Mladen Mladenovic, acting assistant minister of agriculture and environmental protection, said that the amendments and modifications to the Law on Livestock were submitted to halt the drop in livestock production caused by the fact that cooperatives and enterprises in the field had ceased their operation and the dwindling rural population. The proposed amendments will keep primary producers informed about production and help boost their competitiveness on the European market, improve the agricultural branch as regards its trade, quality of products and health safety, said Mladenovic.

Mirko Novakovic of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection added that the amendments make it possible to boost production, define the work of breeding organisations, introduce a new classification system, instate control over fishing trade and for the first time include beekeepers’ associations. These amendments and modifications are fully harmonised with European standards.

In an extensive debate the Committee members and Ministry representatives discussed artificial insemination, who can perform it, their expertise, preventing the spread of disease through insemination, field services, protection of native species and amending their endangerment limits. They also discussed freshwater fishing, terminology used in the Bill, how to expand the livestock reserves, the proposal to set up a big centralised state-wide combined collective, cattle tagging, records, inspections, etc.

Following the debate the Committee members accepted the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Livestock, in principle.

The sitting was attended by Committee members and deputy members Miroslav Marinkovic, Milan Kovacevic, Arpad Fremond, Vladan Milosevic, Nadica Nikolic Tanasijevic, Veroljub Matic, Velimir Stanojevic, Slobodan Peric, Milija Miletic, Mirjana Maras and Miodrag Nikolic.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Marijan Risticevic.