Nearly 22 million—that’s the number of chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese counted on agricultural holdings in Serbia during the last Agricultural Census in 2023. Interestingly, as much as 98 percent of this number refers to chickens, with over half being broiler chickens. This highlights the importance of focusing on meat quality as well as the health of the animals themselves.
These crucial topics were the focus of the project “Improving Poultry Meat Quality” (“Strengthening Capacity Related to the Quality of Poultry in the Republic of Serbia”) for which the European Union allocated 250,000 euros. Over the course of the seven-month project, experts from Lithuania assisted their Serbian colleagues in shaping the poultry sector in line with European standards. The successful completion of the project was marked last week in Belgrade, where Elgars Ozolins, Head of Operations III at the EU Delegation to Serbia, emphasized that approval for the export of poultry meat and eggs from Serbia to the EU market now depends on the activities of Serbian authorities.
„This project served to help Serbia expand access to the EU market for additional products, specifically fresh poultry meat and eggs. While Serbia generally has good control systems in place, it still needs to fully harmonise its control of food safety and poultry health with those in force in the EU. It is now up to the Serbian Competent Authority – the Veterinary Directorate – to work on the procedure with the relevant services of the European Commission to initiate the export of these products“, Ozolins said.
Source: Republic Institute of Statistics, Census of Agriculture 2023
He reminded that the value of agricultural product exports from Serbia to the EU doubled from 1.1 billion EUR in 2013 to 2.2 billion in 2023, and that the EU anticipates these figures will continue to grow.
Experts working on this project said that important results have been achieved.
The project identified critical gaps in Serbia’s national legislation and veterinary practices and provided actionable solutions. Also, through six training sessions across multiple regions, Serbian veterinary professionals gained expertise in disease surveillance, risk categorization, and biosecurity practices. Study visits to EU member states further enriched their understanding of implementing EU-compliant systems.
Advancements in Laboratory Diagnostics is also worth mentioning. Cutting-edge diagnostic procedures, including whole-genome sequencing for Salmonella spp. and ELISA for Newcastle disease, were introduced. These advancements will significantly enhance Serbia’s ability to detect and manage infectious poultry diseases.
By addressing gaps in disease management, laboratory diagnostics, and compliance with EU standards, the project has strengthened institutional capacities and improved Serbia’s public health and biosecurity framework. These outcomes position Serbia as a strong candidate for successful EU integration in the poultry sector. It is now for Serbian competent authorities to complete the relevant procedures.
