Committee Chairman Marijan Risticevic said that the existing measures need to be boosted to improve the efficiency of the system of protection against natural disasters and, once damage is already done, to make sure crop insurance pays out.

Zeljko Radosevic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, briefed the Committee members on the natural disaster of 13 June and the damage it incurred. He said that 1173 anti-hail rockets had been launched from 11 radar centres and that this year has seen 38 days of anti-hail activity, the highest number since the system was launched.

Radosevic said despite all the efforts the bad weather and the resulting damage could not have been prevented, adding that representatives of the local self-governments are currently recording the damages in the field.

Following a debate the Committee adopted a Conclusion recommending to the Government and the relevant Ministry and authorities to speed up the replenishment of anti-hail rockets to be able to adequately address natural disasters and to provide speedier assistance to the affected areas and their agricultural producers. In the coming period, the Committee will have a sitting on how to improve anti-hail efforts, insurance, re-insurance, payment and damage control.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Marijan Risticevic and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Marjana Maras, Miroslav Aleksic, Mladen Lukic, Zarko Bogatinovic, Veroljub Matic, Milorad Mircic, Radovan Jancic, Milija Miletic, Ognjen Pantovic, Tijana Davidovac, Arpad Fremond and Jasmina Obradovic.