The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) has posted on its website, in the transparency decision-making section, on February 15, 2023, a draft legal act for amending and supplementing Government Decision No. 30/2017 on the organization and functioning of MADR, as well as amending Article 6 (6) of Government Decision No. 1,186/2014 on the organization and functioning of the Authority for the Administration of the National Anti-Hail and Precipitation Enhancement System.

This draft legal act establishes the administrative and institutional framework necessary for the implementation and harmonization of MADR's organizational structures with the provisions of the new guidelines of the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027 and the Program for Aquaculture and Fisheries, approved by the European Commission at the end of 2022.

It should be noted that starting from this year, as of March 1, we are obligated by European and national legislation developed so far to harmonize the institution's structures with European and national regulations.

Thus, the two coordinating structures for the two programs will be called the Management Authority for the Strategic Plan (AM PS) and the Management Authority for the Aquaculture and Fisheries Program (AM PAP).

The modifications do not involve increasing the number of positions or staff layoffs; they concern technical procedures related to the proper functioning of the institution, in accordance with the implementation of the Strategic Plan, aiming to increase the absorption rate of European funds allocated to agriculture and rural development, totaling 15.8 billion euros.

The specific activities carried out at the territorial level will continue in 7 departments organized at the regional level, in the areas where the regional centers of the Rural Investment Financing Agency (AFIR) are located.

The modifications in this legal act aim to implement the objectives set out in the Government Program 2020-2024 and those provided in the Strategic Plan, regarding the promotion of an intelligent, resilient, and diversified agricultural sector that ensures food security, strengthens market orientation, and enhances the competitiveness of Romanian producers in the agri-food sector, as well as improving the position of farmers in the value chain.