Atidje Aliyeva - Says: CAP and the Green Deal provide opportunities for Bulgarian agriculture

Atidje Aliyeva - Says: The CAP and the Green Deal provide opportunities for Bulgarian agriculture, it depends on all of us how we will use them

„The Common Agricultural Policy is one of the most important, if not the most important, policy of the European Union, not only because it represents 1/3 of the budget, but also because it is directly related to ensuring our livelihoods and food security and is fundamental to the green transition", said MEP Atige Aliyeva - Veli from DPS/ "Renew Europe" at a briefing organized by the Bureau of the European Parliament in Bulgaria on the subject.

„This week, in a plenary session of the European Parliament, we are going to vote on the package of regulations that will define the rules for implementing the CAP. Until this moment, numerous meetings were held with representatives of the branch organizations at the European level, difficult negotiations were conducted, followed by difficult compromises related to the eco-schemes, the new green architecture, the distribution of funds and the levels of financing", added the Bulgarian MEP.

As a member of the Commission for Agriculture and Development of Rural Areas, Aliyeva-Veli explained: "The central place for the new period is occupied by the transition to a green economy and agriculture that protects the environment. Although this transition is not easy, both the CAP and the Green Deal provide opportunities for Bulgarian agriculture and it depends on us how we will use them, because if until now the European Commission determined what and how should be supported, then with the new rules, each country it will determine the measures it will implement itself, and that too in dialogue with the farmers. So this time, not Brussels, but we ourselves will be able to determine the measures we need in a motivated manner, and with the provision of this opportunity, it will be up to all of us to catch up with Central European agriculture. Of course, ensuring a fair income for farmers remains the core and foundation of the CAP since its inception. The new rules seek a balance between small and family farmers and large farmers, aiming to encourage young people to take up farming, as they still only represent 6%. For this purpose, various options are envisaged, from easier access to land, conditions for financing and consulting, and it is not unimportant to preserve funding for basic services in rural areas to ensure access to services and infrastructure. We continue to work on the issue of maintaining levels of tied support and the continuation of transitional national aid. Last but not least, digitalization and innovation are set as horizontal priorities in the new CAP, which will be an invariable part of the EU's policy goals in the coming years. In this regard, it is important, in order to have modern and innovative agriculture, that the new instruments are in synergy and complementarity with the traditional ones from the CAP, and that Bulgarian farmers also benefit from funding under other programs - for example, under Horizon Europe, the Fund for Fair transition and others.“

„The development of agriculture, the full use of new tools and the correct definition of our needs is not only an opportunity, but also a necessity, which we can achieve only with well-coordinated and planned work - with the participation of both the institutions and the farmers," stressed Aliyeva - Says.