site.btaV4 Countries, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia Share Common View on Future CAP

V4 Countries, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia Share Common View  on Future CAP

Sofia, June 26 (BTA) - The Visegrad Four together with Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia share a common view on Europe's future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Farmers from the these countries want the current schemes and measures to stay in place and administrative procedures to be eased. This emerged at a conference on the challenges to CAP in 2021-2027 in Sofia on Monday.

The Bulgarian Agriculture and Foods Ministry expects that the agricultural sector to come forward with a common position on the new CAP after 2021, according to Iskra Vulcheva. Agriculture Minister Rumen Porozhanov is pooling opinions on two main issues: direct payments and the Rural Development Programme. Bulgaria began debates on the new CAP in mid-May and they are to carry on in 2018 as well.

Bulgaria invited international experts to share with Bulgarian farmers how far along debates have gone and what the principal changes to EU's most expensive policy will be.

Participants in a June 2 meeting in Warsaw issued a joint declaration on the future CAP after 2020, calling on the European Commission to take into consideration the priorities and expectation of the V4 +3 countries when drafting the new CAP.

On Monday once again these countries reaffirmed their support for a strong two-pillar CAP which lays down equal conditions for competition within the single market and promotes the profitability and competitiveness of EU agriculture. They stressed that CAP needs a proper budget to reflect the considerable EU value added of this policy.

The Visegrad countries, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia urge for keeping in place the proven solutions in the area of direct payments, including single area payments, coupled support and the countries' flexibility when distributing aid with regards of the specifics of agriculture in the different EU members.