Bulgaria asks funds from the EU agricultural reserve due to drought and fire damage

Bulgaria asks funds from the EU agricultural reserve due to drought and fire damage

"Bulgaria has requested the activation of funds from the EU agricultural reserve due to extensive damage caused by the ongoing drought", announced Minister of Agriculture and Food Dr. Georgi Tahov, at the informal meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries, which is being held in Budapest, Hungary. The request highlights that the country has also been severely affected by fires in July and August.

Minister Tahov noted that the damage includes the destruction of livestock, bee colonies, hives, animal feed, agricultural machinery, equipment, and homes, emphasizing the need for immediate action.

For Bulgaria, adequate protection in agricultural trade with third countries is key to safeguarding the place and future of sustainable agricultural production within the EU, minister Tahov added. He recalled his position presented at the regular Council meeting in May where he reported heavy imports of fresh hen's eggs for consumption in Bulgaria from Ukraine from the beginning of 2024. In this connection, Bulgaria sent a written request to the European Commission to activate a safeguard mechanism for Bulgarian egg producers in response to the negative market trends resulting from Ukrainian imports. Tahov added that this is a cause for serious concern in the sector and announced that Bulgaria will raise the issue at the upcoming Council meeting.

As part of a discussion on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy, the Minister of Agriculture and Food commented on the need to speed up the process of amending the Strategic Plans. The events of recent years have shown that the availability of flexible instruments in legislation reflecting current challenges is of key importance, said further Minister Tahov. He also highlighted the need to optimize planning and more opportunities for the Member States to flexibly use unspent funds under guaranteed budgets.

Minister Tahov commented that future CAP reforms should preserve successful policy instruments such as direct payments. It is necessary to take account of the growing challenges to agriculture and to guarantee a sufficient budget to bring certainty to the sector. It is essential to work towards levelling out direct payment rates so that farmers in countries with lower payments can be on an equal footing with other farmers in the EU.

Dr. Georgi Tahov also stressed the need to achieve a balance in the green transformation that does not jeopardize food security or lead to negative consequences for European farmers. "The ecological criteria for our producers must be clear and understandable, as well as be feasible when carrying out the usual agricultural activity and not hinder standard agricultural practices", he concluded.