SOFIA – Bulgaria maintains that safeguard clauses should be essential in all free trade agreements related to the agricultural sector. At the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels, Deputy Minister Dr. Lozana Vasileva conveyed Bulgaria’s stance on the document from Poland highlighting necessary measures to protect vulnerable agricultural sectors amid trade agreements with external countries.
In a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Deputy Minister Vasileva emphasized that these safeguard clauses need to be included in every agricultural free trade agreement to enable the temporary suspension of preferences in cases where excessive imports threaten EU production.
“Bulgaria has consistently underscored the importance of applying uniform standards to both EU goods and imports,” Vasileva noted. She also called for the establishment of a dedicated fund to compensate for potential losses in the agricultural sector resulting from the implementation of free trade agreements.
Additionally, Deputy Minister Vasileva supported Austria’s position regarding the significant economic pressure on EU farmers, which jeopardizes their financial stability. This position urged various actions, including the temporary halt of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) for fertilizers, enhanced transparency, and oversight of the fertilizer market, as well as the suspension of most-favored-nation tariffs and anti-dumping duties on fertilizers within the Union’s interests.
During the meeting, the ministers also addressed the contributions of fisheries, agriculture, and forestry under the EU Bioeconomy Strategy. Deputy Minister Vasileva expressed Bulgaria’s favorable view of the Strategy, highlighting its supportive measures for primary producers. “However, access to financing needs to be improved, the regulatory environment facilitated, and producers should receive a fair share of the added value generated,” she stated, adding that real and swift support must consider national contexts, individual farmers’ needs, and sustainable business models. Vasileva emphasized the necessity of finding suitable mechanisms to ensure that provided incentives do not create additional administrative burdens for Member States.
Furthermore, the ministers discussed the regulation proposed by the European Commission to amend the Organic Production Regulation. Vasileva affirmed Bulgaria’s backing of these changes intended to lessen administrative burdens, enhance competitiveness, and modernize rules for protecting and ensuring predictability in the organic sector. “The clear timeline for adopting the regulation by the end of 2026 will provide predictability for farmers, processors, and certification bodies, thus facilitating their investment decisions,” added the Deputy Minister. (27 January)
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