Strategic goals and priorities of sustainable agriculture and rural development in region of Upper Danube Region

According to the Draft Spatial Plan of Republic of Serbia (2010): spatial integration and functional connection of regional units, that are necessary for achieving ofgreater territorial cohesion within Republic, as well as for development capacities strengthening and greater competitiveness of its constituent parts, leads to the identification process of development zones. One of them is the Danube belt, wider area functionally directed to, or linked with Danube River, which also includes zone along the Sava River. Compact space, linked with west towards Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Austria and Germany, and east towards Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Moldova, is a key development axis for spatial integration of Republic of Serbia with Europe. Economy, transport, tourism, cultural cooperation and other forms ofpopidation connection along this development axis, will be supported by projects related to Corridor 7, or common development strategy based on interstate cooperation of Danube countries and regions. Except underlined, important place will have also protection projects and cooperation within process of natural resources preservation between Serbia and Croatia in the area of Upper Danube region. Unequivocally orientation of Republic of Serbia for European integrations requires different definition ofrole and importance of agriculture, food-industry and rural development, comparing to previous documents and practice. Hence the need for creation of clearly conceived frame like a document - Strategy, as adequate answer on key questions for further development of agriculture and rural areas in the zone of Upper Danube region (Sombor city and municipalities of Apatin and Bac). In possible extent, policy of this development should be adjusted to the Common Agricultural Policy of EU, whose focus is more and more on development of rural areas. By development strategy, as long-term development document, relating the contemporary scientific achievements, are determined strategic goals and priorities of sustainable agriculture and rural development in the zone of Upper Danube region. That was accomplished by fundamental perceiving of existing natural and created potentials, available human resources, previous development directions, present and predictable problems, detail analysis and estimation of environment impacts. According the above mentioned, the most favorable, realistically achievable options of future development are suggested, bringing down the focus on place and role of agriculture in sustainable development of rural areas. Strategic goals and priorities of sustainable agricultural and rural development in the zone of Upper Danube region, presented in this paper work, are mostly global and they just represent view on vision. They are actually answer on question „what we want to achieve?” considering available resources.