Will there soon be a complete version of the strategic plan for the CAP in Bulgaria?

By the end of December 2021 Bulgaria, altogether with the other member states of the EU, has to submit to the European Commission its National Strategic Plan (NSP) for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2023-2027. The Strategic Plans must contain the contribution of each state for achieving the CAP objectives and the EU Community, and are step towards a CAP reform. After the submission of the SP a process of discussion, revision, supplementation and approval will follow.

Although there are less than 2 months left until the submission, still there is no comprehensive version of the SP in Bulgaria that should present the objectives, intervention logic and measures to achieve the individual objectives, as well as the distribution of the budget. No version of the preliminary assessment and strategic environmental assessment of the plan is presented.

We, the STEP experts, express our concerns that the plan will be finalized at the last minute, without organizing a public discussion with all stakeholders. Again, they will not be able to speak opinions on the proposals for policy change and sustainable production of quality food in the country.