West Stara Planina Activities Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture Activities The REC assisted with the establishment of a working group of local experts in environmentally-friendly agriculture (EFA) on the Serbian side, in order to initiate activities in this area. The members of the working group were trained through a 'First steps in organic farming' seminar, which provided background information on the practices and legislation for organic farming, and involved trainers from Bulgaria and Serbia. The working group members exchanged experience on a study tour to municipalities in southern Serbia. The aim of the study tour was to present the most successful Serbian model of an organic farming association - TOPPAS. The history of the association's establishment, the structure of the association and the main aspects of their production and marketing were presented. In august, the working group started gathering and systematically organising information about the rural areas and agriculture on the Serbian side of West Stara Planina. Directions for sustainable agriculture in West Stara Planina With help from the project team, stakeholders from four municipalities on the Serbian side of West Stara Planina finalised the strategic document “Directions towards the development of sustainable agriculture in the area of West Stara Planina.” The document was hammered out during two planning workshops that led to the formation of a working group of core experts. The group has identified activities and regional priorities in the field. The Ministry of Agriculture has been closely involved in the process. Workshop on the conserving genetic resources of domestic animals During the Third Regional Fair of Balkan Agrobiodiversity and Rural Heritage a workshop was organised on good practices in the conservation of genetic resources of domestic animals. More than 35 participants from Serbia and Bulgaria attended, sharing experiences and learning lessons from each other’s projects. Activities of several professional organisations (e.g. Semperviva/Sliven and the Association for Autochthones Breeds/Karlovo in Bulgaria, Pirot Agriculture Extension Service in Serbia and the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture) and ongoing projects (e.g. the Zasavica Protected Area and the Green Hotels model in Serbia) were presented. Support to small local projects Three NGOs received grants in 2005 for small local projects dealing with sustainable agriculture: the Association of Farmers-Stara Planina from Pirot received a grant of EUR 2,000 for basic equipment; Natura Balkanika of Dimitrovgrad received EUR 7,000 for the adaptation of existing interactive farm facilities toward education and promotion programmes; and the Association of Cattle Breeders-Torlak from Knjazevac received EUR 8,000 to help establish a center for sustainable agriculture and rural development in the Knjzevac area. The last project is expected to receive additional support from the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture.

Introduction Activities: Studies Capacity Building People to People West Stara Planina Forum Education Ecotourism Agriculture LEAP Local Initiatives Programme Photo gallery   Other sites: Neretva Delta Skadar Lake