Clarifications Regarding the Operation of the Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (APIA)

Following the appearance of various public statements regarding the proper functioning of the Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (APIA) and in order to accurately inform the general public, we make the following clarifications:

► As part of the 2024 Campaign, APIA has authorized payments for 98% of the farmers declared eligible. Between 16 October 2024 and 7 April 2025, a total of 718,395 beneficiaries out of 728,931 eligible farmers have received payments, amounting to €2,303,707,910.31 (advance + final payment).

Compared to the same period during the 2023 Campaign, the 2024 Campaign recorded an increase of €97,451,647.90 in authorized payments.

Payments to beneficiaries are to be completed no later than 30 June 2025, in accordance with Article 44(2)(a) and (b) of Regulation (EU) No 2021/2116, which states:

“(2) Member States shall ensure that payments under the interventions and measures referred to in Article 65(2) are made no earlier than 1 December and no later than 30 June of the following calendar year.”

We also recall that on Friday, 4 April 2025, APIA made a record single-day payment of 804,463,876.87 lei to 509,556 beneficiaries under the National Transitional Aid schemes (ANT) — for both crop and livestock sectors.

► In the 2025 Payment Application Campaign, as of 7 April 2025, a total of 267,861 applications have been submitted, covering an area of 738,239.61 hectares. In comparison, by 7 April 2024, during the 2024 campaign, only 14,628 applications had been submitted, covering 36,988.83 hectares.

It is worth noting that in 2024, the application campaign started late, on 4 April 2024. In contrast, the 2025 campaign began one month earlier, on 3 March 2025, allowing farmers sufficient time to submit applications and obtain the certificates needed to access bank financing on favorable terms.

This achievement was made possible thanks to significant administrative efforts, particularly given that APIA is using a new geospatial application this year — AGI Online.

► The issuance of certificates for the 2025 Campaign is expected to start by mid-April 2025, recognizing their crucial role in facilitating farmers' access to credit.

For reference, in the 2024 Campaign, the first certificates were issued on 9 May 2024.

► Starting 7 April 2025, APIA County Centers are processing state aid payments for diesel fuel used in agriculture during the period 1 October – 31 December 2024 (Q4/2024).

The total amount granted as reimbursable state aid is 138,576,696 lei, benefiting 17,792 farmers for a determined diesel quantity of 68,056,272.931 liters, at a reduced excise rate.

We remind the public that APIA is currently carrying out several important activities, including:

• Receiving payment applications for the 2025 Campaign;
• Finalizing payments for the remaining 2% of eligible farmers under the 2024 Campaign. These include farmers subject to spring field inspections (conducted from 15 February to 31 March 2025), with the results now being entered into the IACS IT system. Some cases involve complex files requiring more time for analysis and system processing. Additionally, previous campaign overpayments must be resolved before current payments can be made;
• Authorizing 8,321 emergency aid applications in the sheep/goat sector, affected by adverse weather conditions, for approximately 840,000 animals. Payments will be made by 30 April 2025;
• Receiving payment applications under 2025 beekeeping sector interventions, currently underway at County Centers and the APIA Bucharest Municipal Center;
• Validating life annuity registers for retired landowners in order to distribute 2024 agricultural annuity payments.

The management of APIA reaffirms its commitment to transparent administration of EU and national funds and to maintaining open, effective communication with beneficiaries, assuring all eligible farmers that they will receive the full amounts corresponding to their submitted applications.

We remind farmers that the 2025 Payment Application Campaign is in full swing and kindly urge them to respect their scheduled appointments with APIA staff to avoid bottlenecks toward the end of the campaign.

Finally, the APIA management extends its thanks to all farmers who understand and comply with the legal procedures required to access financial support, as well as to APIA staff for their dedication and daily efforts in achieving the Agency’s goals and ensuring that eligible farmers receive timely access to funding.