1.1 Motives for designing the new agriculture and rural development strategy
Aiming at tracing the clear path of the future reforms in the agricultural sector in the context of the external and internal challenges it is facing, and aiming at defining the measures and activities for development of rural areas potentials, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (MAFWM) of the Republic of Serbia started working on this strategic document. The Result is the Strategy of Agricultural and Rural Development of the Republic of Serbia 201402024 (hereinafter referred to as: the Strategy), which defines the goals, priorities, and frameworks of the political and institutional reforms in the area of agriculture and rural development. Besides, this document the framework of the budget support (in total and according to measure pillars), which clearly reflects the development orientation of the new Strategy. This document will set the foundations of the new agricultural policy, defined in accordance with principles of modern public policy management and with the clear orientation of the Ministry towards gradual taking over the European model of supporting the agriculture.
Each country is responsible to define the framework of political and institutional changes that could contribute to more efficient development of agricultural sector and to wellbeing of the rural population. In order to meet this obligation in an adequate way, a country is responsible for reacting to modern challenges with stable, long-term and efficient policy. In that regard, development of this Strategy is motivated with the need to react to internal and external challenges with new concept of the agricultural policy, and those challenges are:
the need to decrease the lagging behind the competitive countries in the area of technological development and to enable the agricultural sector face with the climate changes effects more efficiently;
the need to increase the food chain efficiency and agricultural and food processing sector competitiveness;
to ensure the stable income and business environment for agricultural producers and other entrepreneurs;
meeting the economic, social and environmental sustainable development goals, in which the multi-functional agriculture and rural development play a major role;
readiness to respond to requirements of the EU and WTO accession processes.
In order to successfully respond to these challenges, the Strategy aims at defining the following:
the future agricultural and processing industry development directions, based on the sustainable development concept, that strongly affirms environment protection and sustainable natural resources management;
the support model that would lead to accelerating of the agricultural and food processing sector, which has significant potentials for increased production and for long-term sustainable competitiveness growth in the area wider than local/regional;
the directions of future reforms of agricultural policy and institutional framework in the three most important segments:
Agricultural policy reform in the sense of goals identification and introduction of agricultural policy instruments, which enable a dynamic restructuring of the sector, the efficient accession to the EU through gradual adjustment of the policy with the principles of Joint Agricultural Policy (JAP) and a modern role of the state in agricultural development management in rural areas;
Adoption and full implementation of the legal framework which provides the legal basis for both implementation of the Strategy itself and for adjustment of the national laws with EU legislation – Аcquis communutaire;
Institutional reforms that would enable meeting the strategic goals, efficient implementation of the selected policy and adjusting the administrative structures with EU requirements through reform of the existing and building of the lacking parts of the institutional structures.
In the period when the Republic of Serbia starts a new phase of the Eu integration process, the Ministry, with this Strategy, shows readiness and ability to take over the elements of European agricultural model and introduce them in its political practice in a permanent, gradual and consistent manner, thus ensuring the ultimate benefits for Serbian farmers, entrepreneurs and rural population in the long term.
1.2. Legal basis for designing the Strategy and its connection with other strategic documents
Over the last few years, Serbia has adopted numerous documents, strategies and laws that regulate issues relevant for agriculture and rural areas. The Law on Agriculture and Rural Development1 in its Article 4 provides that the Government of Serbia shall adopt the Agricultural and Rural Development Strategy at the proposal of the Ministry for Agriculture, and that the strategy shall define the long-term directions of agricultural development for the period of not less than 10 years. The same law, in its Articles 5 and 6, provides for the adoption of two national programs, which should define the ways of realization of the strategic goals, namely the National Program of Agricultural Development and the National program of Rural Development. By preparing the Strategy, the Ministry fulfilled the set of political and legal preconditions for designing the national programs for agricultural and rural development and for IPARD programs. In that way, the Government will provide a clear platform for future activities to all decision makers, businessmen and other actors.
The basic directions of development of the Republic of Serbia, and thus the agricultural and rural development framework, are defined through the “umbrella” national strategic documents such as: National Program for EU Integration of Serbia, Strategy of Poverty Reduction in Serbia, National Sustainable Development Strategy, National Economic Development Strategy, etc. Majority of the umbrella strategic documents recognizes the role and importance of agriculture and rural areas in economic development and in preservation of resources and environment. Also, especially newly adopted strategies, recognize the specific needs and constraints the rural population faces.
The Law on Agriculture and Rural Development
The Strategy of Agricultural and Rural Development of the Republic of Serbia - 2014-2024 (for the period of 10 years)
Strategic and budget planning
Agreements with EU on usage of IPA funds
National Program for Agricultural Development and
the National Program for Rural Development (period up to 7 years)
Annual Decrees on allocation of subsidies in agriculture and rural development
Scheme . The system of agricultural and rural development support planning in the Republic of Serbia
Source: Systematization on the basis of the Law on subsidies in agriculture and rural development, Law on Budget and Law on Government
Other relevant strategic documents this Strategy relies on are:
The Agricultural Strategy of the Republic of Serbia from 20052, whose solutions have been partly become obsolete, due to dynamic changes in the whole sector and appearance of the new challenges the agriculture and rural areas are facing. On the other hand, the Strategy from 2005 in some parts is missing clear guidelines or does not provide a wide enough range of solutions that a key sector document should offer in the new circumstances.
The National Agricultural Program of the Republic of Serbia 2010–2013 (adopted in 2010.)3 and National Rural Development Program 2011–2013 (adopted in 2011.)4 are the documents the national Strategy from 2005 is implemented with. They contain a set of strategic and specific development goals for the period until 2013, with the clear focus on improvement of agricultural, forestry and food processing sectors competitiveness through restructuring, development of the market and market mechanisms, as well as on rural development improvement and environment protection.
The National Action Plan for Organic Production Development (adopted in 2010) aims at increasing the area of land intended for organic production or for conversion to organic production, so as to cover the area of 50.000 ha in 2014.
The Strategy of Forestry Development of the Republic of Serbia (adopted in 2006)5 defines the general development goals of the forestry setor in Serbia and selected measures for reaching those goals. The basic goal in strategic forestry development is preserving and improvement of forests and their development.
The Strategy of Biodiversity of the Republic of Serbia 2011–20186 addresses the ties between the agriculture and biodiversity. It identifies the concrete threats and pressures on biodiversity coming from agriculture and forestry and proposes the concrete measures for their alleviation.
The National Strategy for Sustainable Usage of Natural Resources in the Republic of Serbia (2012–2021)7 defined the following goals: ensuring the conditions for sustainable usage of resources through adequate planning of the resources consumption, decreasing the impact of resource consumption on economy and environment, and establishing the indicators for monitoring.
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