National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia / Activities / Activity details
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
26th Sitting of the Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Committee
At the 26th sitting, held on 17 June, the Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Committee discussed the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Activity Information for the period January-March 2015.
Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Prof. Dr Snezana Bogosavljevic Boskovic informed the Committee members about the Ministry’s legislative, normative and project activities in the field of agriculture. She said that the Ministry is drafting laws on strong alcoholic beverages, wine, amending and modifying the Law on Forests and amending and modifying the Law on Animal Welfare.
The Minister added that the legislation is continually being adjusted to the EU acquis so as to meet the prerequisites for the accession talks, adding that the screening for all the chapters in the Ministry’s purview has been completed. Snezana Bogosavljevic Boskovic said that, in the field of rural development, the Ministry had adopted the Programme for the use of EU pre-accession rural development assistance (IPARD II), and the drafting of the 2015-2020 National Rural Development Programme has entered the final stage.
The Committee members listed the problems small agricultural households, which Serbia has 95% of, have concerning the division of state-owned and public land. They had questions about the change of the institutions’ responsibilities regarding anti-hail protection - the subject of the Bill on Anti-Hail Protection which is on the agenda on the ongoing National Assembly session. They also proposed considering possible cooperation with Chinese companies ready to invest into Serbia and export Serbian goods. Likewise, they suggested that local self-governments should use the funds from the leasing of state-owned agricultural land for irrigation systems. The MPs also discussed the fact that few agricultural households (8-10%) insure their crops or animals which is a problem, and the Minister said that a working group will be set up to tackle the issue and make sure more households take out insurance.
The Committee members then went on to discuss animal welfare in light of the announced new law. Head of the Veterinary Directorate Dejan Bugarski informed the Committee members about the Draft Law on Animal Welfare which aims to harmonise the national legislation with EU regulations, especially concerning the animal welfare during transport, welfare of animals at slaughter and the welfare of lab animals. He said that the adoption of the law will be preceded by broad public debate involving representatives of the Ministry, civil society, NGOs and animal welfare organisations.
The Committee members also discussed the 2015 Programme of Measures, with a focus on the fact that vaccination against bluetongue disease had not been conducted. Budimir Plavsic of the Veterinary Directorate said that it is possible to import unregistered vaccines against bluetongue, but the public procurement process was stopped due to a great many factors. He added that, according to the programme of measures concerning animal welfare, the owners are expected to pay 50% of the price, and the rest will come out of the budget allocated for veterinary matters. He said that last year the disease flared up in 644 locations all over Serbia.
They discussed the procurement of the vaccine considering that no funds were secured for this year. Committee Chairman Marijan Risticevic said that optimal vaccination conditions are temperatures of up to 10 degrees and the deadline for the vaccination was 15 March.
The Committee went on to discuss food safety and the work of the relevant institutes, with a special focus on the Institute for Meat Hygiene and Technology. Marijan Risticevic said that the Institute for Meat Hygiene and Technology had not adjusted its practices to the 2005 Law on Veterinary Medicine even though it had a year in which to do so. “What is even more dramatic, the Institute for Meat Hygiene and Technology has all these years been getting tenders, yet did not have additional registration for the conduction of certain lab controls and establishment of samples i.e. adjusted its practices to the Law on Veterinary Medicine in force”, said Risticevic.
The representative of the Veterinary Directorate said that the Institute for Meat Hygiene and Technology is in the process of being issued a certificate of registry with the legal entities register, which will be adjusted to the 2005 Law on Veterinary Medicine.
The Committee members discussed the extension of the levy on cheeses relating to the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia amending the Decision ascertaining agricultural and food products subject to special import fees and the amount of said fee. On the behalf of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Nenad Budimirovic said that the extension of the levy on semi-hard cheeses and butter should be regulated by Governmental Decree. The Decree on the levy was adopted on 8 March 2014 and expires on 30 June 2015. Budimirovic opined that the Decree should be extended in order to feel any real effects on the production of milk and dairy products.
Following the ensuing debate, the Committee adopted conclusions.
The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Marijan Risticevic.
The Minister added that the legislation is continually being adjusted to the EU acquis so as to meet the prerequisites for the accession talks, adding that the screening for all the chapters in the Ministry’s purview has been completed. Snezana Bogosavljevic Boskovic said that, in the field of rural development, the Ministry had adopted the Programme for the use of EU pre-accession rural development assistance (IPARD II), and the drafting of the 2015-2020 National Rural Development Programme has entered the final stage.
The Committee members listed the problems small agricultural households, which Serbia has 95% of, have concerning the division of state-owned and public land. They had questions about the change of the institutions’ responsibilities regarding anti-hail protection - the subject of the Bill on Anti-Hail Protection which is on the agenda on the ongoing National Assembly session. They also proposed considering possible cooperation with Chinese companies ready to invest into Serbia and export Serbian goods. Likewise, they suggested that local self-governments should use the funds from the leasing of state-owned agricultural land for irrigation systems. The MPs also discussed the fact that few agricultural households (8-10%) insure their crops or animals which is a problem, and the Minister said that a working group will be set up to tackle the issue and make sure more households take out insurance.
The Committee members then went on to discuss animal welfare in light of the announced new law. Head of the Veterinary Directorate Dejan Bugarski informed the Committee members about the Draft Law on Animal Welfare which aims to harmonise the national legislation with EU regulations, especially concerning the animal welfare during transport, welfare of animals at slaughter and the welfare of lab animals. He said that the adoption of the law will be preceded by broad public debate involving representatives of the Ministry, civil society, NGOs and animal welfare organisations.
The Committee members also discussed the 2015 Programme of Measures, with a focus on the fact that vaccination against bluetongue disease had not been conducted. Budimir Plavsic of the Veterinary Directorate said that it is possible to import unregistered vaccines against bluetongue, but the public procurement process was stopped due to a great many factors. He added that, according to the programme of measures concerning animal welfare, the owners are expected to pay 50% of the price, and the rest will come out of the budget allocated for veterinary matters. He said that last year the disease flared up in 644 locations all over Serbia.
They discussed the procurement of the vaccine considering that no funds were secured for this year. Committee Chairman Marijan Risticevic said that optimal vaccination conditions are temperatures of up to 10 degrees and the deadline for the vaccination was 15 March.
The Committee went on to discuss food safety and the work of the relevant institutes, with a special focus on the Institute for Meat Hygiene and Technology. Marijan Risticevic said that the Institute for Meat Hygiene and Technology had not adjusted its practices to the 2005 Law on Veterinary Medicine even though it had a year in which to do so. “What is even more dramatic, the Institute for Meat Hygiene and Technology has all these years been getting tenders, yet did not have additional registration for the conduction of certain lab controls and establishment of samples i.e. adjusted its practices to the Law on Veterinary Medicine in force”, said Risticevic.
The representative of the Veterinary Directorate said that the Institute for Meat Hygiene and Technology is in the process of being issued a certificate of registry with the legal entities register, which will be adjusted to the 2005 Law on Veterinary Medicine.
The Committee members discussed the extension of the levy on cheeses relating to the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia amending the Decision ascertaining agricultural and food products subject to special import fees and the amount of said fee. On the behalf of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Nenad Budimirovic said that the extension of the levy on semi-hard cheeses and butter should be regulated by Governmental Decree. The Decree on the levy was adopted on 8 March 2014 and expires on 30 June 2015. Budimirovic opined that the Decree should be extended in order to feel any real effects on the production of milk and dairy products.
Following the ensuing debate, the Committee adopted conclusions.
The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Marijan Risticevic.