And after changing the definition of an active farmer, 67 farmers will remain without subsidies
With 11 votes “for” and two “abstentions” the proposed changes to the Law for the support of agricultural producers (ZPZP) passed on first reading V The Commission on agriculture, food and forests. Chairman Desislava Taneva explained that only formally “a group of deputies” submitted the bill to the registry office. The project was actually written in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
Read more on the topic:
MPs will discuss urgent changes to the LLP to get Campaign 2024 off the ground
With the turbulence in political relations and the upcoming elections, it is not entirely certain whether the project will be able to pass in less than 10 working days the procedure, which includes two hearings in the agricultural committee, followed by two votes in the plenary hall. As is known, the parliamentary groups have agreed to work until May 10, and from May 1 to 10 the deputies will be on Easter vacation. Thus, together with today, the working days are nine in total.
Yesterday, the first reading of the Bill to amend and supplement the Law on Assistance to Agricultural Producers in the committee passed almost without discussion. Three directors of directorates took part in the meeting – Adelina Stoyanova, Elena Ivanova and Dora Nenova.
When asked how far the procedure for notifying the proposed changes in the Strategic Plan for Agriculture by the EC has reached, Adelina Stoyanova replied that the negotiations are at the final stage. She assumed with a high degree of certainty that for Campaign 2024 the approval of interventions from Brussels would be a fact.
Adelina Stoyanova explained what amendment was proposed to the definition of an active farmer, so that as many farmers as possible receive support. Namely: the requirement that the income from agricultural activity constitutes at least 1/3 of the total income of the farm is changed to “constitute at least 10%”. The annual amount of direct payments, which was required to be a minimum of 5% of total revenue, is changed to “a minimum of 2%”. In response to a clarifying question, Stoyanova informed that those farmers who were left without support for 2023 because of the previous definition, will not receive retroactive support if they meet the new criteria.
Despite the expanded possibilities of the new definition of an active producer, 67 farmers will again not meet the new requirements and will remain without subsidies, Adelina Stoyanova also said.
Elena Ivanova pointed to another important change in the law, which concerns the National Agricultural Advisory Service. The service will be able to be tasked with providing free advisory services to small and young farmers through an in-house procedure.
Dora Nenova explained that with an amendment to the European legislation, the aid for the excise duty on gas oil was extended until the end of 2026.
Regarding the possibility of subsidizing hunting and forestry farms, as well as properties of religious denominations, Adelina Stoyanova said that they do not have independent accounting, but compile consolidated reports. This means that they are ineligible for support, because due to this type of reporting, the DF “Agriculture” cannot make its calculations.
#Amendments #Farmer #Support #Act #passed #reading #committee
