Two red zones in the field of agriculture - the construction of incinerators and the Paying Agency

There are two red zones in the field of agriculture - the construction of incinerators and the Paying Agency, as well as the system of administration and control. The latter field is particularly important because the reception of the funds on direct payments depends on it, it emerged at the joint news conference given by Agriculture Minister Nihat Kabil and European Affairs Minister Meglena Kouneva Wednesday.

After her return from Brussels, where she conferred with DG Enlargement, the first invitation she received was from Kabil, Kouneva pointed out.

What the ministry has accomplished until now completely satisfies the European Commission in terms of schedule and this was the chapter subject to shortest discussion, the European Affairs Minister said.

Kouneva also pointed out that the Agriculture and Fisheries chapters participate in the "large subject of internal market and regardless of the fact that there are green and yellow flag areas in it, a lot of concerted efforts are needed within a short term are also needed there." Kouneva underscored that both would not be left without attention and stated that the greatest progress in the last months was achieved on the Agriculture chapter.

Unlike the Phare and ISPA programmes, SAPARD is decentralized and there is a well-developed system for internal and external financial control, Kouneva said. The absorption of money under the pre-accession funds and particularly under SAPARD is followed and controlled strictly by the European Commission in every sate and this control is welcome for us because it gives us internal guarantee that we shall improve our practice, Kouneva underscored.

In the words of Kabil, "SAPARD is working well, will end well, it is and will be the most successful pre-accession financial instrument implemented in Bulgaria. The Agriculture Minister also underscored that two audits of the Bulgarian Audit Office and four of the European Audit Office have been made on the execution of SAPARD to date. As to the signal concerning corruption, corruption environment and practices, they have all be given and will continue to be given to the Interior Minister, Kabil declared.

Kouneva also called good news the fact that there will be no more peer reviews on the "Agriculture" chapter, only two missions on the development of the Paying Agency, the integrated system for administration and control and the incinerators.

From 25 per cent photographed areas in just less than a month we already have photographs of 70 per cent of the area of the country, Kouneva underscored. She specified that 30 per cent have already been fed into the electronic map, which is progress in the development of the system for identification of agricultural lots.

In turn, Kabil recalled that a site for the new incinerator should be chosen by the beginning of September, specifying that several lots in Southern Bulgaria are currently being discussed - Miziya, Ougurchin, regions around Stara Zagora and Yambol, as well as the route between Sofia and Plovdiv.

Kabil said that 600 experts have already been appointed who will work at the Paying Agency. The structure of the agency was determined at the last meeting of the State Fund Agriculture and it is a matter of time for the Rules of Organization to be adopted.

Kabil said his ministry would continue its efforts for fulfilment of all measures and recommendations of the European Commission on the Agriculture chapter. To this end he will suspend the summer leave of ministerial staff. Many of the teams will work over the weekends, too, for which they will receive the remuneration provided by the law.

Source and translation: BTA