Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development meets Polish counterpart

The Polish Minister of Agriculture, Krzysztof Ardanowski, asked his Romanian counterpart, Minister Adrian Oros, to have a bilateral meeting, to discuss topics of common interest such as the funding of agriculture under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) in the 2021-2027 interval, capping direct payments, redistributive payment, supporting family farms and young farmers, as well as drafting the National Strategic Plans, reads a press release of the MADR (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development). Accompanying the Romanian Minister of Agriculture Adrian Oros in the bilateral meeting that took place in Brussels on the occasion of the AGRIFISH Council carried out over December 16-17, were the head of the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA), Robert Chioveanu, Achim Irimescu (the head of the Section for Agriculture of the Permanent Representation of Romania to the European Union), Ana Maria Popa and Emilia Mohan, agricultural attaches. Discussions focused on the continuation and acceleration of the external convergence of direct payments considering the reporting of all member states at the same level of environmental and climate ambition, as proposed by the Commission. The two ministers agreed to continue joint efforts to identify the best approaches for the farmers in Romania and Poland to benefit of as fair as possible subsidies while considering the new CAP requirements. The approach is endorsed by both the Visegrad Group countries and the Balkan States. Discussions also focused on capping direct payment and on redistributive payments. Poland currently applies a cap of 150,00 euros imposed to large farms running on foreign capital, which cannot resist alone on the market. A redistributive payment of 8 per cent was designed to strengthen the 3-30 hectares farm segment, identified as representing the exploitations with the most significant potential in maintaining the viability and vitality of the rural areas. Supporting family farms and young farmers is a priority of both member states. The real development of the rural areas remains a top priority, reiterated the Romanian Minister of Agriculture, which imposed the maintaining of a consistent budget on Pillar 2. At the initiative of the Romanian official, the two ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation in drafting the National Strategic Plans. At the same meeting, the Romanian side brought up the African Swine Flu. Romania and Poland agreed to carry out an exchange of experience in accessing European funds and to continue to collaborate at a technical level through the heads of the veterinary services. AGERPRES (RO - author: Constantin Balaban, editor: Andreea Marinescu; EN - editor: Cristina Zaharia)