Brussels, 7 December 2022
Today, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strategic plans of Bulgaria and Romania, respectively worth €5.6 billion and €14.9 billion, were approved by the Commission. Out of the total EU budget of these two countries, more than €5.6 billion will be dedicated to environmental and climate objectives and eco-schemes and €436 million to young farmers.
Income support is prominent in the Bulgarian plan to reduce the income gap between farmers and workers in other sectors. Over €600 million will be dedicated to supporting the meat, dairy and fruit and vegetables sectors, which are undergoing difficulties. In terms of environmental actions, the plan will ensure that over 80% of arable land has a minimum soil cover in sensitive periods to improve the quality of soil. The plan will also support the creation of over 9,000 jobs and 650 infrastructure investments in rural areas.
Romania’s plan wants to improve farmers’ livelihoods and their competitiveness. In addition to income support, around €1.1 billion will be allocated to investments in farms and processing units. Romania uses 41% of its rural development budget to encourage environmentally friendly practices in areas with high natural value to protect biodiversity. It is expected that 611,000 hectares of land will be covered by such practices. To maintain the attractiveness of rural areas in Romania, the plan will support the creation of more than 12,000 jobs in these areas with funding for businesses and infrastructure.
The new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), set to start on 1 January 2023, is designed to shape the transition to a sustainable, resilient and modern European agricultural sector. The CAP will benefit from €270 billion in funding for the 2023-2027 period.
More information is available in the “at a glance” documents and in the news item online.
Source – EU Commission