The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Adrian Oros, participated on 13th May 2020 to the videoconference of the EU Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries. The event was organized by the Croatian Presidency to assess measures undertaken in order to limit the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on agricultural and fisheries sectors. The videoconference was also attended by the two European Commissioners for Agriculture, Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Janusz Wojciechowski and Virginijus Sinkevičius. The Commission delivered a presentation on the actions taken and planned.

In his speech, Minister Adrian Oros stated that, in the current difficult context of the agricultural sector, it is essential for the regulations of the CAP to be adapted as soon as possible so that Member States have the flexibility in providing the necessary framework to continue supporting farmers and other categories of CAP beneficiaries.

With regard to rural development, the Minister endorsed the Commission's proposals and told that these corresponded to the steps previously taken by our country on the need to amend CAP legislation, in particular to introduce new forms of support better adapted to the current urgent needs of the farmers. Regarding the revision of Regulation 1305/2013, some clarifications were requested, as well as the increase of the maximum ceilings from 5,000 to 20,000 euros for some categories of farmers and from 50,000 to 100,000 euros for the processing and marketing sector.

With regard to direct payments, Minister Oros asked the Commission to consider making flexible the transfer between the coupled support measures for 2020 application year, similar to the derogation granted in 2019 application year.

The Minister expressed his appreciation for the Commission's effort to support the agricultural sector and underlined the opportunity to approve the establishment of a direct financial support from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF), for the milk, pig and poultry sector, similar to that granted in the European Union in 2015 and 2016.

The official also stated: “A special situation is found on the wine market where market consumption channels have been reduced by 90%. Therefore, the amounts allocated through the currently available national wine program are an immediate and handy solution for the survival of the sector by providing direct area payments to compensate to some extent the losses generated by the crisis. This decision will allow Romania and, implicitly, the Union, to avoid losses from the vineyards established through restructuring-reconversion programs and to preserve the quality of wine products. I assure you that the payment on the viticultural surface from the National Support Program in Romania will not disturb the European market, considering the low level of the EAGF financing allocated to us from Pillar I on the agricultural surface. We count on our support and solidarity as policy makers, agriculture ministers and Commission to immediately apply all forms of aid requested by farmers in our countries. "

At the same time, the Minister conveyed the need for the agricultural sector to benefit in the next programming period, 2021-2027, from a higher funding than the current one, expecting in this respect from the Commission the proposal on the Multiannual Financial Framework, including from the perspective of the European Green Deal.

Regarding the fisheries sector, Romania supports the measures adopted by the Commission under the Regulation of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and prepares the modification of the operational program, prior consultation with the fisheries sector, based on available financial resources and ongoing analysis of pandemic effects.

In this respect, the need to ensure an appropriate allocation for the new measures in terms of eligibility, but also of a real financial support was highlighted. It was proposed to the Commission the possibility to analyze the use of the 2021 financial allocation for the current operational programs.

In concluding his speech, Minister Adrian Oros expressed his appreciation for the Commission's prompt efforts to approve and propose effective measures for the proper management of the agri-food crisis and gave assurances for the full readiness of the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to collaborate with the Presidency of the EU Council, the European Commission and the other Member States in order to continue to identify and adopt, as a matter of urgency, the measures needed to support the agricultural sector and the food industry.