What Connects Energy Transition and Rural Development in Serbia?

Abstract

The Republic of Serbia has a very pronounced agricultural component in its economic structure, which is connected with a significant part of the total population living and working in rural areas. National policies that treat agriculture and rural development are identical to energy policies under the increased attention of the academic, professional and general public. Serbia is in the process of harmonizing its legislation and economic environment with the rules of business and legal frameworks in the European Union. This paper analyses the links between rural development and energy transition in response to global challenges such as climate change, land degradation and ecosystem damage through the prism of EU policies and expected implementation in the legal system and strategic documents of the Republic of Serbia. Areas of overlap have been identified as well as complementary zones that should be taken into account when designing future national policies related to energy and agriculture. Some barriers have been identified that need to be removed at this initial stage in order to approach the formulation of policies based on reliable and verified data.