Speaking of the importance of the veterinary service for the preservation of animal and with it human health, Subcommittee Chairman Milija Miletic said that despite the privatization which resulted in, he said, the downfall of the veterinary service, veterinarians had successfully reacted to all the crises cause by various epidemics. He therefore believes that the veterinary service should be the focus of more attention which State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Velimir Stanojevic agreed with. He said that the Ministry is aware of the importance of veterinary medicine because animal health is of paramount importance and the Ministry spares no effort to make sure that more and more funds are allocated for the livestock fund every year. Stanojevic said that the Ministry is especially focusing on the operating of the veterinary service in underdeveloped and border areas where they have a significant role due to the specific terrain.

Ljiljana Ivanjac of the Veterinary Directorate believes that the veterinary service needs to be reorganized to ensure equal deployment of veterinarians across Serbia. She announced a new wave of vector-borne diseases such as the African swine fever which is a huge challenge for the veterinary service and medicine because there is no vaccine against it. However, Ivanjac claims the veterinary service has an action plan to minimize loss.

Dr Miodrag Milkovic of the Serbian Veterinary Chamber believes that the veterinary service is part of public health and as such has to be a public service. He also added that certain rulebooks of the Veterinary Directorate and Directorate for Agrarian Payments need to be harmonized.

The sitting was chaired by Subcommittee Chairman Milija Miletic, and attended by Subcommittee members and deputy members: Dalibor Radicevic, Mladen Lukic and Zarko Bogatinovic.