site.btaParliament Adopts Amendments to Agricultural Producers Support Act

POLITICS - PARLIAMENT - AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS ACT- AMENDED

Parliament Adopts Amendments
to Agricultural Producers
Support Act


Sofia, January 30 (BTA) - The National Assembly Friday adopted
amendments to the Agricultural Producers Support Act tabled by
the Council of Ministers.
       
The changes determine the procedure for selecting the managing
authority of the Rural Development Programme (2014-2020) and
give this body the opportunity to delegate part of its functions
 to other structures.
       
The municipal councils have to provide trade area at the
municipal agricultural produce markets for registered farmers,
as well as organizations of agricultural producers, their
associations and groups.
       
The amendments also specify provisions which concern the
production of sugar and isoglucose. State Fund Agriculture will
support the creation of short supply chains at producers' local
markets.

The decisions of State Fund Agriculture's Governing Council are
adopted by a majority of two-thirds of the members present and
voting, and they have to be published on the websites of the
Fund and the Agriculture and Food Ministry.
     
The provisions regulating the implementation of direct payment
schemes have been reformulated and supplemented, with the
specific national decisions becoming obligatory and the minimum
requirements for natural and juridical persons being specified
so that they would meet the definition of active agriculture
producers and not be included in the list of persons without
right to financial support.

The changes also envisage a progressive reduction and
introduction of a ceiling for the payments under the Single
Payment per Area Scheme (SPAS). Farmers who meet the criteria
for SPAS can also apply for support under the Redistribution
Payment Scheme and the Small Farmers Scheme. A legal framework
is created for the implementation of the latter and the schemes
for support linked with production, and for a new cotton scheme.