A public discussion on the new draft Law on Seed and Propagating Material of Agricultural and Ornamental Plants was held in Belgrade, Serbia on November 15, 2024. The draft will enter the parliamentary procedure soon and is expected to enter into force in the first half of 2025.

This field is currently regulated by three separate laws - the Law on Seeds, the Law on Seeds and Propagating Material, and the Law on Propagating Material of Fruit Trees, Grapevines, and Hops, along with numerous by-laws and regulations governing plant health.

Serbia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management initiated the drafting of the new law which would unify the existing regulations into a single legal framework aligned with EU standards, thus increasing Serbia’s exports and global competitiveness.

For instance, up until now, the law has not defined the seed and propagating material categories in accordance with the EU standards, which has posed an obstacle to export. To address this issue, the draft now introduces standard and commercial seed categories.

The draft also introduces seed certification through certificates of origin and quality, and the establishment of a unified register for seed and planting material. The draft establishes stricter control over production, including varietal identity and quality verification, thus promoting the production of high-quality seeds and reducing the use of uncertified, disease-prone seeds.

The draft includes new terms such as “ornamental plants”, “supervised production control of seeds and propagating material,” “small producer,” and “local market” to enhance regulation.

Under the draft, production and import of unregistered seed varieties is permitted if supported by proper documentation and data on the characteristics of a certain variety or plant species.

Finally, the draft creates the conditions for the application and transfer of new technologies in the seed and propagating material production process.