site.btaEU Agriculture Commissioner Will Visit Bulgaria to Meet Local Farmers

The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, will be in Bulgaria this week for meetings with government representatives and agricultural organizations. In an interview with BTA, the Commissioner explained that he would like to meet with Bulgarian farmers to better understand the difficulties they are facing.

According to him, Bulgaria will have access to substantial funding under the next EU multiannual budget until 2034, with 65% of the funds still not allocated to specific projects. “There are sufficient funds available for farmers,” he said. The Commissioner noted that under the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), EUR 6.2 billion is earmarked for Bulgaria, and under the partnership plans —  EUR 19.5 billion.

Hansen noted that the new EU multiannual budget preserves direct payments to farmers, environmental protection schemes, and support for investments in agriculture. “We retained 80% of the existing Common Agricultural Policy — EUR 300 billion,” the Commissioner added.

He said that the war in Ukraine has affected the European market, but measures have been introduced to safeguard the interests of European farmers and livestock breeders. Hansen explained that Ukraine has until 2028 to implement changes to align its agricultural conditions with those of the EU, otherwise its exports to the EU market may be suspended. According to him, the measures already taken by the EU have led to a fivefold reduction in the import of goods that previously impacted the EU market.

The Commissioner said that the European Commission’s proposals to reduce bureaucracy in agriculture could save European producers EUR1.6 billion annually. “I hope the European Parliament will vote on its position this week,” he said, expressing hope that the trilateral negotiations between EU institutions will then conclude quickly.

“We want EU funds to reach those who actually work the land and produce,” Hansen said, adding that this has not always been the case so far. “We are proposing to improve the link between the support provided and actual production,” he explained.

According to him, the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will be much simpler and will make checks for abuse easier.

“I am convinced this will reduce the risk of misuse of European funds,” Commissioner Hansen concluded.