Effect of Policy Measures Supporting the Agricultural Sector in Bulgaria After EU Membership

Abstract

The agricultural sector in Bulgaria has undergone significant changes over the past three decades. In the early 1990s, the land was shattered between small owners. This leads to a drastic decline in revenue and a reduction in productivity per unit area. In recent years, as a part of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union (EU), which is one of the most important EU policies, due to its high share in the Community budget – almost 50%, and also to the large territory and the large number of people directly affected by it, the country has implemented a number of measures aimed to support farmers and for land consolidation. They are targeted to supporting various activities and are aiming to improve the quality of production, reducing the cost per unit and improving the overall quality of life of farmers and the population in rural areas as a whole. The main objective of the paper is to evaluate the overall impact of the implementation of policy measures targeted to stimulate the agricultural sector in Bulgaria in last ten years.