The draft of Bulgaria’s Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (2023-2027) was submitted to the European Commission today by Minister of Agriculture Ivan Ivanov.

The plan has the following priorities: stimulating consumption of high-quality, competitive and affordable Bulgarian products, encouraging Bulgarian farmers so as to make them competitive on the European markets, and allocating funding for the development of rural regions.

For the first time, the draft of the Strategic Plan places the country in the position of equitable partner in the Common Agricultural Policy, the Ministry of Agriculture points out. National co-financing of 60% instead of 15% has been approved for the development of rural regions with the aim of compensating for the reduced funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, but also of investing in agriculture and economic growth.