The Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia launched a public consultation on 5 May 2026 regarding the Draft Nature Protection Programme for the period 2026–2031, together with an Action Plan until 2028. The Nature Protection Programme is a strategic document that comprehensively defines nature protection and biodiversity conservation in the Republic of Serbia through the establishment of goals and measures for the effective management of protected areas, habitat types, species, and the ecological network, while reducing negative impacts on biodiversity.

The adoption of a new Nature Protection Programme represents a response to identified systemic weaknesses and emerging challenges in the field of nature protection. The new Programme is intended to replace the previous one, which expired in 2023, and to ensure alignment with European nature protection standards, namely the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, as well as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The vision of the Nature Protection Programme is that, by 2031, the Republic of Serbia will establish an efficient and integrated nature protection system that halts biodiversity loss, improves the conservation and restoration of ecosystems, and strengthens their resilience to climate change and other pressures. During the drafting process, four options for achieving the general objective were analyzed, and Option 2, the so-called integrated package of measures, was selected as the recommended and most appropriate solution. This package includes a combination of regulatory and institutional measures aimed at species protection and habitat conservation, restoration of degraded ecosystems, expansion of Serbia’s protected territories, and strengthening institutional capacities for more efficient management and financing of nature protection.

The general objective of the Programme is to improve the system of nature protection and biodiversity conservation, as well as to increase the share of the territory of the Republic of Serbia covered by spatial protection instruments to 30%. In addition to the general objective, the Draft Programme defines three specific objectives:

Specific Objective 1 is focused on establishing an efficient and sustainable nature protection system. Particular emphasis is placed on integrating biodiversity into spatial and urban planning, as well as amending and supplementing the national list of indicators for monitoring the impacts of spatial planning and infrastructure sectors on nature and biodiversity. The measures envisaged under this objective therefore also include activities related to in-situ spatial protection of biodiversity outside protected areas and the ecological network.

This objective also foresees the expansion and improvement of the management of protected areas. As of 31 December 2025, 469 protected areas had been designated, covering a total area of 840,752 hectares. Consequently, protected areas account for 9.5% of the territory of the Republic of Serbia. Including areas currently undergoing the protection procedure, covering 108,429 hectares, the total percentage of Serbia’s territory under protection amounts to 10.73%. According to the proposed Action Plan, the Programme aims to reach 13.5% of the territory of the Republic of Serbia to be protected and/or undergoing protection procedures by 2028. In addition, at least 30 protected areas would use standardized tools for monitoring management effectiveness, representing a novelty compared to the current system for monitoring the effectiveness of protected area management. One of the globally recognized tools endorsed by the IUCN is the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT).

In addition to expanding protected areas, the Programme also envisages improvements to Serbia’s ecological network, including preparation of procedures for appropriate assessment related to the ecological network and adoption of a new Decree on the Ecological Network of the Republic of Serbia, including potential Natura 2000 sites.

Specific Objective 2 is dedicated to reducing direct and indirect negative impacts on biodiversity. The Programme recognizes measures for the restoration of degraded ecosystems and the sustainable use of natural resources, while also introducing two new concepts into Serbian legislation. The first concept concerns ecosystem services, which are used to assess and measure the significance of natural resources. The Programme foresees the development of a methodology for assessing and monitoring the condition of ecosystem services by the end of 2028. In addition, among the activities aimed at monitoring and mitigating the effects of climate change on biodiversity, the Programme recognizes the concept of Nature-based Solutions (NbS). The NbS concept involves using natural processes and ecosystems to address social and environmental challenges, such as preventing biodiversity loss, adapting to climate change, and flood protection. In order to reduce negative impacts on biodiversity, the Programme also foresees the development of methodologies for monitoring the harmful effects of air, water, and soil pollution on biodiversity, as well as pollinator monitoring and the definition of measures to improve the status of their populations. The preparation of lists of invasive species is one of the planned activities aimed at improving the legislative framework and controlling such species.

Finally, Specific Objective 3 has been established to improve the institutional, legislative, and financial framework, as well as to integrate nature protection into all relevant public policies and sectors. The objective also aims to ensure adequate information-sharing and involvement of stakeholders in nature governance processes. In addition to guidelines for identifying and engaging stakeholders at an early stage, the Programme foresees increasing the number of User Councils to a total of 15 by the end of 2028, compared to the current 8. A User Council is an advisory body established by the manager of a protected area with the aim of actively involving the local community in decision-making processes. The establishment of User Councils is mandatory for National Parks, as well as for certain protected areas where the founding decree prescribes the establishment of such councils within 12 months of designation. However, many protected areas are not legally required to establish them. In an effort to improve access to information on nature protection and biodiversity, the Programme also envisages the establishment of an information system for nature and biodiversity, as well as a national information exchange portal, by the final year of implementation of the Action Plan.

The innovations presented in the Draft Programme, along with the international obligations undertaken, will also be accompanied by the adoption of a new Law on Nature Protection, whose adoption has been announced for the fourth quarter of 2026.

The full text and explanation of the Draft Nature Protection Programme of the Republic of Serbia can be read HERE.

Comments, proposals, suggestions, and remarks regarding the Draft Programme may be submitted to the Ministry of Environmental Protection until 27 May 2026 via the following email address: priroda@eko.gov.rs.

This analysis was conducted as part of the project “Green Agenda Navigator”, co-financed by the European Union. The project is implemented by the Belgrade Open School in cooperation with six regional partners: Aarhus Center Association, Eco-Team, Eco-Z, the Center for Environmental Research and Information Eko-svest, an organization for nature protection and conservation in Albania, and the CEE Bankwatch Network.

Text author: Janko Jaćović
Photo author: BOS