site.btaBulgarian Cattle Breeder to Head European Economic and Social Committee's NAT Section, Vows to Seek Balance

Balance between agriculture, environmental protection, and rural development will be a priority for Stoyan Tchoukanov, who has been elected to head the NAT Section (Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment) in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).

Tchoukanov  gave an interview for BTA in Brussels. He is a member of the EESC’s Civil Society Organisations' Group (Group III). Since 2020, he has been one of four Bulgarian representatives in this group. On February 13 this year, he was elected to head one of the seven sections in the EESC, NAT, where he has been part of its Bureau until now. His two-and-a-half-year term as President of NAT will begin on October 1, 2025. Stoyan Tchoukanov is the President of the Beef Breeders Association of Bulgaria and owns his own farm. He graduated from the Agricultural University in Plovdiv.

"25 years have passed since this position was held by a farmer who produces food," Tchoukanov said in his interview with BTA. There have been representatives from farming organizations, but none of them were "real farmers with rubber boots." This, he believes, is a clear signal from the EESC to provide a platform for agricultural producers, especially in light of last year’s protests.

A farmer in a leading position in the Section could convey the problems of this segment of society very well, Tchoukanov is convinced. "I am very close to nature," he explained, noting that one of the initiatives he is working on within the EESC is related to regenerative farming. "I do not ignore the economic aspect of nature, and my farm is located in a rural area in Southeast Bulgaria, one of the most neglected ones. Strandzha-Sakar is an area that has been the subject of attempts to revive it for years, and this is a difficult task," he said. He pointed out that these problems are common across Europe – in Northern Spain, Southern France, Italy – everywhere there are depopulating rural areas.

"This will be my focus moving forward – how to keep these three areas alive, in symbiosis, without one overtaking the other and negatively affecting the others," Tchoukanov said. He argued that the policies that have dominated over the past several periods have negatively affected all three components.

He is well-aware that balancing these areas is challenging. "We immediately saw the negative reaction from the agricultural community and the potential problems when we focused too quickly and too far on the goals of the Green Deal. It is a difficult balance, but we must strive for it," he said.

The work of the chair of each section in the EESC is part of the legislative process in the EU. "These sections have thematic focuses, and when a legislative proposal comes from the European Commission to the EESC for an opinion, it is assigned to the relevant section. If it concerns agriculture, the environment, and rural areas, it goes to the NAT Section, which covers all these areas broadly," Tchoukanov explained.

To ensure fairness, the leadership of these sections rotates based on mandates. "Every two and a half years, there is a rotation, which must also ensure continuity. The presidency moves from the first to the second group, then to the third. Then the group chooses its nomination for president of the section," Tchoukanov described the procedure. Thus, the leadership of the NAT Section for the next mandate will pass from Group II – Workers to Group III – Civil Society Organizations. "They look for a consensus figure, a specialist in the fields of action of the section, even considering the linguistic abilities of the person. The president organizes the work of the section, which is part of the legislative process in the EU because these opinions go along with the European Commission's proposals to the European Parliament. Without an opinion from the EESC, the European Parliament cannot procedurally vote on legislation," Tchoukanov explained.

The selection of the group is done early enough so that national nominations can take it into account. "The civil society group in the EU evaluates that the candidate is suitable based on their proven experience to ensure continuity in the work. In the remaining months until the end of our mandate, I am working closely with the current president of the section, Peter Schmidt, so that the committee's vision continues for the next five years. This avoids surprises from national-level changes, as the EESC seeks continuity and consistency and should not fall into political dependencies that may be temporary," Tchoukanov said.

According to him, his election to lead the Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment Section gives better visibility for Bulgaria, but he is adamant that a president is not chosen to promote national visions. "I represent farmers, but I must be impartial. When it comes to cohesion policies, which will inevitably affect countries on the periphery of the EU, we must acknowledge that this is the goal of the EU. We cannot have a Europe of two speeds. Everywhere, we have rural areas that are depopulating, and the trend is alarming. All this must be more detailed and focused on in all initiatives. I mentioned the balance between food production and environmental protection, and this is one of the topics where excessive polarization and the manipulation of public sentiment by extreme political factions do not contribute to anything good. This is where I see perhaps the greatest need for energy to ultimately find a common solution," Tchoukanov said. He emphasized that people should not continue with the stereotype that all farmers are polluters. "This is a line that I intend to focus on in my future mandate," he concluded.