Lawmakers in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia approved amendments on August 31, 2026, that permit the change of land use for forest areas damaged or destroyed by fire. This legislation, passed without public debate, allows for the repurposing of such land for projects deemed of public interest or for public infrastructure development.

The key change modifies Article 88 of the Law on Planning and Construction. While the original proposal from the Serbian government on August 7, 2026, did not include these provisions, they were introduced via an amendment by the parliamentary Committee for Spatial Planning, Transport, Infrastructure, and Telecommunications. The amendment was supported by Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Aleksandra Sofronijević and unanimously adopted by 12 committee members present.

Transparency Serbia and the Regulatory Institute for Renewable Energy and Environmental Protection (RERI) have raised concerns, warning that the opaque procedure creates grounds for suspicion regarding the future of fire-affected lands. They argue that while the amendment appears to protect burned forest areas, it significantly eases the process for converting this land into construction sites for a wide range of government-approved projects. This comes as Serbia grapples with extensive wildfires, including a weeks-long blaze in the Deliblatska Peščara special nature reserve, which experts estimate has destroyed over 5,500 hectares of forest and vegetation.

An alternative amendment proposing a 30-year ban on changing the land use of areas affected by fire, similar to measures in Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Montenegro, was not adopted. Transparency Serbia and RERI are now calling for a clear justification from the Ministry of Construction and the lawmakers involved, urging the Assembly to urgently pass supplementary measures to postpone the implementation of the new legal provisions.