New Wine Law and continued state support for wine sector announced

Ahead of the Fourth International Wine, Food, Brandy and Tourism Fair Wine Vision by Open Balkans, which is being held in Belgrade from November 22 to 25, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management announced that it continued to improve the conditions for the development of viticulture and winemaking in Serbia, through comprehensive support programs that had yielded significant results in previous years.

The Ministry’s support includes investments in the establishment of perennial vine plantations with a return of 60% and a maximum amount of 80 million dinars, with additional increases for domestic varieties and specific expositions. The Ministry also provides incentives for planting material ranging from 700 thousand dinars, as well as for vineyard insurance, which is supported by 40–45%, or 70% in certain districts, up to the amount of 1,000,000 dinars, the statement said.

The Ministry, they remind, also supports the construction of wineries with a refund of 60% up to as much as 30 million dinars, as well as the adaptation of existing capacities. The purchase of new equipment is supported up to 10 million dinars, with the possibility of support for general expenses in the amount of up to 1,000,000 dinars.

The funds are also earmarked for improving the quality of wine, whereby the costs of laboratory analysis are reimbursed in the amount of up to 100 thousand dinars. For the establishment, functioning and promotion of our geographical indications for wines, incentives of up to 500 thousand dinars per association of wine producers with a geographical indication of origin have been defined.

Likewise, the fuel rebate is 50 dinars per liter for a maximum of 100 hectares. In 2025, 195,728 requests were submitted, and over 4.2 billion dinars were paid.

The Ministry of Agriculture emphasizes that, in addition to national measures, winemakers and winegrowers are also available support through the IPARD program, which enables co-financing of investments in the amount of 60–75 percent. For winegrowers, investments in mechanization, tractors up to 100 kW, irrigation, anti-hail networks, warehouses are acceptable, while for wineries, investments in construction, equipment, storage and specialized vehicles are acceptable. Through the World Bank Program, which combines loans and grants, farms also receive support in a total amount of up to 25 thousand euros, with their own participation of only 10 percent. In addition, the Ministry provides favorable credit support with interest rates of 1 to 3 percent. - Serbian wines have strong potential and this is confirmed by the results from year to year. Our goal is for every winegrower and winery in Serbia to have clear, accessible and predictable support from the state, and we are focused on helping producers accelerate their development, improve production and enter domestic and foreign markets even more strongly, said Minister Glamocic. As he added, such support mechanisms of the Ministry have enabled stable production growth, modernization of equipment and great progress in wine quality.

– This is also supported by the fact that wine production in 2024 increased by 15.1 percent compared to the previous year, with an increase in the number of registered wineries and vineyards. We will continue to invest in production, quality and infrastructure, with the aim of making the wine sector one of the most recognizable brands of Serbian agriculture – emphasized Glamocic.

The Minister also announced a new Law on Wine and Other Grape and Wine Products, which will further regulate and modernize the entire sector, in accordance with European standards and the needs of domestic producers. The Ministry has begun drafting that law and the text of the Draft will be prepared by the end of the year. It is expected that this will improve the control and traceability system and ensure better protection of origin and quality, as well as more modern records of vineyards and wineries.

The law will also, for the first time, regulate in a unique way certain wine-based products that have not been defined by law so far. Of particular importance is the fact that the new law is harmonized with the current regulations of the European Union. It is expected that this harmonization will create the prerequisites for greater competitiveness of domestic producers, easier application of standards and better positioning of Serbia in the regional and European frameworks, according to the Ministry’s statement.

– The wine sector in Serbia is progressing rapidly, and the task of the state is to monitor and support this development. The new law, together with strong financial measures of the state, will lay a solid foundation for higher quality production, greater consumer confidence and greater export potential – concluded Minister Glamocic.

Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodoprivrede Republike Srbije

Dragan Glamočić

Fourth International Wine Food

Brandy and Tourism Fair Wine Vision by Open Balkans

state support to wine sector

new Wine Law

construction of wineries

subsidies

establishment of vineyards

improving wine quality

IPARD program

World Bank program