Brussels/Bratislava – During Monday’s EU Agriculture Council in Brussels, Slovakia addressed its concerns over unspent EU funds in the agricultural sector and the “n+2 rule” in the common agricultural policy. This information was shared by Slovak Minister of Agriculture Richard Takáč (Smer-SD) following the discussions.
Takáč indicated that Slovakia is among the nations advocating for a shift from the current “n+2” rule back to “n+3.” This adjustment would allow for EU funds from previous programming periods to be utilized over three years instead of the two-year limit currently imposed by the common agricultural policy.
“In my address, I emphasized our support for reverting to the n+3 rule, similar to what was in place during the last programming period,” he stated. He believes this change is essential as the existing bureaucratic hurdles and administrative complexities hinder timely execution of funded projects.
“We are unable to utilize the allocated funds within the designated timeframe, which poses significant challenges. Issues such as obtaining building permits and navigating various regulatory requirements make it difficult for farmers and food producers. While we are working to streamline bureaucracy, the procedures remain complicated. Thus, we would greatly appreciate the implementation of the n+3 rule,” Takáč elaborated. He expressed hope that the newly appointed EU Agriculture Commissioner would consider these factors.
The minister acknowledged his discussion regarding the utilization of funds from the second pillar of the EU agricultural policy, which Slovakia is currently facing challenges with, during the Council of Ministers meeting. He voiced his concerns over potentially losing substantial funds because the current government failed to process necessary actions in the past year that should have been executed over the previous three years. This situation pertains to 230 million euros that must be spent by the end of December.
He also reminded attendees that aid from the European Commission remains a possibility, with at least two support mechanisms being prepared. One of these relates to assistance for the agricultural sector impacted by damage from drought or flooding.
“If the approval of this mechanism is expedited, as promised by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the EU shows flexibility, we could allocate 55 million euros from this year’s budget. This would directly benefit small and medium-sized farmers affected across Slovakia,” Takáč stated. (November 18)
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