Dusan Ognjanovic, Ministry of Environmental Protection, dusan.ognjanovic@eko.gov.rs . There were no difficulties encountered when designating national focal point.

The Law on Ratification of the Nagoya Protocol defines the authority competent for the implementation of the Law as the ministry responsible for environmental protection, namely the Ministry of Environment. There were no difficulties encountered when designating competent national authority.

Current Law on Nature Protection includes few provisions on genetic resources but lacks the necessary provisions for access and benefit sharing. However, draft of a new Law on Nature Protection defines the checkpoints.

Current Law on Nature Protection includes the provisions on access to genetic material: (Article 20) Taking genetic material from nature for use must not endanger the survival of the ecosystem or the population of wild species of plants, animals and fungi in their habitats. (Article 21) Right of property shall not be obtained when it comes to genetic material that is created from the genetic material of wild species of plants, animals and fungi. However, draft of a New Law on Nature Protection includes provisions for an overall implementation of Nagoya Protocol, including issuing of PIC and MAT.

The Law on the Ratification of the Nagoya Protocol is shared on the ABS Clearing-House. As soon as the new Law on Nature Protection is adopted, which will regulate access and benefit-sharing (ABS) at the national level, the relevant information will be published.

Current legislation is lacking access measures. However, after the adoption of a new Law on Nature Protection, access to genetic resources will be subject to prior informed consent in some cases[TČ

Current legislation is lacking compliance measures. However, after the adoption of a new Law on Nature Protection, compliance will be regulated.

Current legislation is lacking compliance measures. However, after the adoption of a new Law on Nature Protection, compliance will be regulated.

Current legislation is lacking compliance measures. However, after the adoption of a new Law on Nature Protection, compliance will be regulated. .

After the adoption of a new Law on Nature Protection, the system of compliance will be established.

After the adoption of a new Law on Nature Protection, the system of compliance will be established.

The checkpoints have not yet been established; they will be established following the adoption of the new Law on Nature Protection.

Due to the absence of appropriate legislation for the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol, no measures were taken in that regard.

Due to the current lack of monitoring, no encouragement measures were taken.

Due to the current lack of benefit sharing measures, no encouragement of these provision has been undertaken.

Due to the current lack of benefit sharing measures, there were no cases of established mutually agreed terms.

As a Party to the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters and in accordance to national legislation, Republic of Serbia is obliged to take into consideration an access to justice as provided under Article 18.3 (point a). The relevant legal framework provides the possibility for the public concerned to challenge both decisions and omissions of public authorities.

Republic of Serbia has taken significant legal and legislative steps to facilitate the mutual recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards, primarily through harmonisation with the EU acquis and international conventions.

The ABS legislation has not yet been adopted. However, in the draft new Law on Nature Protection for non-commercial purpose access to genetic resources is not subject to PIC.

It is envisaged that the new Law on Nature Protection will not include human and animal pathogens that are not found in the environment since it will regulate access and use of genetic material of native wild species.

In the applicable Law on Nature Protection access and utilisation of genetic resources of human, animal and plan pathogens is free. It is planned that the access to genetic resources of human and animal pathogens not found in the environment in any part of their lifecycle will stay free with the adoption of the new Law on Nature Protection.

The draft of the new Law on Nature Protection will include a provision that excludes the utilisation of genetic resources that is regulated by the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

The Republic of Serbia does not recognize indigenous peoples or local communities with a distinct legal status related to access to genetic resources and traditional knowledge under the Nagoya Protocol.

The ABS legislation has not yet been adopted.

The ABS legislation has not yet been adopted.

Republic of Serbia does not recognize indigenous peoples or local communities with a distinct legal status.

Republic of Serbia does not recognize indigenous peoples or local communities with a distinct legal status.

As the Republic of Serbia is at an early stage of implementing the Nagoya Protocol due to limited legal provisions, this type of collaboration and encouragement did not take place.

As the Republic of Serbia is at an early stage of implementing the Nagoya Protocol due to limited legal provisions, this type of collaboration and encouragement did not take place.

Analysis of alignment of national legislation and the institutional gap-need assessment with recommendations for further upgrading of institutional set up for proper implementation of Regulation (EU) No 511/2014 (Nagoya Protocol) and CIR (EU) 2015/1866 as regards the register of collections, monitoring user compliance and best practices, was prepared in June 2020 within the EU funded project “Policy and Legal Advice Centre (PLAC III)” implemented by DMI Associates and European Consulting Group. A workshop was held with the aim of strengthening the capacity to implement the obligations arising from the Nagoya Protocol and the legislation of the European Union. As part of the GEF Medium Size Project (MSP) "Capacity Development for Improved Implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs)" Workshop Training "Implementing an Access and Benefit-Sharing Framework in Serbia in accordance with the Nagoya Protocol" was held in March 2021. Joint consultations of the Republic of Serbia, Montenegro and the Republic of North Macedonia on the harmonisation of national legislation with the provisions of the Nagoya Protocol as well as with Regulation (EU) 511/2014 on compliance measures for users of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization in the Union and appropriate capacity building activities, were held on 12 and 13 December 2024 in Podgorica. As part of the GEF Enabling Activity umbrella programme „Support to Preparation of the First National Report on Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization“ in the Republic of Serbia Workshop was held in September 2026.

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Analysis of alignment of national legislation and the institutional gap-need assessment with recommendations for further upgrading of institutional set up for proper implementation of Regulation (EU) No 511/2014 (Nagoya Protocol) and CIR (EU) 2015/1866 as regards the register of collections, monitoring user compliance and best practices, was prepared in June 2020 within the EU funded project “Policy and Legal Advice Centre (PLAC III)” implemented by DMI Associates and European Consulting Group. A workshop was held with the aim of strengthening the capacity to implement the obligations arising from the Nagoya Protocol and the legislation of the European Union. As part of the GEF Medium Size Project (MSP) "Capacity Development for Improved Implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs)" Workshop Training "Implementing an Access and Benefit-Sharing Framework in Serbia in accordance with the Nagoya Protocol" was held in March 2021. Joint consultations of the Republic of Serbia, Montenegro and the Republic of North Macedonia on the harmonisation of national legislation with the provisions of the Nagoya Protocol as well as with Regulation (EU) 511/2014 on compliance measures for users of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization in the Union and appropriate capacity building activities, were held on 12 and 13 December 2024 in Podgorica. As part of the GEF Enabling Activity umbrella programme „Support to Preparation of the First National Report on Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization“ in the Republic of Serbia Workshop was held in September 2026.

Since the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol in the Republic of Serbia has been limited by the absence of necessary provisions, the measures are now more oriented toward developing capacity within the country.

Some Serbian scientists and institutions have been involved in collaborating and cooperating with foreign institutions and scientists and have participated in the mutual technical and scientific projects.

Due to limited implementation of Nagoya Protocol, these activities were not implemented.

The Republic of Serbia received assistance for the preparation of the articles on ABS for the new Law on Nature Protection and the preparation of the first national report on the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol.

Due to absence of implementation of Nagoya Protocol, this mechanism has not been established.

Serbian administration is a small one. Consequently, we have only one institution responsible for handling the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol and in total one person working on this topic, who besides the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol has other topics within its scope of work.

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Republic of Serbia is a Party to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) since 2013. Ministry responsible for agriculture is designated as competent national authority for implementation of international obligations under the ITPGRFA. The Plant Gene Bank within the Directorate for Reference Laboratories of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management performs activities related to medium-term storage and preparation for long-term storage of seed samples in the National Collection. The main activities of the Republic of Serbia/Institute of Public Health of Serbia "Dr Milan Jovanović Batut" within the WHO PIP framework are: • ensure rapid, systematic and timely sharing of influenza viruses with pandemic potential (IVPP) with the WHO GISRS (Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System); • carry out virological and epidemiological surveillance, virus characterisation and sharing of seasonal and PIP biological materials with GISRS; • transfer ‘PIP biological materials’ within the GISRS and with external partners, in accordance with the provisions on access and benefit-sharing; • Contribute to equitable access to vaccines, antivirals and other pandemic-related products developed from PIP biological materials