Water management strategy of the territory of the Republic of Serbia until 2034.

According to the Water Law (Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia 30/2010 and amending publication from the Gazette 93/2012), the Water Management Strategy of the territory of the Republic of Serbia is a masterplanning document that will serve as basis for the implementation of water sector reforms through the year 2030, aimed at achieving needed water management standards at the national, regional and local levels, and at fulfilling water management objectives. This Strategy also proposes the structural and non-structural measures required to achieve set objectives and outlines the needed funding, the implementation timetable, and the functions whose proper performance will govern the effective achievement of objectives. Additionally, the Strategy sets forth priority projects.
The water management concept is based on the main natural characteristics of the territory of the Republic of Serbia, the present status of water resources and water management, and the need to meet the water demand, protect water resources and ensure protection against the adverse effects of water, keeping in mind the requirement to align with international standards in this field (particularly with those of the European Union), while honoring international commitments.
Water management issues here regulated, and their primary objectives are also closely related to the public water supply; irrigation; water pollution control (water protection); protection against the adverse effects of water: river floods, erosion and flashfloods; drainage.
The water management policy is founded upon the following basic principles: water is an irreplaceable, renewable resource, a precondition for proper functioning and development of society and a prerequisite for the survival of the natural environment and the entire human community, whereby the management of water resources and water infrastructure constitutes a national interest and direct obligation; water resources are natural assets owned by the Republic of Serbia and, as such, cannot be removed from public property, but concessions and usage rights over them may be acquired; water resources must be managed in an integrated manner, based on the principle of sustainable development, with Serbia constituting a single territorial entity for the purposes of water management; public water supply is in the public interest and has priority over all other types of water use.