Union in the area of food safety, agriculture and forestry.
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management
Source: boljazemlja.com
