According to ANZM (National Agency for Zootechnics and Measures), the following regulatory acts have been published in the Official Gazette recently:

1. **EMERGENCY ORDINANCE approving the state aid scheme "Farmer's Credit"**: This was issued in the context of the crisis caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The ordinance also amended Article 12 paragraph (1) of Law No. 218/2005 regarding the stimulation of the absorption of funds allocated to Romania for agriculture, rural development, fisheries, and maritime affairs, managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, through financial guarantee and credit instruments, as well as to support national agricultural policy objectives.

**Agency for Rural Investment Funding (AFIR)**

- **The Agency for Rural Investment Funding announces the depletion of available funds** for investments in conditioning, storage, and processing of agricultural and horticultural products financed through DR-22 intervention, as well as for the bovine, ovine, caprine, and poultry components under the DR-20 intervention Investments in the zootechnical sector of the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 2023 - 2027 (CAP SP 2027).

- The agency has published on www.afir.ro the first monthly selection reports for funding applications submitted in the first stage of the DR-30 intervention Support for the installation of young farmers within the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy 2023 – 2027 (CAP SP 2027).

- The final version of the Applicant's Guide for DR-25 Modernization of Irrigation Infrastructure, an intervention financed under the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy 2023 – 2027 (CAP SP 2027), has been published on www.afir.ro.

Based on the guide and its annexes, eligible beneficiaries (Water Users' Organizations for Irrigation, established in accordance with current legislation) can start preparing the project for which funding will be requested during the application submission session. The period for the session will be communicated at a later date.

The maximum funding amount that can be obtained for irrigation system modernization through DR-25 is €1,500,000 per beneficiary, and the public support is 100% non-refundable based on eligible costs.

**Agricultural Payments and Intervention Agency (APIA)**

- The Agricultural Payments and Intervention Agency informs potential beneficiaries that until 14.03.2024, inclusive, it will accept applications for the state aid scheme to support the activities of breeders in the pig and poultry sector in the context of the crisis caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

- The total maximum value of the state aid scheme is:

- 126,694,400.00 lei equivalent to €25,600,000.00, for the pig sector;

- 151,934,300.00 lei equivalent to €30,700,000.00, for the poultry sector, and it is provided from the state budget, through the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) for the year 2024.

- Potential beneficiaries are reminded that until 21.03.2024, inclusive, requests for the state aid scheme to support breeders in the beef and buffalo sector for losses incurred during the period October 1, 2022 - March 31, 2023, in the context of the crisis caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

- MARD has initiated the authorization process for the payment of National Transitional Aid (NTA) in the plant sector, year of application 2023, after APIA has established the amounts related to these forms of support.

- It informs that on Friday, 23.02.2024, it authorized payment to another 55,141 beneficiaries of National Transitional Aid (NTA) in the plant sector and of the greening eco-scheme PD – 04, Campaign 2023, totaling 390,301,588.53 lei.

- The Agricultural Payments and Intervention Agency informs that the authorization for payment to farmers continues at a sustained pace.

Thus, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) ensures all support so that the necessary amounts for making payments to farmers are granted urgently according to the requests transmitted by the Agency.

- The Agricultural Payments and Intervention Agency informs that on 27.02.2024, it authorized payment to 13,278 beneficiaries, totaling 320,983,686.26 lei.

- Potential beneficiaries are informed that the launch of the Payment Application Campaign will be carried out in approximately 2 weeks.

At this time, European legislation is being amended, in the sense of amending/approving Regulation (EU) No. 2115/2021, applicable to Romania. At the same time, derogations regarding conditionality for GAEC 7 and GAEC 8 are expected from the European Commission (EC).

Subsequently, national legislation will be harmonized with the provisions of European legislation. Thus, considering the aspects presented above, the process of submitting payment applications for the year 2024 will be possible after the approval of all necessary regulatory acts.