Bulgaria Joins EU Coalition Seeking Aid for Farmers Hit by Ukrainian Imports

A group of five EU member states, including Bulgaria, are pushing for aid to support their farmers impacted by Ukrainian agricultural imports. Kiril Vatev, Bulgaria's Minister of Agriculture and Food, revealed this move during discussions at the EU Council meeting in Brussels.

Vatev highlighted the collaborative efforts of Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania, seeking EU assistance in 2024 for their affected agricultural sectors due to Ukrainian imports. The proposal for aid was a hot topic during earlier meetings among the agriculture ministers of these nations, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the repercussions of such imports.

In discussions with Janusz Wojciechowski, the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Vatev brought attention to the aid ceiling issue. While the European Commission proposed raising the aid limit from EUR 250,000 to EUR 280,000 until March 31, 2024, Bulgaria firmly advocated for no ceiling on state aid. However, Wojciechowski cautioned that such a policy would likely breach European regulations, emphasizing Bulgaria's stance as the sole supporter of an unrestricted aid policy.

This stand-off between Bulgaria and the European Commission regarding aid limits reflects differing perspectives on how to manage the fallout from Ukrainian agricultural imports, with Bulgaria advocating for unrestricted aid to support its farmers.

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