Bulgaria will receive EUR 2.338 B from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in the period 2014-2020, according to Agriculture Minister Dimitar Grekov.

Speaking Tuesday after a sitting of the Agriculture and Fisheries EU Council in Brussels, he made clear that the sum exceeded the initially anticipated allocation of around EUR 2 B for agriculture in the new programming period.

Grekov, as cited by the press office of the Agriculture Ministry, also explained that the Council had agreed to increase the maximum rate of EU co-financing for less developed regions, outermost regions and Aegean islands from 75% to 85%, adding that Bulgaria could take advantage from the positive development.

During Tuesday's meeting, the ministers renewed the negotiating Council mandate in order to finalize the deal on the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) reform package.

Following prolonged debates, the Ministers agreed that the distribution of the common EUR 84.936 B rural development budget by member states for the 2014-2020 period would be set out in an addendum to the main Regulation.

However, the participants in Tuesday's meeting rejected the proposal by the EP to reduce the percentage of co-financing from the EAFRD for agroecology, organic farming and Natura 2000, from 75% to 55%.

Bulgaria's request to expand the list of tied aid for the so-called sensitive sectors within the CAP was not satisfied.

According to EurActiv, although most of the CAP reform, including the shape of direct payments, was agreed during a June European Council, a number of issues remained open, including the reduction of grants, flexibility of the rural development pillar and levels of co-funding.

"Member States Ministers agreed not to reopen political discussions on elements of the CAP reform but gave some clear guidance for further negotiations on such important open issues like degressivity of direct payments, flexibility on transferring funds between pillars, co-financing rates and approval procedure of rural development envelopes per member states. Tomorrow we'll have a trilogue with the European Parliament, in which we hope to approximate our positions and reach an agreement on the outstanding issues before the final voting in COMAGRI committee", noted Prof. Vigilijus Jukna, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania.

European Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos urged the participants in the meeting to not allow a reakdown in the talks as it would postpone a decision on the CAP reform indefinitely and further delay EU countries' implementation of the new measures, thereby threatening certain kinds of payments to farmers.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!