Serbia to get national food safety council soon – State focusing on developing manufacturing production

Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Branislav Nedimovic announced on Tuesday, August 30, that a national food safety council would soon be formed, which would suggest, on a scientific basis, how to organize the sector in Serbia. He said that such a council hadn't existed in Serbia and that he had already discussed the issue with the Minister of Health.

– The idea is to involve all the scientific institutions, faculties and institutes, as well as interested consumers. We are looking at the period in which we will be passing new laws on food safety and the national council is meant to be a place where scientific opinions will be discussed, whereas the Ministry will act as a moderator and provide help to anyone who needs it – Nedimovic said.

He announced that in the next few months the Ministry would also propose certain measures of control regarding the quality of various agricultural products.

Nedimovic said, answering the question about whether he is in favor of GMO, that it was an extremely complex issue, which demanded a serious scientific debate which everybody should be involved in.

– The science harmonized with international standards should be the answer to the question – the minister said.

He added that the priorities of the Ministry of Agriculture in the period ahead would be the manufacturing production, because the future of Serbia was in improving manufacturing and storage capacities.

– The goal is for Serbia to not only sell raw materials, but to sell them as intermediate products or value-added products. We are considering the agrarian budget and I hope that we will be able to set aside more money for investments – he said.

Nedimovic also said that more than EUR 200 million was being implemented directly through subsidies and that the goal was to increase the amount. – Budget expenditures are large, but they weren't meant for investments, which they are now – he says.

Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodoprivrede Republike Srbije

Ministarstvo zdravlja Republike Srbije

Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection

Branislav Nedimovic

national food safety council

Ministry of Health

law on food safety

genetically modified organisms

GMO

manufacturing production