Reacting to the statements in the press, we believe it is important to point out that the European Commission did not criticise the Rural Development Programme, it formulated expert opinions on it, just like it does in the case of all other member states as well.

The number of the measures is primarily a technical issue. The Prime Minister’s Office is ready to analyse possible simplifications, and a reduction of the number of measures planned in the framework of the programme, should the Commission deem this to be absolutely necessary.

During the 2014-2020 period, similarly to other EU member states, the Hungarian government has decided to allocate 5 per-cent of the available rural development funds to the LEADER-programme. The underlying reason is for the government to appropriate the largest possible proportion of the EU rural development subsidies for rural job creation, rural investments and for improving the competitiveness of the Hungarian rural areas.

Almost 1.5 million hectares of the Hungarian agricultural area are drought sensitive and currently approximately 250-300 thousand hectares are suitable for irrigation; however, only one third of this area is actually being irrigated by the farmers. In terms of size of irrigated areas, Hungary is second-to-last among the EU countries.

Apart from the fact that the size of the irrigated areas has significantly decreased over the last decades, the majority of the currently used irrigation systems is outdated and the efficiency of resources falls short of the standard we would like to have. Therefore it is a priority objective of the government to build efficient irrigation systems, and establish a support system in this context, which contributes to improving the resource efficiency of existing irrigation equipment and to enlarging the irrigated areas, thus diminishing the agricultural sector’s exposure to climate change.

Exactly with a view to preparing for climate change, extreme weather conditions and droughts, we wish to increase the size of irrigated areas in order to protect farmers and reduce their vulnerability. We will stand to this position, while hoping that the European Commission will understand our technical reasoning and that we will be able to protect the interests of Hungarian farmers.

A successful conclusion of the negotiations as soon as possible is an important objective. Intensive consultations with Commission experts are being held on a high level.

The Prime Minister’s Office might open certain calls for proposals prior to the official approval of the rural development programme, even at national risk.

(Prime Minister's Office)