Brussels, 31/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 1 July 2013, Croatia will become the 28th country in the EU. It will receive a total of €373 million in direct aid to its farmers. This amount will gradually be increased over a transition period of 10 years (25% of the amounts, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100). This is similar to the amounts received by Luxembourg and Cyprus. The calculation method is the same as that used for the 12 countries that recently joined the EU. Croatia decided to apply the single payments system and will have the right to a national budget envelope to help its most vulnerable sectors.
The EU recognises the problem of mined- and mine suspected- land and decided to grant Croatia an annual budget of €9.6 million (introducing the amount on a gradual basis as well) in addition to the envelope of €373 million. In this context, Croatia requested that 32,260 hectares of potentially mined land be taken into consideration but the EU decided on 30,750 (7,849 ha of de-mined land between January 2005 and the end of December 2009, in addition to 22,901 ha of land that was still mind on 1st January 2010).
If the Commission's approval is obtained, Croatia will be able to pay direct complementary aid of up to €100 million of the level of direct EU payments. The EU also granted Croatia the right to use some of the rural development budget (up to 20% of the funds) for additional direct payments over the three years following Croatia's accession to the EU. Croatia will be able to pay coupled direct payments (linked to production levels) for up to 105,270 suckler cows and 542,651 sheep and goats. Croatia also benefited from a milk production quota (765,000 tonnes in total) and sugar (192,877 tonnes). The country will receive €10.8 million a year for a wine support programme and asked for the protection of 16 designations of origin for its wine. The EU is committed to buying up public stocks of agricultural products owned by Croatian organisations when the country joins the EU and these products will be eligible for intervention if they respect the required criteria. (LC/transl.fl)