The European Commission authorised a Bulgarian scheme with a budget of BGN 20 million (approximately 10,26 million) which aims at supporting agricultural holdings.
The scheme is open to all undertakings in the agricultural sector, provided they were not already in difficulty on 1 July 2008 (i.e. before the beginning of the crisis). Agricultural holdings active in the primary production, marketing and processing of agricultural products who encounter difficulties as a result of the current economic crisis can be granted aid until 31 December 2010. The aid will take the form of a direct grant and it shall not exceed 15 000 per undertaking.
The notified scheme will be applied at national level and administered by the State Fund Agriculture. The scheme is an application of the Commission’s Temporary framework for State aid measures to suport access to finance in the current financial and economic crisis. In particular, the Bulgarian authorities demonstrated that it is necessary, proportional and appropriate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy. The Commission therefore considered that the scheme can be approved under Article 107(3)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (former Article 87(3)(b) of the EC Treaty).
