site.btaSecond Amendment to Agriculture Plan Improves Flexibility in Environmental Compliance

The second amendment to the Strategic Plan for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas 2023-2027 will create new opportunities for farmers, caretaker Minister of Agriculture and Food Georgi Tahov said here on Tuesday in a discussion with industry members, as reported by the Agriculture Ministry's press service.

Tahov said the changes address the challenges farmers face in the first year of implementing the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the sector's proposals. The changes will allow for greater flexibility in meeting certain environmental conditions.

"The proposed amendments result from a thorough analysis and review of policies, and collaborative work with institutions and good communication with the industry," Tahov said. He added that the first step has been taken to make basic land maintenance easier for small farmers through a simpler application, thanks to talks between the European Commission (EC), the administration, and farmers.

The amendment to the Strategic Plan for interventions in organic farming, environment, climate, and animal welfare aims to ease the conditions for fulfilling and adhering to long-term commitments. The support levels for endangered local animal breeds, funded through the relevant intervention in the Second Pillar, will be reviewed. An exception is planned in the operation related to payments for maintaining organic crop production.

This exception will allow for the provision of evidence of harvested products from each registered farm and proof of the sale of certified organic products, in cases where extraordinary circumstances have affected the registered farm. The amendment will also change the duration of commitments in some environmental and climate interventions. Additionally, 38 new protected areas will be included in the support scope under the intervention "Payments for agricultural land in Natura 2000 sites."

At the meeting, it was shared that EC’s services and the Ministry of Environment and Water will review the proposed changes to the Strategic Plan. These changes will be shown at a future Monitoring Committee session. After EC’s services approve them, the changes will become part of the national legislation.

The first meeting between the Agriculture Ministry and industry representatives on the second amendment of the Strategic Plan took place earlier in August. EC approved the first amendment of the Strategic Plan for the development of agriculture and rural areas for the 2023-2027 programming period at the end of May.