Since 1993 in Serbia the harvesting of commercially important medicinal plants have been legally regulated for the protection of native population from its excessive harvesting. It includes 129 original plant species whose annual harvesting is regulated by the law and permits for their harvesting are required as well. Until 1999, 73 plant species were under the harvesting control.

The analyse of the issued number of permits during the last seven years (1993-1999) shows that 50 plant species have been harvested in Serbia. A greater oscillation per each year has been noticed concerning the total amount of the demand as well as in the amount per each species. For some medicinal plants such as bearberry (Arctostaphyllos uva - ursi) the demand at the market exceeds the nature potential. There is a group of medicinal plants for which the permits for their harvesting from nature have not been applied, they are not being cultivated, but it has been observed that they have been exported in large amounts, for example gentian yellow (Gentiana lutea), and spotty gentian (Gentiana punctata). This situation indicates insufficiently stable market, as well as the presence of illegal trade and harvesting.

In 1999, because of the war the harvesting was not limited and the demand of the species helped in estimating of a real harvesting.