MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY meeting for in

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY meeting for in National Program for. Technical Rural Development LFA in Bulgaria - 2007 -2013 Bonn, Germany June 2007

General information § Territory: total area 110, 910 km 2 § Agricultural land: 50. 7% of the total territory § Forests cover 33. 1% of the total territory § Utilized agricultural land: 5. 3 million ha (48 % of country territory) § 4% of the UAA are perennial crops § 34% of the UAA is grassland

Geographical scope of the measures – Priority Axis 1 – the whole country; – Priority Axis 2 – different scope depending on the type of the measures; – Priority Axis 3 – rural areas; – Priority Axis 4 – at local level for implementation of the strategies in rural areas local development

Proposal for a financial allocation by priority Axes in the NSP 2007 -2013 Priority Axis 1 40% EARFD amount (MEuro) 985, 45 Priority Axis 2 26% Priority Axis 3 Priority Axis 4 Priority Axes % from the budget National (MEuro) Total public (MEuro) 246, 36 1 231, 81 640, 54 140, 61 781, 15 30% 739, 09 184, 77 923, 86 2, 5% 61, 59 15, 40 76, 99 4% 98, 55 24, 63 123, 18 Complements to Direct Payments 145, 47 36, 37 181, 84 Technical assistance

Proposal for measures Axis 1 • • • Measures aimed at improving human potential: Vocational training and informational actions for persons engaged in the agricultural and forestry sectors; Setting up of young farmers; Use of advisory services by farmers and forest holders Measures aimed at restructuring physical potential: Modernization of agricultural holdings; Improving the economic value of forests; Adding value to agricultural and forestry products; Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies in the agriculture and food sector and in the forestry sector; Improving and developing infrastructure related to the development and adaptation of agriculture and forestry. Transitional measures for new member – states: Semi – subsistence farming; Setting up of producer groups;

Proposal for measures Axis 2 a) Measures targeting the sustainable use of agricultural land: • Natural handicap payments to farmers in mountain areas; • Payments to farmers in areas with handicaps, other than mountain areas; • Payments under Natura 2000 for agricultural lands • Agri-environmental payments;

Criteria for LFA in Bulgaria following the technical meetings with EC 1. Mountain LFA s TBS, which have: • an average altitude over 700 m. • an average slope over 20 % (11. 3°) • a combination of the both factors: an average altitude between 500 and 700 m, and an average slope over 15% (8. 3°) • homogenization: at least 75% of the borders to be surrounded by mountain LF defined by the first 3 criteria According to these criteria 1744 are mountainous TBS, • 969 under the altitude criteria(over 600 m) • 632 under the slope criteria of the territory (over 11. 3°) • 85 under the combination criteria • 58 under the principle of homogeneity They cover 38, 70% of the territory of the country and 23, 92% of the Agricultural Land Fund

Other LFAs • TBS with low soil fertility – the average weighted category of the agricultural land in the TBS is higher than 6 (average for the country is 5, 3) • According to this criteria were defined - 552 TBS with low soil fertility • Other LFAs cover 9, 43% of the territory of the country and 9, 73% of the Agricultural Land Fund

Proposal for measures Axis 2 b) Measures targeting the sustainable use of forestry land: • First afforistation of non-agricultural land; • Restoring forestry potential and introducing prevention actions • Payments under Natura 2000 forests

Proposal for measures Axis 3 a) • • • Measures to diversify the rural economy: Diversification into non-agricultural activities; Encouragement of Tourism Activities; Support for the Creation and Development of Micro. Enterprises b) Measures to improve the quality of life in rural areas: • Basic services for the economy and rural population; • Village renewal and development;

Proposal for measures Axis 4 a) Implementation of the local development strategies; b) Inter-Territorial and Trans-National Cooperation ; c) Running Costs, Acquisition of Skills and Animation.

Thank you for your attention! Vyara STEFANOVA Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Agri-Environment Department Phone: ++ 359 2 98511 408 Fax: ++ 359 2 980 38 54 E-mail: v. stefanova@mzgar. government. bg