The legal concept of the protected areas, the procedure of their proclamation and protection according to the new Law and Protection of Nature

With passing the Law on Protection of Nature Serbia has got a comprehensive and important legal act which protects the nature, its heritage, assures the process of strengthening sustainable usage of renewable resources and regulates the manner and mechanisms of managing its values in accordance with European tendencies. The Law defines and classifies protected areas as natural goods, regulates the procedure of their declaration for protected, and at the same time contributes to the preservation, promotion and protection of these areas. The aim of the authors with this paper is to acquaint the wider public with these issues.