site.btaBulgaria to Derogate from Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions Standard 8 for Claim Year 2024

The Agriculture and Food Ministry has sent a notification to the European Commission EC that it will apply a derogation for the claim year 2024 in respect of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 for the application of the Good agricultural and environmental conditions (GAEC) standard 8: Minimum share of agricultural area devoted to non-productive areas or features. The derogation is valid until end-2024, the Agriculture Ministry said in a press release on Tuesday.

GAEC is a set of EU standards aiming to achieve sustainable agriculture. Keeping land in good agricultural and environmental conditions is directly related to issues such as minimum level of maintenance, protection and management of water, soil erosion, soil organic matter, and soil structure. These standards are to be respected by European farmers receiving direct payments or some of the rural development payments.

GAEC 8 requirements and standards

• Minimum share of at least 4 % of arable land at farm level devoted to non-productive areas and features, including land lying fallow;
• Where a farmer commits to devote at least 7% of his/her arable land to non-productive areas or features, including land lying fallow, under an enhanced eco-scheme in accordance with Article 31(6), the share to be attributed to compliance with this GAEC standard shall be limited to 3%;
• Minimum share of at least 7% of arable land at farm level if this includes also catch crops or nitrogen fixing crops, cultivated without the use of plant protection products, of which 3% shall be land lying fallow or non-productive features. Member States should use the weighting factor of 0,3 for catch crops.

On February 12, 2024, the EC adopted Commission Implementing Regulation EU 2024/587 providing for a derogation from Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the application of GAEC 8.

The new regulation allows farmers and other beneficiaries to fulfil the first requirement of that standard devoting a minimum share of at least 4 % of arable land at farm level to non-productive areas and features, including land lying fallow and/or; nitrogen fixing crops; and/or catch crops, would improve farmers’ viability by giving them more flexibility concerning the areas which can be used to fulfil the obligation to devote a certain share of arable land to biodiversity benefits. It would put less restrictions on how they can use the arable land and would reduce the income losses while still ensuring some environmental benefits.

Catch crops and nitrogen fixing crops shall be cultivated without the use of plant protection products.

Earlier in February, Deputy Agriculture Minister Deyan Stratev said that Bulgaria will ask for an extension for another year on the implementation of two of the environmental standards that farmers must meet. He pointed out that the protests of farmers across Europe are specifically related to the implementation of GAEC standards 7 and 8.