Technical Assistance
Programs in Serbia and Montenegro
The Office of Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade manages a
wide range of technical assistance and capacity building programs in Serbia
and Montenegro. These programs are designed to achieve three primary goals:
1) economic growth and job opportunities in the agricultural sector; 2) improve
consumer health, food safety, and animal and plant health regulations to comply
with international trade agreements, and; 3) expand U.S.-Serbia bilateral trade
and investment and help Serbia's integration into the world market system.
USDA program in Serbia and Montenegro includes the following:
1. Food Safety and Quality Program: The Food Safety Program
for Serbia and Montenegro focuses on strengthening the regulatory systems
for production
and processing of meat, poultry and dairy products. The goal is to help
facilitate the establishment of an integrated food safety system between
the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, and incorporate standards that
will help the region meet international safety and quality regulations.
2. Animal Health: USDA provides assistance to strengthen Serbia’s capacity
in the veterinary services sector. Protecting the livestock sector from
disease is necessary for protecting the economic stability of the country.
3. Market Information System: The USDA continues to provide assistance
to develop a sustainable system for collecting, analyzing and disseminating
high quality agricultural market information. The Market Information System
(MIS) program provides farmers, policy makers and agribusiness with the
pricing information they need to make rational production and marketing
decisions to facilitate Serbia’s transition to a fully functioning market
economy.
4. Agricultural Extension: The Agricultural Extension program continues
to provide technical assistance to develop a sustainable extension service.
USDA provide the Ministry of Agriculture’s extension offices with the necessary
information and tools to reach out to farmers and provide educational and
technical information that will assist farmers in responding to issues
effecting farm management and production.
5. Biotechnology: USDA assists Serbia and Montenegro in implementing a
biosafety system that will facilitate safe development and applications
of agricultural biotechnology without impeding international agricultural
trade. The Serbian Ministry of Agriculture and the National Biosafety Committee
are using USDA’s assistance to strengthen Serbia’s decision-making process
and implement a transparent, practical regulatory framework for biosafety
of agricultural biotechnology.
6. Planting Seed System and Crop Protection: The planting seed program
helps Serbia in strengthening its regulatory framework and promotes applications
of beneficial technologies in the areas of planting seeds and crop protection.
Within the seed system, regulatory issues include seed certification, phytosanitary
(i.e., seed health) and plant variety protection programs. Through seminars,
short courses, and scientific exchanges, ICD will continue to prepare participants
to develop and adopt transparent, technically sound regulations and public-private
partnerships necessary to enforce those regulations.
7. Agricultural Policy and WTO: Agricultural Trade Policy/WTO training
program is designed to help Serbia continue to establish a trade regime
that is consistent with the WTO and other international standards-setting
bodies. Key areas of focus are: Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) issues;
the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreements; the role of various entities
(e.g., government, private sector, Parliament Congress) in agricultural
trade policy development; the WTO accession process; international standard
setting bodies (i.e., OIE, IPPC, and CODEX); and a forward look at the
Doha Round.
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