The State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Danilo Golubovic, stressed that the agrarian policy would be based on economic grounds and parameters. Agriculture is planned to receive about 48 billion RSD from the 2013 budget which is approaching 5% of the budget, stated Golubovic. The State Secretary also said that a Draft law on stimulation of agriculture and rural development is currently being prepared according to which legal entities will, for the first time, be beneficiaries of the Ministry’s funds and subsidies. This means that local self-government and cooperatives will be able to apply for subsidies with the Ministry, said Golubovic. He pointed out that European Union funds are a significant source of funding for the domestic agriculture, which is why providing institutional requisites for decentralized EU fund management is paramount.
In the ensuing discussion the MPs asked about the different aspects of the 2013 agrarian policy: the planned amount of subsidies for agricultural households and agricultural land, as well as irrigation systems, measures planned as regards agricultural produce with the mark of geographical origin, perspectives for the drafting of a long-term agricultural development strategy and stimulative measures aimed at keeping young people in the country. The Committee members also asked about the use of renewable energy resources in agriculture, as well as the Ministry’s position on the use of genetically modified organisms and Serbia’s membership in the World Trade Organisation.
Following the debate, the Committee accepted the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Information on the agrarian policy for 2013.
The Committee decided to forward a request to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management asking it to submit Information on the stage of development the Draft law on stimulation of agriculture and rural development is currently in.
The sitting was chaired by the Committee Chairman, Dusan Petrovic.