The project assumes a modification of regulations regarding the national system of agri-food producers. The Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARiMR) will be responsible for running the database, which is to contain information about the professional activity of farmers. This register will be key when granting financial support, both from EU and national funds.
One of the main goals of the project is to limit situations in which subsidies go to owners of land not conducting agricultural activities. Verification of farmers' activity is to be based on minimal costs incurred for agricultural activities or revenues from this activity. Farmers will have the opportunity to choose how they will document their activity.
Farmers' register. How will they prove their activities?
The project provides that farmers will be able to provide various documents confirming their activity, such as:
- invoices for the purchase of fertilizers, plant protection products or seed
- Evidence of the sale of agricultural produce
- Confirmation of paying for the rent or rental work
- Contracts or delivery contracts
- purchase of agricultural insurance
In addition, a farmer can prove his activity by giving up VAT exemption.
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Not all farmers will have to submit documents. The project assumes that some groups will be automatically considered professionally active. For example:
- Farmers with registered animals with an appropriate cast (min. 0.3 DJP per hectare)
- Beneficiaries of subsidies for production under ecoschematics
- People using subsidies for the development of small farms or bonuses for young farmers
Farmers participating in the EU data network regarding the balance of farms (FSDN) will also be considered active.
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The ministry also provides for the possibility of extending the list of criteria by way of a regulation.
What limits? What about the project?
The amount of minimum costs or revenues required to recognize the farmer will depend on the size of the farm and will be specified in the executive acts. In the justification of the project, it was emphasized that this approach would allow flexible adaptation of the regulations to changing market conditions, such as agricultural prices or the costs of production.
The bill is currently at the stage of public consultations.
