site.btaMinister Kiril Vatev, EU Agriculture Ministers Discuss Solutions to Farmers' Problems

Bulgarian Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev participated in a discussion of EU ministers in Brussels on urgently solving farmers' problems. The discussion took place in the framework of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels, which is taking place against the backdrop of farmers' protests, said Vatev's Ministry Monday. Ministers discussed the need for swift and effective responses to the current crisis in the agricultural sector. 

The Bulgarian Minister pointed out that Bulgaria has had its share of farmer protests and said that the European Commission should make a thorough assessment of the Green Deal legislation and its impact on agriculture in the EU. Alongside this, a reciprocity clause should be included in free trade agreements to ensure that identical production standards for food quality and safety are met by both sides. 

He added that the measures proposed by the Commission to reduce the administrative burden on farmers are a step in the right direction, but Bulgaria believes they could be more ambitious. 

Minister Vatev believes that a comprehensive review of the requirements of all standards for maintaining land in good agricultural and ecological condition and their environmental benefit should be made against the background of the dynamics of climate change, market imbalances and economic sustainability of the food sector.

He said that Bulgaria supports the amendment of the  EU practices for good agricultural and environmental conditions (GAECEU) 1, which will provide some relief to livestock farmers in the context of restructuring their activities. With regard to GAECEU 6, Bulgaria supports the proposal to review possible agricultural practices to ensure soil protection with vegetative cover. Bulgaria continues to push for a review of GAECEU 7 and 8 in 2024 as well, considering that diversification has no less role than rotation in achieving the environmental objective of the standards, while at the same time controlling it administratively is more acceptable.

Vatev stressed that a number of administrative measures could be taken in the short term, with one of the priority measures being to postpone the deadline by which the Area Monitoring System should be fully operational.