Serbia’s agri-business shift: new rules, faster logistics, more funding

Serbia targets unfair retail pressure with new Trading Practices Law

The Serbian Government has adopted the Draft Law on Trading Practices for certain categories of products, in a move aimed at curbing unfair commercial practices, strengthening supplier protection, and improving transparency across the domestic market. This is also related to the alignment with EU Regulations. However, the draft law is broader in scope than many comparable EU models. In addition to agricultural and food products, it also covers household chemicals, personal hygiene products, cosmetics, and agricultural inputs such as plant nutrition products, crop protection products, and soil improvers.

The timing is notable. According to Minister of Domestic and Foreign Trade Jagoda Lazarević, large retail chains raised trade rebates after the decree limiting margins expired on 28 February 2026. That has added urgency to the new legislation, which is expected to reach parliament during the spring session.

If adopted, the law would introduce Serbia’s first dedicated legal framework in this area, setting clearer and more balanced rules across the supply chain. It establishes a “black list” of prohibited unfair practices and a “grey list” of practices allowed only under strictly defined conditions or explicit agreement between the parties.

Among the key provisions are bans on certain supplier-burdening fees, retailer retaliation, unilateral contract changes, the transfer of spoiled-goods costs onto suppliers, and short-notice cancellations of orders for perishable products. Retailers would also be required to pay for perishable goods within 30 days and for other goods within 60 days.

Penalties would include fines of up to around EUR 17,000 along with additional sanctions linked to revenue. The draft also envisages a whistleblower mechanism, allowing the reporting party to receive 10% of an imposed fine. Once the law enters into force, companies will have four months to align their contracts and operations with the new rules.

Green Corridors set to cut border delays and logistics costs

Long waiting times at border crossings continue to inflate logistics costs across the Western Balkans, where they account for around 16% of GDP, compared with about 8% in the EU, according to analyses by the World Bank and the Transport Community cited by Biznis.rs.

Border delays remain one of the biggest cost drivers. Each hour a truck spends waiting adds 2 to 5 EUR in driver and fuel expenses, while estimates suggest that cutting waiting times by three hours per truck could save the Serbian economy tens of millions of euros each year. Across the region, planned border modernisation is expected to eliminate a combined 20 years of waiting time.

To address these bottlenecks, the Green Corridors project was launched by the Transport Community, the CEFTA Secretariat, and the Regional Cooperation Council, with support from the European Commission and the World Bank. The system is built around advance electronic data exchange through the SEED platform, allowing customs and inspection services to assess shipments before trucks reach the border and speed up controls.

Originally introduced in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent supply shortages, the initiative is now being expanded. The EU is supporting the rollout of SEED+ to cover its own borders with the region, involving member states bordering the Western Balkans.

The project includes the modernisation of 11 border crossings, 10 of them between the EU and the region. Its total estimated value is around EUR 57 million, with EUR 37.5 million to be provided by the Western Balkan countries, EUR 7.7 million by EU member states, and the remaining EUR 8.4 million through joint activities.

Taken together, the measures are designed to reduce delays, lower logistics costs, and improve the flow of goods across regional supply chains.

Serbia accelerates IPARD III payments to farmers

Serbia plans to speed up payments under the EU-funded IPARD programme, with farmers expected to receive EUR 31 million by the end of 2026, according to Agriculture Minister Dragan Glamočić.

Speaking at a meeting of the working group monitoring IPARD implementation, Glamočić said the ministry is moving from the phase of launching calls to a stronger focus on implementation and fund disbursement. Under the IPARD III programme, five public calls have so far been published, covering investment measures worth EUR 117.2 million in EU contributions.

Nearly 2,000 applications have been submitted, with a total value of around EUR 420 million, while more than 370 have already been approved. In the coming period, priority will be placed on completing the accreditation of Measure 4, which covers agro-environmental-climate measures and organic production measures, as well as accelerating the accreditation of new measures under IPARD III.

This includes Measure 6, focused on investments in rural public infrastructure, which is currently in preparation. During 2026, the ministry also plans to launch three additional public calls: two under Measure 7 for diversification of agricultural holdings and business development, and one under Measure 3 for investments in the processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery products.

The next phase of IPARD III is therefore expected to place greater emphasis on implementation, with faster payments and broader support for farm investment, diversification, and rural development.

Beoplantfair 2026: where horticulture meets market opportunity

Beoplantfair 2026 is shaping up to be more than a showcase of flowers, plants, and landscaping. Set to take place from 21 to 24 April at Belgrade Fair, the event offers a compact view of how horticulture, production, technology, and market opportunity increasingly intersect.

The fair will bring together national and international exhibitors from across floriculture, seedlings and seeds, fruit growing, viticulture, beekeeping, medicinal herbs, landscape architecture, and green-area maintenance. It will be held alongside the “Gifts of Nature” exhibition, Motoplant Expo, and Organic Fest, creating a broader platform that connects horticulture with machinery, natural products, and sustainable production.

For the agrotech community, the value of Beoplantfair lies not only in its atmosphere, but in what it reveals about evolving input technologies, cultivation trends, equipment needs, and new business partnerships. As such, the event offers a useful snapshot of the regional horticulture value chain and the innovation increasingly shaping it.