The Ministry of Agriculture has addressed the European Commission (EC) to advance Latvia’s interests and vision on possibilities to simplify EU regulation regarding producer organizations (PO) that would stimulate a more active establishment of these organizations and make PO operations easier, particularly for smaller PO. PO are organizations, founded by producers to facilitate competitiveness of some agricultural sectors and reduce producer costs, using the EU aid.
This year, Latvia managed to achieve purposefully and quickly such changes in regulation of the EU Common Agricultural Policy, which in usual decision making practice would take more time or even would not be possible at all.
The adopted amendments in basic Regulations on Common Agricultural Policy, will provide farmers with more flexibility in fulfillment of some requirements of good agricultural practice and good environmental condition, will envisage less control for small farms and will enable Member States to amend Strategy Plans of Common Agricultural Policy more frequently to be able to adjust to unexpected situations in the sector and on the market.
Armands Krauze, the Minister for Agricuture: “Still, in our opinion, this achievement must not stop us and the work must be continued toward reducing of administrative burden. There are many things to be improved and simplified. Therefore, we have submitted more massive proposals for changes in the current EU regulatory acts so that aid allocation procedure for farmers and food producers become simpler, more effective and quicker.”