Seminar devoted to the revision of the Action Plan for Chapter 11 held in Vršac

In the organisation of the PLAC III project, a two-day seminar dedicated to the revision of the Action Plan for Negotiating Chapter 11 (Agriculture and Rural Development) and the drafting of a new one was held in Vršac.

The seminar was held on 29 and 30 November 29. It brought together representatives of several administrations of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, the PLAC III project team and project experts engaged in the activity "providing support in the revision of the Action Plan for the transposition, implementation and enforcement of Union acquis in agriculture and rural development".

The aim of the activity carried out in cooperation with the line Ministry was to update the Action Plan for Negotiation Chapter 11 so that the new document would take into account the new Union acquis within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2023-2027.

The seminar was opened by the team leader of the PLAC III project, Andrej Engelman, and the head of the Department for European Integration, Multilateral and Bilateral Cooperation in Agriculture, Milanka Davidović.

Project expert Jožko Fornazarič presented the latest CAP reform (adopted in December 2021) and the new legislative framework that is in force as of January 2023. He also presented new elements in the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) which manages, supervises and serves the EU countries to control all interventions in the area of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Project experts Danijela Stolica and Snezhana Blagoeva presented the strategic plans of the Common Agricultural Policy, which support the implementation of the policy in the upcoming seven-year period, as well as the organisation of the common market (regulated by the CMO regulation).

Representatives of the administrations of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management discussed administrative capacities with expert Fornazarič.

On the second day of the seminar, the discussion on the revision of the Action Plan continued with participation of representatives of all line Ministry departments. The topics were, among others, the Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN) which aims to increase the sustainability of EU food systems through an improved data collection process that takes into account, in addition to economic data, environmental and social data too, as well as the direct payments, market interventions, state aid in agriculture, etc.

The seminar was wrapped up with assessments that are the next steps in drafting the new Action Plan.