The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) has posted a draft Emergency Ordinance on decision-making transparency regarding the establishment of a state aid scheme to partially compensate for the losses incurred in the beekeeping sector in 2023, in the context of the crisis caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

This legislative act aims to establish a temporary state aid scheme to partially compensate for the losses suffered in the beekeeping sector in 2023, in the context of the crisis caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

The total value of the aid scheme is 59,866,000 lei, equivalent to the amount of 12,034,334 euros, and the proposed amount for state aid is 25 lei, respectively 5 euros per bee family.

The estimated number of bee families is 2,395,856. The euro/lei exchange rate for calculating the maximum total value/amount is the one communicated by the National Bank of Romania on December 29, 2023, namely 4.9746 lei/euro.

The total amount that can be granted to each enterprise engaged in primary production of agricultural products does not exceed the lei equivalent of 280,000 euros.

In order to be eligible for financial support, beekeepers must meet the following eligibility conditions:

• They must own bee families registered in the national beekeeping database managed by the National Agency for Zootechnics "Prof. Dr. G.K. Constantinescu", through the County Offices for Zootechnics, in accordance with the provisions of Order no. 251/2017 of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, with subsequent amendments and completions, in apiaries/bee yards authorized by the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA);
• They must own bee families in apiaries registered/authorized by the county sanitary-veterinary and food safety directorate, respectively the Bucharest municipality, at the time of submitting the application;
• They must not be in liquidation or bankruptcy as of February 24, 2022, according to the records of the National Trade Register Office, or in the case of a natural person, there must not be a final court decision declaring bankruptcy by February 24, 2022.

Beneficiaries can be:

• Individual beekeepers holding a producer certificate issued under Law no. 145/2014 on the regulation of the agricultural products market, with subsequent amendments and completions, valid at the time of submitting the application;
• Individual beekeepers, authorized natural persons, individual enterprises, and family enterprises established according to the provisions of Government Emergency Ordinance no. 44/2008 on the conduct of economic activities by authorized natural persons, individual enterprises, and family enterprises, approved with subsequent amendments and completions by Law no. 182/2016, with subsequent amendments and completions, as well as agricultural companies established under Law no. 36/1991 on agricultural companies and other forms of association in agriculture, with subsequent amendments and completions;
• Legal entities engaged in beekeeping.

The application for enrollment in the program must be submitted within 30 working days from the day following the entry into force of this emergency ordinance, and the payment deadline is June 30, 2024.

The draft can be consulted by accessing the following link: link (Photo: Freepik)