Takac: Agriculture Ministry Must Draw €800 Mn in EU Funds by End of 2025

Bratislava, May 23 (TASR) - The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development plans to draw almost €800 million worth of the EU Funds from the so-called second pillar by the end of 2025, Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) announced after a session of the government on Thursday. "We dealt today with the issue of financial resources under the Recovery plan, the structural funds but also the Common Agricultural Policy in its rural development programme, hence the so-called second pillar," said Takac, adding that the second pillar contains resources allocated for food producers, farmers, foresters but also towns and villages. "We're in a situation when we need to draw the resources we have, to the tune of €800 million, by the end of next year. The final batch of applications will be submitted in May/June of next year," detailed the minister. Takac added that previous three Slovak governments had drawn only small amounts from the second pillar. "In 2021, a total of €134 million was drawn from the second pillar, in 2022 it was €110 million and in the last year €123 million. And we're supposed to draw almost €800 million over the year and half," he noted. mf/mcs