Bulgaria's Agriculture to Be Granted EUR 7.5 B EU in Next Years

EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan has said Bulgaria's agriculture sector will see EU investment worth around EUR 7.5 B over the next 6-7 years.

“These are big investments, indeed. Around EUR 4 billion are direct payments, while the rest are under the operational programmes for rural development. This allows providing assistance to the producers. It is possible to assist sectors facing difficulties,” Focus News Agency quoted Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, as telling journalists in Brussels.

This comes days before his visit to Sofia scheduled for July 10, when he is set to meet President Rosen Plevneliev, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, and Agriculture Minister Desislava Taneva. The top item on their agenda will be a demand placed by Sofia for a six-month extension (until mid-2016) of the time the country has to  absorb some EUR 0.5 B allocated under the old (2007-2014) rural development program.

Another issue, compensations for Bulgarian farmers hit by Russia's embargo on food imports, will also be discussed.

Hogan, however, said on Monday Bulgaria was not among the countries severely affected by the ban like Poland and Romania.