Regulations governing the use of GMOs exist since 2001, when the first Law on GMOs was adopted and in accordance with it the bylaws. These regulations were adopted at the federal level by the parliament of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which consisted of the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Montenegro, and applied in the period from 2001 to 2009. This Law on GMO, together with the accompanying regulations, enabled the issuing permit of all types of GMO use (contained use of GMOs, cultivation of GMOs and placing on the market of GMOs or GMO products), but following a rigorous procedure involving adequate risk analysis. After the redefinition of political relations between Serbia and Montenegro, the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro was created, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ceased to exist. In 2006, Serbia and Montenegro became members of the Cartagena Protocol. In 2009, the Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the following laws which has been regulates the field of GMOs: Law on Genetically Modified Organisms ("Official Gazette of RS", No. 41/09), Law on Food Safety ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia", No. 41/09). Law on Genetically Modified Organisms (Official Gazette of RS, No. 41/09) regulates the procedure for issuing approvals for use in closed systems, for deliberate release into the environment of GMO for the purpose of carrying out experiments, demonstration experiments and development of new varieties, conditions for use in closed systems and for deliberate release into the environment GMO, handling, packaging and transport of GMOs and products containing GMO, as well as other issues of importance for GMO and products containing GMO. This law regulates only experimental work with GMOs. Also, this law prescribes prohibition of placing on the market of GMOs and products of GMOs, as well as the prohibition of commercial growing of GMOs on the territory of Republic of Serbia, which is not in compliance with Kartagena Protocol on Biosafety. However, the Food Safety Law ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia", No. 41/09) prescribes procedures for the first placing on the market of GM food and GM feed in the territory of the Republic of Serbia, for labelling and traceability of GM food and feed, as well as for record keeping of approved of GM food and feed. Given that the Law on GMO  and the Food Safety Law are in opposition to one another in the field of regulating GM food and feed, the Law on GMO  as the law that specifically regulates GMOs is considered to be a Lex specialis, because of that the ban on the placing on the market of GMOs and GMO products in the Republic of Serbia, as defined by the Law on GMOs, is in force.

Competencies over the implementation of the Law on Medicines and Medical Devices ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia", No. 30/2010; 107/2012) is under the authority of the Ministry of Health, so the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management has no accurate information on this issue.

As candidate country for EU membership, Serbia has been start with harmonisation of legislation with EU legislation in this area. Regulation (EC) No 1946/2003 on transboundary movement of GMOs, as well as the Directive 2009/41/EC on the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms have been transposed into the Law on GMO. As we said, in Serbia, commercial cultivation of GMOs, as well as the placing on the market of GMOs and GMO products, were denied. We did not have  any a notification of the transit of GMOs (LMOs). Also, we did not have applications for contained use of GMOs (LMOs). Also the transit is regulated by the Customs Law ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia", No.18/2010-3, 111/2012-3, 29/2015-6, 108/2016-16, 113/2017-192 (other law)) for which the Customs Administration is competent authority .

Since 2009, when the current Law on GMO&nbsp; was adopted, we did not have any application for the deliberate introduction of GMOs into the environment. Consequently, we have not made any decision regarding the transboundary movement of GMOs for the purpose of introduction into the environment.<br />In the period from 2001 to 2009 (when the Law on GMO&nbsp; ("Official Gazette of FRY", No. 21/2001 was in force)), permits for field trials were issued (GM corn (NK603) resistant to Roundup Ready herbicide, as well as GM Arabidopsis and GM tobacco for the purpose of detecting mines in the ground). Each of these permits was accompanied by precisely defined obligations for adequate risk management. Also, was issued the permit for the placing on the market of GM soybean meal (processed) as feed (in a form that is not live modified organism and does not pose a threat to the environment).

In accordance with the Law on GMO we have general ban on commercial growing of GMOs, as well as on placing on the market of GMOs and products of GMOs in Republic of Serbia

Free trade agreements between Serbia and the EFTA countries, then the CEFTA countries, the Russian Federation, etc. None of these agreements is LMO-related.<br />Stabilization and Association Agreement between the EU and Serbia (signed 2013)

As a candidate country for EU accession, Serbia has to harmonize domestic legislation with EU legislation. The draft of the new GMO law is under preparation and will be harmonized with the relevant EU legislation.

Testing of GMOs and GMO products for the purpose of detection, identification and quantification of genetic modification is carried out by laboratory designated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. At this point, the four laboratories are designated to carry out detection, identification and quantification of genetic modifications in GMOs and products of GMO, for the needs of the Ministry of Agriculture. Members of the Expert Council for Biosafety have some experience in conducting risk assessments of LMOs, intended for contained use, as well as for field trials, but not for cultivation for commercial purposes or direct use as food, feed, or for processing. Although some of our experts have been invited to the workshops organized at the EU level to update their knowledge, additional training and hands-on experience would be welcomed particularly for regulators and administrators in the country as well as for other experts, particularly for inspections service who&nbsp; supervise&nbsp; the implementation of the Law on GMOs.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, as the competent authority for GMO issues, authorized 4 laboratories for the detection, identification and quantification of genetic modification in the tested material. However, we still do not have a nominated reference laboratory to be able to ensure validation of methods for detection, identification and quantification of GMOs .

Serbia still needs financial and technical assistance from the parties of the Cartagena Protocol and other international institutions in biosafety capacity building&nbsp;&nbsp; as well as implementing of the Cartagena Protocol.

A number of meetings and workshops organized for stakeholders and decision makers: GMO inspection - Enforcement of GMO legislation, Workshop on GMOs Food and Feed, meetings at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts on biosafety<br />Participation in training courses in the organization of TAIEX, BTSF

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In accordance with current Law on GMO, no genetically modified organisms or product containing genetically modified organisms can be traded or grown for commercial use at the territory of the Republic of Serbia

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Q 199: Steps have been taken to initiate the procedure of ratification of the Supplementary Protocol under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety<br />Q 200: There are penal provisions in national legislation if the use of GMOs and GMO products&nbsp; causes harmful consequences for human health and the environment

The current Law on GMO ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia", No. 41/09), which was adopted in 2009, regulates only experimental work with GMOs and prescribes prohibition of placing on the market of GMOs and products of GMOs, as well as the prohibition of commercial growing of GMOs on the territory of Republic of Serbia. This was reffered in 2nd National Report. <br />This Law is still in the force

Due to lack of financial and human resources Serbia has difficulties with gathering necessary information for submission of the Cartagena Protocol National Reports.<br />