Minister Taneva, “It is important to unite around the main national objectives and priorities in order for them to be included in the new CAP”
“It is important to unite around the main national objectives and priorities in order for them to be included in the new Common Agricultural Policy”. This is what the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Desislava Taneva said during the first discussion with the industry on the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2021-2027, she added that the interests are divergent and we must all defend the priorities of Bulgaria so they are embedded in the drafting.
“Today’s meeting has been announced in advance of my inauguration as a Minister and is part of the transparent policy of the Ministry, as well as the commitment I have taken towards you for an open debate on the future of CAP”, said Minister Taneva. She clarified that the meetings will be regular depending on the progress of the negotiations. Regarding the legislative process in the European Commission, the Minister of Agriculture commented that SWOT analyses are the first step to be made by Bulgaria. “We have commissioned the Agrarian University in Plovdiv and the University of National and World Economy to draw the other two analyses-for the environment and for the rural areas. We expect them to be ready at the end of the year. Without them we can not start work on the National Strategic Plan “, explained Minister Taneva. In her words, organising a second meeting in which to present the progress on the programming, can be done by the end of the year, taking into account the pre-defined deadlines by the European Commission for the adoption of the multiannual financial framework and the timetable for finalisation of the analysis.
During the meeting, Ms Desislava Taneva presented the newly formed Coordination Group for the preparation of the strategic plan for the CAP to the MAF and the mechanism for communication with the stakeholders. The head of the unit is Maria Hristova, the deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry is Verginia Krasteva, alongside with experts from different areas being included in the staff. “We have assigned this demanding task to the people who are the most creative and with the highest capacity of protecting our interests”, clearly stated Minister Taneva. She also said that the meeting was attended by experts from the Bulgarian Permanent Representation in Brussels, who will be responsible for the respective topics.
“I hope that today’s meeting will turn into constructive dialogue and dispel the doubts that haunt the agricultural community that something is being done that is not transparent during the negotiation process. You will also receive information on how far the other Member States have progressed in this respect “, added the Minister of Agriculture.
The meeting was attended by Joachim Rukvid, president of the German Farmers Association and president of COPA. Minister Taneva and Mr Rukvid have held a meeting together regarding the positions Bulgaria must defend in the EU. We have always worked well with Germany and I hope that Mr Rukvid will do everything possible in the coming debates to get the necessary support “, said Minister Taneva.