The Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture presents key proposals for the reform of the CAP and the EU fisheries.

At the meeting of the EU Council on Agriculture and Fisheries, which took place on 23 and 24 June 2025 in Luxembourg, the Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture and Food, Dr. Georgi Takhov, expressed the position of our country regarding the proposals in the draft EU Regulation to facilitate the work of farmers and the administration. Bulgaria positively evaluates these proposals and hopes they will be adopted and start to be applied from the beginning of 2026.

Regarding the introduction of new interventions in the form of additional crisis payments, Bulgaria considers that additional funding should be provided to the budgets of the Member States. Minister Takhov pointed out that the requirement to calculate the loss of production by comparing it with the average production for the previous 3 or 5 years should be removed, as it would create a serious administrative burden for farmers. According to him, the loss of production should be determined either as a percentage of the failed areas or as the sum of the costs incurred for agrotechnical measures.

The Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture emphasized that the rules for the agricultural reserve should not be changed within the current period, and it should be used to support farmers affected by natural disasters, adverse climatic events, or catastrophic events.

Bulgaria considers that the process of liberalization of trade in agricultural goods should be transparent and predictable, with the full participation of the Member States. An adequate, reliable, and stable safeguard mechanism should be envisaged, allowing for the rapid implementation of appropriate measures if necessary.

Bulgaria and 20 other EU agriculture ministers have called for the independence and strategic integrity of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy to be maintained in the next Multiannual Financial Framework. In a letter to Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin, the ministers requested that the EC present a proposal for a future CAP that would be independent of other EU policies, have adequate resources, and be structured around common rules.

Regarding fisheries, Bulgaria will continue its efforts to implement high control standards, ensuring economic viability and improved competitiveness for Bulgarian fishing operators. Our country will follow the reflection of the decisions that will be adopted by the General Commission in November this year, regarding the fishing opportunities for 2026 in the Black Sea.