Unagreed budgets under European programs within the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to be redirected to vulnerable producers, as support to counteract the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal was made to the European Commission by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Desislava Taneva, during a video conference of the EC Agriculture Ministers Council, which was held today. The proposal includes the unspent funds to be transferred to a common fund that will be managed as an emergency state aid mechanism. “This will be a package of measures to counteract the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. This way, each Member State will be able to enact measures within this budget quickly and effectively. This support will help the most vulnerable producers from fruits and vegetables, fisheries and aquaculture sectors, as well as dairy. This support will enable these producers to compensate the extraordinary costs made in connection with COVID-19, as well to give them possibility of storing their production”, pointed out minister Taneva. She also added that restaurant industry and tourism are essential sectors for products distribution of the above-mentioned vulnerable producers.
Bulgarian agri-minister welcomes the European Commission guidelines for green lane border crossings. She stressed that it is in the farmers' interest to have continuous flow of medical and food goods as well as animal transport.
The implementation of Transitional National Aid has also been discussed during the meeting. Minister Desislava Taneva stated that in the situation of pandemic across the Europe, our country proposes the Transitional National Aid to be implemented through adaptive instruments to the current situation, leaving only sectoral restrictions. "We also propose the debate on the CAP to be continued," Taneva added further.