The export value of&nbsp;organic products from Serbia has&nbsp;increased more than 15 times in the past ten years. Compared to 2020 alone, last year's exports jumped 53 percent and amounted to 57.4 million euros.
"Serbia, as a producer of organic products, is present in the world market for more than 20 years, and during that time all indicators show rapid and stable development," says Bojana Lalović from the Center for the Organization of Fairs, Manifestations, and Events of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.
At the moment, there are more than 7,000 producers, and many of them regularly participate in international fairs where they promote their organic products. "At the upcoming BioFach 2023 Fair, which will be held from February 14th to 17th next year, 11 companies from Serbia will take part," announced Lalović. Under the slogan "WE SPEAK ORGANIC", Serbian organic producers will present a range of products, from fresh, dried, lyophilized, and frozen fruits and vegetables, organic cereal products, flour and pasta, organic fruit jams, to honey and dried mushrooms.&nbsp;

 Serbia Successfully "Speaks" Organic

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia ( CCIS) continues to expand its network in the world in 2023. At the very beginning of the year, the new Representative Office of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia in Dubai, the business center of the United Arab Emirates, started working. This is the eighth Representative Office of the CCIS in the world after Germany, Austria, the Russian Federation, Belgium, Italy, Israel, and China.
Companies from Serbia, members of the Open Balkan, and regions that work or plan to do business in the market of the UAE and other countries of the Persian Gulf can acquire all the necessary information and support for starting and developing business in these markets from the CCIS Representative Office in Dubai. The CCIS Representative Office is located in the building of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, and the Director of the Representative Office is Maja Antolović, the former Executive Director of DP World from Dubai, which owns the port in Novi Sad. Mrs. Antolović has extensive experience in business management, communications, and relations with local authorities. All interested companies can contact the CCIS Representative Office in Dubai at email dubai@pks.rs or by phone at +971 545835999.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia opened a Representative Office in Dubai 

The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS) spoke today in Doha with Sultan Al Alseri, deputy of the Qatar Development Fund, about the possibilities of Qatar's investments in Serbia.
Čadež presented numerous advantages of the Serbian economy, especially when it comes to investments in the IT industry and communications, but also in agriculture and food production.
"The Qatari market also offers a chance for the economy of Serbia. There are great opportunities for market placement of frozen fruit and berry products from Serbia. "But our economy is interested not only in trade with Qatar, but also in investments in this Gulf country and this&nbsp;will be the topic of the Business Council of Serbia and Qatar, which will be formed at the beginning of next year," said Čadež.
Sultan Al Alseri emphasized that Qatar is interested in investments and cooperation with Serbia.&nbsp; Head of the Qatar Development Fund was especially interested in the project of innovative health services. Sultan Al Alseri accepted the invitation of the CCIS President&nbsp;to visit Serbia.
The Qatar Development Fund, established in 2002, has as its main goal "achieving inclusive and sustainable development, by solving the priority issues of education, health and economic empowerment."

Čadež and Sultan Al Alseri: Qatar wants to invest in Serbia

The Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Serbia and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce will co-chair the Serbia-Qatar Business Council and the&nbsp;founding session will be held in Doha in March next year. This was agreed upon at the meeting of Marko Čadež, the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia ( CCIS)&nbsp; with the First Vice President of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce, Mohammed bin Twar Al Kuvari, which was held in the capital of Qatar.
Čadež and Al Kuwari emphasized that the economic cooperation between Serbia and Qatar has not reached its full potential, and the strengthening of business ties will be the focus of the two business associations.&nbsp;
It was assessed that there is great potential for cooperation in the field of energy, and food, especially the dairy industry, and the IT sector... It was agreed that in March 2023, a business delegation from Serbia will visit Qatar, when the founding session of the Business Council will be held in Doha. After that, a visit of Qatari businessmen to Serbia is expected. Čadež also congratulated the hosts on the successful organization of the World Cup in football.
During his visit to Doha, the President of the CCIS also spoke with Mubarak Rashid Al Sahuti, the Vice president of the company "Hasad Food", which operates in&nbsp;the distribution and quality control of food products. Al Sahouti, whose company will be a member of the Serbia-Qatar Business Council, indicated great interest in investing in food production in Serbia.
Čadež also met with representatives of "Energoprojekt" who introduced him to their operations in Qatar regarding water supply and electrification. "Energoprojekt" is the main consultant in the "Northern Gas Field" development project in Qatar, which will increase gas export capacity by 70 percent by 2026. The president of the CCIS had talks with the manager of the Qatar system for the development of hospitals "Hamad Medical Corporation" about cooperation in the healthcare sector.&nbsp; Meetings with representatives of the Qatar Development Fund are also planned for tomorrow.

<div class="article-photo"><img src="https://en-api.pks.rs/storage/assets/Poseta Privrednoj komori Katara Marko Čadež 2.jpg" id="image-tag-1671794207035" data-image-alignment="article-photo" data-image-size-id="original" data-asset-id="752"></div>

Čadež and Al Kuwari: Serbia and Qatar to Establish a Business Council

The company "ProTent" from Obrenovac and polish company "SBB Energy" signed at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia&nbsp;a strategic partnership agreement&nbsp;directed to long-term business cooperation transfer of&nbsp;know-how technologies and scientific achievements in order to improve energy efficiency in Serbia,&nbsp; system harmonization&nbsp;with EU regulations, as well as common market presence.The agreement was signed by "ProTent" general manager&nbsp;Slobodan Vujičić and the president of "SBB Energi" Žemovit Slomčinski. The agreement was signed&nbsp; in the presence of the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia,&nbsp;Marko Čadež, and the Minister Counselor at the Embassy of Poland in Serbia, Anna Perl.

Polish Technologies for Cleaner Serbian Energy Sector

Uncertainties in doing business, along with inflation, rising energy, and food prices, and disrupted supplier chains, are the biggest challenge, both for the global and European, as well as for the Serbian economy. We are in a race against time, but as a small economy, we have advantages over bigger and stronger economies, because we are compact and can act quickly. We showed this during the coronavirus pandemic and before, but good dialogue between the business community and&nbsp;the policymakers is important to us so that we can react quickly, says Marko Čadež, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS).
Our job and task are to protect the interests of the economy in partnership with the state. We don't always have the same interest, but we have to constantly talk and work together in order to quickly react and solve the companies' problems," Čadež points out in an interview with Bloomberg Adria TV. He pointed out that macroeconomic data for Serbia are better than expected - we have GDP growth and a record level of FDI that will exceed four billion euros, which is another indicator that investors have not stopped. "From 2020 to the end of 2022, we have 66 new factories, and new production facilities, which is no small thing. The CCIS quarterly survey shows that 75 percent of businessmen do not expect problems with liquidity, which is good news for now," adds the president of CCIS. Despite these positive indicators, Čadež warns that in 2023, the continuation of inflationary pressures, energy dependence, and uncertainty in business planning will remain the biggest concern for the companies.&nbsp; "According to some research done in the EU, companies have transferred inflationary cost pressures of semi-finished products and raw materials to the customers by 34 percent with prospects of reaching 50 percent in the first quarter of 2023. It is the delayed inflationary pressure from 2022. There is, however a limit to price rising towards the end consumer. Companies do not have much maneuvering space, they can only transfer the funds planned for capital investments to operational activities and use that money to maintain the level of production. On one hand, you keep business afloat, while on the other, investments important for productivity are&nbsp;postponed," explained Čadež.
He points to one major innovation - the transition from globalization to regionalization, the formation of larger regional territorial entities led by the leading economic powers - the USA, China, and the EU. It's a tectonic economic disruption because all supply chains and value chains are shifting. This is not only happening because of the conflict in Ukraine, but is also a consequence of earlier events. Serbia can use these changes as an opportunity brought by nearshoring, Čadež believes.
In the dialogue with the new government, as he pointed out, the Chamber has a multi-sectoral approach to solving problems.&nbsp;"Unlike in the past when we had permanent working groups with individual ministries to solve problems, now we have to work in a multisectoral&nbsp;way." An example is waste management in the construction industry. Serbia is loos a lot of money instead of using that resource in recycling and production. That's why we agreed on a joint working group with the ministries of construction, environmental protection, and energy with the aim of finding a solution as soon as possible, passing regulations, and developing the market," said Čadež.
He adds that for all investment processes and keeping competitiveness at a high level, companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, need support, and the solutions are in the use of some financial instruments, guarantee schemes, and the return of tax credits.
Speaking about the results of the regional initiative Open Balkans, he points out that progress is visible, especially in the improvement of trade both among the members (Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania), and among all economies in the region, but there is a place for improvement. On a scale of one to 10, he rates the results of the Open Balkans between four and five.
In his opinion, it is very important that we act together towards Brussels, we insist on the inclusion of the region in the EU single market. The isolation of the Western Balkans from the single market does not bring any good,&nbsp;both for our region and for the EU says the President of the CCIS.

Čadež: Clear and Rapid Dialogue Between the Business Community and the Policymakers  is the Key 

For the stronger development of the Western Balkans (WB) region, it is important to facilitate the flow of goods, capital, services, and people in the upcoming period, to reduce waiting time at the borders, as well as to create regional strategies for the development of the energy sector and the food industry for the next 10 years. These are the recommendations of the WB business community in a survey conducted by the Chamber Investment Forum of the Western Balkans (CIF WB6) among 1150 companies from the region on the implementation of the Action Plan on the Common Regional Market (2021-2024).Bojan Stanić, from the Sector for Strategic Analysis, Services and Internationalization of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS), pointed out that 55 percent of the companies that participated in the survey believe that the flow of goods at border crossings should be accelerated, while 21 percent of them believe that efficiency of the border has improved compared to the previous year. "The economies of the Western Balkans recorded significant growth in 2021, but in the coming period, the geopolitical crisis, negative demographic trends, and lurking recession in the European market can slow down economic development," says Stanić.He adds that the competitiveness of companies in the region should be stimulated through the development of financial instruments for small and medium-sized enterprises, the creation of reliable supply chains, as well as through near-shoring opportunities.&nbsp; Tatjana Šterjova Duškovska, Secretary General of CIF WB6, pointed out that this forum is constantly involving companies in regional supplier chains and cited as an example the Market Access Platform, which has over 2,000 mapped companies registered. "It is important to monitor how much the costs of doing business in the region are reduced, because this is a common goal for all of us, and it is of great importance that the private sector participates in all activities and phases of the implementation of the Action Plan," Duškovska points out. David Hudson from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG Near) pointed out that strong economies make strong regions. He pointed to political stability and strong support from administrations in the region as important prerequisites for economic development., Emir Dikić, Director of CEFTA, pointed out that a methodology was created to analyze the waiting time of trucks at border crossings, and the first data collected this year indicate that the waiting time of trucks at borders varies from 42 to 140 minutes, depending on the goods they transport. He added that talks are underway between CEFTA members in order to establish priority lines for transporters and reduce waiting at the borders. The presentation of the Report on the Implementation of the Action Plan on the Common Regional Market (2021-2024) was attended by more than 150 representatives of companies and institutions from the Western Balkan region.Presentation of the Report <a href="https://wb6cif.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6331b93d6232969529fbfa5a3&id=3215f82e0b&e=00f2130994">"Monitoring the implementation of the Common Regional Market Action Plan (2021-2024) - Key business insight on priority action points"</a> &nbsp;was organized by Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum (<a href="https://wb6cif.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6331b93d6232969529fbfa5a3&id=cd9e15d7b9&e=00f2130994">https://www.wb6cif.eu/</a>), in the framework of CEFTA week 2022.Find bellow:&nbsp; &nbsp;
<ul> <li>The<a href="https://wb6cif.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6331b93d6232969529fbfa5a3&id=12ceeb4d19&e=00f2130994"> link</a> with the final version of the Report
 </li><li>The <a href="https://wb6cif.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6331b93d6232969529fbfa5a3&id=286d9ff90f&e=00f2130994" target="_blank">link</a> with the presentation of the Report, given by Mr Bojan Stanic, WB6 CIF Regional Centre for Economic Analysis coordinator
 </li></ul>

Four Freedoms for Strong Western Balkan Region

The green transition is changing the DNA of existing business processes, it is a great investment opportunity, and it must be implemented quickly because we don't have time to wait, Marko Čadež, the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia said today at the opening of the two-day Look UP Conference&nbsp;dedicated to ecology and energy.
Čadež pointed out at Kopaonik&nbsp;that the CCIS was the first in the region to publish the Green Declaration on the transformation of the Serbian economy in 10 points. This presents a kind of Roadmap through the green transition, but also a Roadmap for the state on economic policies and incentives that should be adopted in this area, Čadež added. In his words, green transformation is key to improving the competitiveness of the economy, attracting new investments in higher-value products such as electric cars, and batteries.&nbsp;The investment revolution is at our doors, and large companies from Asia are transferring production to Europe. Hungary is an excellent example, and in order for our region to catch up with these positive changes, it must become part of the EU single market, Čadež assesses. The President of the CCIS&nbsp; particularly advocated for a just ecological transition in which the most vulnerable groups of society will be taken into account.
Minister of Environmental Protection, Irena Vujović said that the strategic goal of the Government of Serbia is EU membership, but also the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, which confirms the constant dialogue with European institutions, the adoption of standards in the field of ecology and industry and their implementation through strategic documents that Serbia adopted or will adopt.
"Serbia needs 12.7 billion euros to comply with EU standards and regulations out of&nbsp;which 12.4 billion euros are investments in the water sector," Vujović said. The Look UP conference gathered more than 400 participants and more than 55 experts who will discuss ecology, energy, green construction, and e-mobility in eight panels...

Green Transition Changes The DNA Of Existing Business Processes

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia has prepared and published the Declaration on the Green Transformation of the Serbian Economy with a goal to encourage and support companies in the process of transitioning to a circular business model while preserving competitiveness and efficiency, said Mihailo Vesović, Director of the Sector for Strategic Analysis, Services, and Internationalization of CCIS.
"Our companies have to adapt their business models because their partners in the EU will demand this, whether they are exporters or involved in the supply chains of foreign partners. On the other hand, banks will adapt their risk analysis methodologies due to ESG standards, EU taxes, and different business models of companies, as well as due to changed regulations. The pressure on companies to adapt their operations to the green agenda will also come from customers and consumers who are also rapidly becoming more aware. "The economy still has a few years to adjust, but that process must start immediately," Vesović said. Fast-paced changes in the EU markets, our most important foreign trade partner, include the transition from a linear to a circular model, energy efficiency, the adoption of EU standards related to the amount of recycled raw materials used, the control of greenhouse gas emissions and new non-financial reporting standards, including carbon accounting, which will very quickly condition the competitiveness of domestic companies. "Every product that has a useful value should be recycled, and the ultimate requirement in terms of energy efficiency is the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, not only for moral or ecological reasons but also for reasons of preserving competitiveness," Vesović pointed out. According to his words, tomorrow the economy will not be able to export to the European Union at competitive prices if the products are not produced in accordance with the conditions of energy efficiency, carbon neutrality, and circular economy. "Every product that has a useful value should be recycled, and the ultimate requirement in terms of energy efficiency is the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, not only for moral or ecological reasons but also for reasons of preserving competitiveness," Vesović pointed out. According to his words, tomorrow the companies will not be able to export to the European Union at competitive prices if the products are not produced respecting energy efficiency, carbon neutrality, and circular economy principles.
We offer companies a dynamic process of knowledge and practice transfer. We will advocate for the creation of a regulatory framework to accelerate transformation and access to finance and advanced technological solutions that our industry needs. It is important that the green transformation becomes the first topic in scientific and professional communities, in the universities, because changes towards a low-carbon and circular economy are a complex and demanding process," said Vesović. The green transition should enable many new jobs in Serbia, the region, the EU, and globally, and this process puts us under obligation for future generations and to preserve resources. Serbia has committed itself to these processes of change through international agreements, including the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.
CCIS wants to participate in advising and educating companies in the field of circular economy, carbon accounting, waste treatment, and others, and we have already started working with companies in the field of education and training through the Circular Economy Hub and the Circular Academy, and we have great examples of good practices from domestic companies as well as foreign companies that have brought good experience to Serbia, adds Vesović.
<a href="https://en-api.pks.rs/storage/assets/deklaracija eng.pdf">CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD CCIS Green Declaration</a>

Green Declaration: CCIS Partner in the Transformation of the Serbian Economy

Companies from Serbia, producers of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, during a four-day working visit to Israel, held a large number of meetings and b2b meetings with Israeli importers and distributors, while also visiting some of the leading Israeli retail chains with a goal&nbsp;to explore&nbsp;possibilities of exporting to this prospective market and finding new partners.
The visit was organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of&nbsp;Serbia and the representative office of CCIS in Israel, as this country represents an attractive market for Serbian producers, especially those of&nbsp;frozen fruits, vegetables, apples, jams, juices, but also prunes and all-natural products without gluten, additives and added sugar, such as&nbsp;cold-pressed juices, granola, butter, natural milk.
The Government of Israel, with the aim of increasing competition and reducing the cost of living, is increasing import quotas and gradually canceling customs restrictions on the import of these products, which opens up great opportunities for companies from Serbia.For export to the Israeli market, possession of a Kosher certificate issued by the certifying rabbinate is also required.&nbsp;
Our businessmen and CCIS representatives spoke with the management of leading Israeli importers, including Paskovich Co, Green Filed Foods Co, A.S.K. Anshel Marketing Ltd, Tomer Ltd, Lev's Co, Lord Sandwich, and others, as well as with representatives of retail chains Yochananof, Shufersal, Rami Levy, Osher Ad. 
The following companies visited Israel last week: Agranela, Valjevo, ITN Group, Belgrade, Budimka, Požega, Zdravo Organk, Selenča, Cold Pressok, Belgrade, Master Fruits, Belgrade, Fruct Company, Udovice, Select Fruit, Subotica, Euro Frigo, Požega, PIK Becej.

Israel- A Good Market for Quality Fruits and Vegetables, Jams and Natural Juices  from Serbia 

More than 60 representatives of companies and institutions cooperating with Belgium participated in the seminar "Possibilities of Improving the Cooperation of Serbian and Belgium Companies“ which was organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS). The seminar was an opportunity to present the potential and promising sectors of cooperation with Belgium.&nbsp;
Mihailo Vesović, Director of the Sector for Internationalization of the CCIS, pointed out that economic cooperation with Belgium is on an upward trajectory, and the proof of that is the presence of 99 Belgian companies that are already successfully operating in Serbia. He pointed out to IT sector and the food industry as promising sectors for cooperation, adding that Belgian companies are also interested in the transfer of knowledge and technologies. He also pointed out to the possibility of regional cooperation through the Open Balkan Initiative. "I am sure that our cooperation will strengthen in the coming years, and the Embassy of Belgium will provide support to all companies that are interested in cooperation with the Belgian market," said Cathy Bugenhaut, Ambassador of Belgium to Serbia, who was appointed in August this year. Marijana Milošević Tufegdžić, the economic advisor at the Embassy of Belgium, pointed out that Belgium, although a small country, is among the&nbsp;15 biggest exporters and importers in the world, and that it represents an excellent logistics platform for cooperation with other EU and world markets. She added that Belgian companies are most interested in cooperation in the chemical industry, IT services, and technology transfer. Examples of good practices from Belgian companies operating in Serbia were also presented at the seminar. The experience of doing business with Serbia presented companies Elicio from the sector of&nbsp;renewables, Puratos from the food industry, Unifiedpost from the information technology sector, but also company Ecofungi, which produces mushrooms, and has been exporting to Belgium for years.
The Belgian Serbian Business Association also presented its activities at the event.&nbsp;

Food Sector and Knowlegde Transfer to Boost Cooperation with Belgium

The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, Marko Čadež, today handed over his mandate as President of the Board of Directors of the Chamber Investment Forum of the Western Balkans (CIF WB6) to the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Kosovo, Lulzim Rafuna. At the Investment Conference organized by the Chamber Investment Forum, which is being held today in Ljubljana, Čadež emphasized that it is time for even greater trust and cooperation of all economies in the region.
"It's time to trust each other, to celebrate what unites us, not what divides us." Therefore, I have decided to hand over my mandate as president of the CIF Board of Directors, as our common regional chamber, to my dear friend Lulzim Rafuna, the president of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce. Let's build a better future for our business together and build a region of success and not a region of conflict, said Čadež and thanked Rafuna for accepting the mandate. Čadež pointed out that eight years ago when the cooperation between the chambers of Serbia and Kosovo began followed by all chambers of the region, no one believed that it was possible. This is why I'm extremely glad when I see colleagues from all chambers of commerce - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo - together today and when I see that we share a common vision and a different reality. And this is not something that we say for the sake of order, because only what you do actually counts, and this is another step in that direction," said Čadež. The Chamber Investment Forum of the Western Balkans, which consists of chambers of commerce of all six economies, gathers more than 350,000 companies from the entire region. Photo: CIF WB6 by Danijela Kovač<div class="article-photo"><img src="https://en-api.pks.rs/storage/assets/KIF WB6.JPG" id="image-tag-1669124096741" data-image-alignment="article-photo" data-image-size-id="original" data-asset-id="739"></div>