Minister Takáč in Brussels also addressed the n 3 rule for the agri-sector and the drawing of EU funds

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Brussels/Bratislava – Slovakia at Monday’s EU Agriculture Council in Brussels discussed unspent EU funds in this sector and the “n+2 rule” in the common agricultural policy. This was stated by the Slovak Minister of Agriculture Richard Takáč (Smer-SD) after the negotiations.

Takáč confirmed that Slovakia is among the countries that want a return to the use of EU funds in the form of “n+3” instead of the current “n+2”. EU funds for the agrisector from the previous programming period could thus be used for three years and not two years according to the current common agricultural policy.

“In my speech, I declared that we support changing the rule to n+3, as it was in the previous programming period,” he stated. He considers it a necessary step because due to complicated bureaucracy and administrative complexity, it is not possible to carry out supported projects on time.

“We cannot spend the allocated funds within the set time. It is a big problem. Also in terms of building permits and various dealings. For farmers and food producers, it is not easy. On the one hand, we are simplifying bureaucracy, but on the other hand, it is a complicated process and therefore we would welcome the n+3 rule,” explained Takáč. He expressed hope that the new EU Agriculture Commissioner will take these aspects into account.

The minister admitted that he also addressed the issue of drawing funds from the second pillar of the EU agricultural policy for farmers, with which Slovakia also has problems, at the Council of Ministers. He did not hide his concerns that we will lose “considerable funds” because the current government did not manage to do in a year what was needed to be processed in the previous three years. It concerns 230 million euros, which need to be spent by the end of December.

He reminded that there is still a possibility of help from the European Commission, which is preparing at least two mechanisms. One of them concerns support for the agrisector after damages caused by drought or flooded fields.

“If there is a rapid approval of the mechanism, which was also promised by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, if the EU is flexible in this, then we can spend 55 million euros from this year’s budget. For small and medium farmers who were affected throughout Slovakia,” said Takáč. (November 18)

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