Deputy Minister Georgi Sabev presented to Commissioner Wojciechovsky the difficult situation in our country due to the import of Ukrainian products
Georgi Sabev and Janush Vojchehovski
Bulgaria insisted on increasing the amount of support for the country from the agricultural reserve of the European Union. This was requested during a bilateral meeting between the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Georgi Sabev and the European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski, on the initiative of the Bulgarian side. It took place during the meeting of the EU Council on Agriculture and Fisheries, which took place yesterday in Brussels.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture informed the European Commissioner about the current situation on the market of agricultural products, as well as the difficulties faced by Bulgarian farmers as a result of excessive imports from Ukraine. In the conversation, Georgi Sabev emphasized again that our country stands in solidarity with Ukraine and supports the need to ensure the supply of agricultural products in order to guarantee global food security, but this should not put at risk the competitiveness of farmers in the EU. He also informed that serious concerns are raised by the pressure that imports from Ukraine are exerting on the market in our country, and according to him, the most serious disruptions are observed in the sunflower oil market, and the data show that intensive imports will continue in 2023. “The quantities of grain stored in the warehouses on the territory of Bulgaria, with no opportunities for realization and lack of trade, are disturbing,” the deputy minister pointed out. Apart from Bulgaria, only 2 more countries are expected to receive support from the agricultural reserve – these are Poland and Romania.
The two also discussed the challenges facing agriculture, related to an unprecedented increase in the price of basic production resources and the uncertainty of agricultural markets. Deputy Minister Sabev noted that the significant increase in the prices of fertilizers, preparations, feed and energy adversely affects the access to working capital of agricultural producers, who also face serious difficulties in the realization of their production.
During the meeting, the agricultural ministers discussed the critical situation in the dairy sector and the need for EU-level measures to stabilize the situation. Bulgaria supported the request for emergency assistance from the crisis reserve. Another topic discussed was trade in agriculture.
A package of measures to improve the sustainability and resilience of the EU Fisheries and Aquaculture sector was also discussed. The main priorities of our country for a sustainable future of the sector are to achieve the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy in the Black Sea within a reasonable time frame, effective implementation of the regional approach and ensuring equal treatment in fulfilling commitments with third countries.
The Commission’s Communication on revising the EU initiative on pollinators – A New Pact for Pollinators was also presented within the Council. In its position, Bulgaria welcomes the document in view of the possible contribution of the initiative to achieving the goals of the European Green Pact. “We hope to complete the assessment of key pollinators, including bees, by 2024 at the latest. We find it extremely important to finalize the standardized pollinator monitoring methodology as soon as possible, perhaps even before the current deadline of 2026. Such a measure will help improve the dialogue between beekeepers and farmers, to have more clarity, precision and sustainability in the livelihood of both the one and the other”, the Bulgarian representative also pointed out.