SOME SPECIFICITIES IN THE REGISTRATION MECHANISM FOR FARMERS IN THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

Abstract

Pursuant to the norm of Article 7, Paragraph 1 of the Law on Assistance to Agricultural Producers (www.lex.bg) [1], the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry creates and maintains a register of farmers. The registration mechanism is regulated in Ordinance No. 3 of 01.29.1999. [2] to create and maintain a register of farmers (www.lex.bg). Through this registration mechanism, each farmer and each agricultural producer is given the opportunity to obtain the status of a registered agricultural entity, subject to the fulfillment and presence of specific legal conditions. Pursuant to paragraph 1, item 1 of the additional provisions of the Law on Support for Agricultural Producers [1], „Farmers“ are natural and legal persons who produce unprocessed and/or processed plant and/or animal products, and in the sense of point 23 of the additional provisions cited above, „Farmer“ is a farmer within the meaning of Art. 4, paragraph 1, letter „a“ of Regulation (EU) No. 1307/2013 [3]. According to the text of the mentioned Article 4, paragraph 1, item „a“ of Regulation (EU) No. 1307/2013 – Definitions and related provisions, „Farmer“ means a natural or legal person, or a group of natural or legal persons , regardless of the legal status of that group and its members under national law whose holding is within the territorial scope of the treaties. The regulated registration mechanism is characterized by a number of specifics, reflecting both the functions of farmers and agricultural producers according to the cited definitions, as well as the provision in this way of a number of necessary privileges that derive from their registration status.