The Republic of Serbia 2019 Budget Bill, Section 24 - Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management was presented by a representative of the Ministry of Finance who said that the proposed budget is balanced and characterized by a social and developmental aspect. The 2019 Budget Bill proposes 1,246.2 billion RSD in overall income and 1,269.1 billion RSD in expenses, which is a 22.9 billion RSD of deficit i.e. 0.4% GDP. It projects a 3.5% growth and 2.3% inflation. The budgetary allocation for agriculture is 51.7 billion RSD, which is 7.6 billion or 17.4% more than in 2018. The biggest increases are in the allocations for direct payment incentives, rural development measures, IPARD, animal health protection, water protection and forest and hunting management.

Velimir Stanojevic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, said that one of the biggest increases is in the allocation for agricultural and rural development incentives, which was 27 billion RSD in 2017, 30 billion RSD in 2018 and 37 billion RSD in 2019. In the same period the allocation for direct payments rose from 21 to 22 billion RSD for milk, fattening, hives, fishery, etc., while the fact that allocations for rural development measures conducted by the Directorate for Agrarian Payments is especially important, said Stanojevic. These incentives were 3,800 billion RSD in 2017, 5,250 billion RSD in 2018 and 8 billion RSD in 2019 which will go mostly for the procurement of equipment and mechanisation. Serbia’s part in IPARD 2 for 2019 is 6 billion RSD making that, with the EU’s participation, 12 billion RSD for projects. The Veterinary Directorate will have more funds for the prevention of communicable animal diseases – about 3 billion RSD, and the Water Directorate for infrastructural projects such as the procurement of icebreakers, construction of irrigation systems, electrification of the irrigation system and completion of the construction of the dam in Valjevo and accumulation in Arilje, while 2 billion RSD will be spent on anti-flood protection. Stanojevic said that the Ministry aimed to change the budget structure in the part concerning subsidies and incentives, which 90% of the budget is planned for.

Following a debate the Committee accepted the Republic of Serbia 2019 Budget Bill, Section 24 - Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management.

The Committee members went on to consider and accept, in principle, the Bill amending and modifying the Water Law, presented by Natasa Milic, acting head of the Water Directorate, who said that it is supposed to improve the existing Law in the part concerning the lease of ground water, placement of floating objects, etc.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Marijan Risticevic.

The sitting was attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Tijana Davidovac, Mladen Lukic, Zvonimir Djokic, Ognjen Pantovic, Zarko Bogatinovic, Milorad Mircic, Arpad Fremond, Prof. Dr Miladin Sevarlic, Dr Ljubinko Rakonjac, Radovan Jancic, Dalibor Radicevic, Veroljub Matic and Miroslav Aleksic.